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Rockingham County aging services face long waitlists and tight budgets, planners tell commissioners
Summary
A regional planner told Rockingham County commissioners that block grant funding for aging services totals about $795,000 for FY26 and that home‑delivered meals and in‑home aid face long waitlists—an average 18–24 months for meal delivery—driving calls for more funding and volunteer recruitment.
Bob Cleveland, planning program manager with the Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC), told the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5 that the county’s older‑adult population is growing and that current aging services funding and staff cannot meet demand.
Cleveland said the PTRC block grant for aging services amounted to about $730,000 in FY26, with matching requirements and additional targeted funds that bring the county’s total aging‑services revenue to about $795,000. He said the county saw a roughly $9,000 funding cut in the current fiscal year at a time when need is rising.
“Home‑delivered meals: we’re serving 192 clients and there are 173 people waiting,” Cleveland said during the presentation, noting an average wait of 18 to 24 months for meal delivery and multi‑year waits for some in‑home services.
Pam Drews, a planning committee member and caregiver who spoke to commissioners, described how family caregiver supports and respite services helped her care for aging parents and urged continued funding for programs that teach caregivers practical skills. “Without that support, I don’t know what we would have done,” Drews said.
Commissioners asked about the capacity of local programs to expand if additional funding were available. Kathy Powers of ADTS said volunteers are the limiting factor. “We rely very heavily on our volunteer workforce,” Powers said. She estimated that eliminating the current waiting lists would require adding roughly 10 delivery routes and about 120 volunteers.
Cleveland and other speakers asked the commission to use its legislative contacts to press state and federal lawmakers for increased block grant and senior center funding. Cleveland also urged the board to consider budget requests from aging‑services staff during the county’s budget cycle.
What happens next: commissioners said staff should include the agency’s recommendations in the upcoming budget process and that county leaders would discuss potential local budget shifts and legislative advocacy to seek more state support.
