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Residents ask City of New Carlisle to intervene as United Senior Services plans pullback at Lake Avenue center
Summary
Residents told the council USS plans to end most programming at Lake Avenue in January 2026, cutting meals and activities; the city manager and council agreed to investigate immediately and may use the Social Services Commissionon-call crisis process for daily updates.
CHARLOTTE FARLEY, a New Carlisle resident, told the City Council on Dec. 8 that United Senior Services (USS) plans to withdraw most on-site services at the Lake Avenue retirement village beginning Jan. 2026 and said that local programming had already been reduced from five days a week to three.
"They are no longer going to be providing support for any activities," Farley said, adding that USS now appears to be "only...providing some meals" and that calendars, sponsors and activities such as bingo and birthday celebrations had been eliminated. She said residents rely on the site for meals and social programming and described staff locking shared spaces and removing residents' personal items.
Rhonda Stout, who identified herself as a longtime worker at the New Carlisle USS site, said the replacement staff "didn't engage" the residents and that participation had fallen from as many as 25–30 people to very few. Stout said she had been terminated after years of service and disputed claims made by on-site staff about residents' medical eligibility for services.
City Manager Hall told the council USS had posted in April that it would open a satellite location and that the Lake Avenue site had temporarily closed earlier in the year before reopening at reduced days. "United Senior Services did reach out to me," he said, and he described administrationwalkthroughs and outreach to identify contacts. He also said the Social Services Commission has an on-call arrangement to triage crises outside regular monthly meetings.
Council members and staff pressed for immediate follow-up: they identified the property manager name supplied by residents (Jessica Shirk) and an apparent owner listing as NSC Equities LLC, and said they would not make calls during the meeting but would follow up after. At least one council member said the situation could be treated as a crisis and that the council liaison to the Social Services Commission could receive frequent updates.
Farley handed printed documents to the mayor identifying USS contacts (including Maureen Fagan, listed as the USS executive director) and asked the administration and council to help "save USS involvement at the Lake Avenue Retirement Center Complex." Council members said they would investigate and attempt to reach USS board members and the property manager and that they would report back, possibly at a Wednesday special session.
The council did not take formal legislative action during public comment. The city manager said administration would start investigations and coordinate with the council liaison and commission members to provide updates to the residents.
What happens next: the administration said it would gather information, contact USS leadership and the property manager after the meeting and coordinate with council liaisons; residents requested and may receive an update at the special session scheduled later in the week.
