Prince George's County review of aging services spotlights dementia, nutrition and home‑care gaps

Prince George's County leaders and residents heard an overview of the county Department of Family Services' Aging and Disability Services division at a March 2025 meeting of the Holistic and Sustainable Solutions senior citizens task force. Director Elena Balon Butler outlined the division's programs, funding sources and the findings of a countywide needs assessment conducted with George Washington University.

Butler said the county's population is “just shy of 950,000” and that residents age 60 and older total about 215,160, with the fastest‑growing cohort those 85 and older. She described the division as the county's Area Agency on Aging and said it is primarily grant‑funded: about $9.3 million in grants and roughly $1.9 million (16.93%) in county general funds. Butler also provided program figures for fiscal 2024, including nearly 280,000 home‑delivered meals and 32,338 calls to Maryland Access Point (MAP), the county's disability resource line.

The needs assessment carried out by George Washington University used more than 20 focus groups, an electronic resident survey and neighborhood canvassing; the final report…