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Committee hears seniors’ needs: Meals on Wheels waits, PACE expansion and CAPABLE pilot
Summary
Speakers described a 3,026-person Meals on Wheels wait list and asked for $3.9M, outlined PACE expansion and requested funding for the CAPABLE aging‑in‑place program (agency enhancement ~$2.5M including ~$997k SGF) to prevent unnecessary nursing‑home placements.
Senior‑service advocates and providers told the Committee on Social Services Budget that funding gaps threaten efforts to help older Kansans age safely at home.
Sean Sullivan (Midland Care) reported a Meals on Wheels waiting list of 3,026 older adults as of Dec. 31, 2025 and asked for $3,900,000 SGF to eliminate that backlog in four Area Agency on Aging regions. Sullivan also described PACE expansion (Olathe center opened, Kansas City area expansion, Emporia expansion in May) and satellite day centers to support the program.
Advocates and practitioners described the CAPABLE model — a short, targeted home‑based intervention combining occupational therapy, nursing and home repairs — as a cost‑effective alternative to institutional care. Reverend Eileen Stulak (Good Faith Network) said the model has a decade of evidence and that initial program costs are roughly $3,000–$5,000 per client for a 3–5 month intervention, with reported multi‑fold returns on investment through avoided inpatient and long‑term care costs. Agency materials in the hearing record identify an FY27 enhancement request of $2,500,000 that includes $997,250 SGF to support a statewide CAPABLE component in the frail elderly HCBS request.
Clubhouses also asked to expand services: the Kansas Clubhouse Coalition requested raising the lottery vending‑machine fund cap from $8M to $16M to grow Clubhouse capacity across major population centers.
Ending: Committee members asked cost and roll‑out questions; presenters urged investments that target prevention and community supports to reduce long‑term institutional costs.
