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DHS highlights senior services on St. John: Meals on Wheels deliveries, senior center activity and protective services
Summary
DHS told senators that Adrian Senior Center serves about 15–18 seniors daily, delivers Meals on Wheels to roughly 35 homebound clients on St. John and operates a senior registry for emergency planning; Adult Protective Services caseloads have risen territorywide, DHS said.
The Department of Human Services told the Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports and Parks on Feb. 21 that St. John seniors receive a variety of services — congregate meals at Adrian Senior Center, Meals on Wheels deliveries, homemaker visits and senior identification cards — but that demand and administrative needs remain significant.
Adrian Senior Center and nutrition services: Alvin Milligan, administrator for Senior Citizens Affairs, said the Adrian Senior Center serves between 15 and 18 seniors daily for congregate meals and that Meals on Wheels delivers daily meals to roughly 35 homebound clients on St. John. The department reported six people awaiting placement at congregate sites in St. John at the time of testimony. Fiscal-year 2024 spending for Meals on Wheels on St. John was $136,331, the department said; the current Meals on Wheels vendor for St. John is Saint Ursula’s (an Episcopal Diocesan program), which has served the island for many years.
Adult Protective Services (APS) and caseloads: Commission data showed adult-protective services served 242 adults age 18–59 territorywide year-to-date and 494 elderly cases (age 60+) in 2024, an increase of roughly 16% from prior years. Commissioner Avril George told senators APS most commonly investigates neglect and financial exploitation. The committee asked DHS for a St. John-specific APS count; DHS replied that four APS cases were active on St. John at the time of testimony.
Senior registry and sheltering: DHS described a senior registry used for emergency planning and wellness checks; the department said it maintains a master list for St. John and will use registry data for sheltering decisions. Abigail Hendricks, project director for Adrian Senior Center and ESF-6 shelter coordinator for St. John, said the Adrian Center is available as an evacuation shelter and that the staff and emergency planners know the island’s most vulnerable residents. DHS reported the new Coos Bay multipurpose shelter capacity is 35 upstairs and 29 downstairs and that the facility is generator-equipped.
Homemaker and in-home assistance: The Homemaker program on St. John serves three clients with one staff member assigned; DHS said it routes eligible Medicaid recipients to Medicaid-funded personal-attendant programs first and uses the homemaker program for those who do not qualify for Medicaid coverage. The department reported 184 total home-care clients territorywide, of which 75 were PCA Medicaid clients and 109 were homemaker clients; DHS agreed to provide a St. John-specific segmentation of those totals.
Ending: Senators asked DHS for updated lists of seniors on the registry, detailed Meals on Wheels cost data, and information about homemaker and APS caseloads for St. John. DHS said it would provide the requested breakdowns and work to publicize services and senior outreach on the island.
