Jefferson County Office for the Aging outlines services, rising demand and staffing gaps

Bethany Munn, representing the Office for the Aging, told the Health and Human Services Committee that rising numbers of older adults and growing acuity are increasing demand for county services such as meals, case management, respite and home supports. "The purpose of the Office for the Aging is to have services that allow people to stay home for as long as possible," Munn said.

Munn said the Office for the Aging (OFA) has 15 full‑time staff, one part‑time staff and volunteers and an operating budget of about $3.2 million drawn from federal, state, county and grant sources. Jefferson County’s population is about 117,000 and roughly 24,000 residents — about one in five — are age 60 or older, she said.

Munn described the OFA’s major programs: nutrition (about 130,000 meals provided annually), case management (each case manager supports roughly 50 people), in‑home supportive services and respite programs that provide caregiver relief and allow people to remain at home longer. She said the average annual cost of OFA services per person is about $10,000, compared with roughly $140,000 per year for nursing‑home care, and argued that home‑based services can be more cost‑effective at scale.

Munn gave a detailed example of an intensive, months‑long intervention for a veteran and retired police officer who faced eviction and pest infestation; OFA coordinated pest control, deep cleaning, laundry, transportation and medical reconnects, delayed eviction and helped reestablish medical care. "This is life altering for this gentleman," Munn said.

She reported service strains and workforce shortages: the OFA had 31 people on a wait list for aides this week and 95 people had come off a prior wait list since January — some because they died, some because they found other arrangements and some because they entered nursing homes. To address the shortage, she said Jefferson County will receive an additional $411,000 to target the wait list using existing caregiving funds and new ISIP caregiving funds.

Nutrition demand has increased: the OFA now delivers meals to about 400 people per day (up from 300 last year, a 33% increase), and the program must conduct in‑person assessments within 10 days of starting meals, a process Munn said is resource intensive. She said the office is pursuing reimbursement from insurers that pay for services (she named Nacentia and said Fidelis is next) for meals and related services the OFA provides on insurers’ behalf.

Munn urged forward planning for long‑term demographic shifts: she said the 60+ cohort in Jefferson County is growing and projected to rise further (Munn cited a projection that one in four residents will be 60+ by 2042). The OFA director told legislators the county lacks sufficient assisted‑living and other appropriate housing and cited year‑plus waiting lists for some facilities.

Committee members asked about when staff must advise families to consider higher levels of care. Munn described her prior experience running assisted‑living and memory‑care settings and said she provides candid assessments and options to families. The committee did not take formal action; members thanked Munn and noted the OFA’s budget and workforce needs would be part of upcoming budget discussions.