Northampton County aging services report growing wait lists as state budget impasse persists

The Area Agency on Aging told the Northampton County Human Services Committee on Nov. 1 that demand for services has outpaced capacity amid a state budget impasse, producing wait lists for in‑home care and other programs.

Laurie Stantolini, who identified herself as a representative of the Area Agency on Aging, said the agency currently sponsors rides for 90 consumers to local senior centers and has provided 11,102 rides since January 2025. She told the committee the agency began a wait list in May and that 105 people are now waiting for in‑home services; four people are on a newer wait list for a caregiver‑support program. "We started the wait list in May, and we currently have a 105 people on that wait list waiting for service," Stantolini said.

The agency also reported program changes tied to external funding timing. Stantolini said the agency’s emergency fuel plan could not start as planned because LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) delayed its start date to Dec. 3; eligibility for the emergency fuel assistance requires applicants to enroll in LIHEAP, exhaust that benefit, or be found ineligible. Stantolini also said the Farmer Market Nutrition Program distributed vouchers to 2,469 consumers this year; each received five $5 vouchers (totaling $25 per consumer), down from $50 per person during the COVID era when the program received additional federal relief funds.

Committee members pressed staff on contingency options if the state budget remains unsettled. One committee member noted the county’s total budget and warned that "without a state budget, in the new year, we’re just gonna have more of the same, which is more wait lists, more the inability to serve people will continue to grow." Committee members and callers urged consideration of loans, contingency funds or reallocation of non‑mandated county spending, but staff said no specific local backfill for the missing state amounts has been identified. The committee heard repeated clarification that protective services (for adults and children) are statutorily mandated and would be prioritized if funds become constrained: "Protective services is definitely a mandated service," a county official said.

Committee members and callers also asked about operational responses short of new dollars. Stantolini and other staff outlined steps already in place: cross‑training agency care managers to perform face‑to‑face visits, recent hires to fill vacancies, contracted providers and a posted recruitment effort for additional positions. On service logistics, the committee learned there are 11 senior centers in the county (four run by contractors) with varying attendance; some centers provide transportation while others rely on consumers driving or walking to the site. Stantolini said the agency has been distributing extra shelf‑stable food and Meals on Wheels portions to address immediate food insecurity concerns.

Public commenters suggested volunteer recruitment and community donation drives as near‑term mitigations. Staff said some volunteer recruitment is already underway at senior centers and that a group called Sharecare is actively recruiting volunteers to provide grocery trips and companion services; staff did not provide a full list of background‑check or training requirements for volunteer roles but said they would follow up.

Why this matters: the committee heard that several services for older adults are already limited by staffing and provider availability as well as funding timing, and that the county’s ability to fully substitute for state funding is constrained. Committee members asked staff to return with additional detail about statutory obligations, costs to clear the wait list and options for local contingency spending.

Looking ahead, staff said they are monitoring the LIHEAP start date and continuing recruitment and cross‑training to keep protective services operational. If the state budget remains unresolved into January or February, county staff warned the committee they may have to consider more significant short‑term changes to programs that are not mandated, though they emphasized that protective services would be the last functions to be cut.

Sources: remarks by Laurie Stantolini, Area Agency on Aging; committee questions and public comments during the Nov. 1 Human Services Committee meeting.