Region 7 Area Agency on Aging briefs Clare County on in‑home services and funding risks

Monica Crier, chief operating officer and interim executive director of Region 7 Area Agency on Aging, told the Clare County board that Region 7 serves 10 Mid‑Michigan counties and that Clare County received roughly $418,000 in returned value from a $2,474 2024 dues payment.

Crier outlined the My Choice Waiver program, which provides in‑home supports to residents who otherwise would require nursing-facility level care. She said Region 7 served 161 Clare County residents on the program last year and argued the program both improves quality of life and reduces state costs. At the meeting she cited a statewide figure that if all My Choice participants required nursing-home placement, it would cost the state about $535 million annually.

Crier noted Region 7’s advocacy work to protect home‑ and community‑based funds and described contingency planning should federal or state allocations change. She encouraged county officials and residents to refer people in need to Region 7 and distributed toolkits and informational cards.

Context and caveats: During the presentation Crier stated per‑person daily-cost numbers that the transcript records as $8,953 per day for in‑home My Choice service and $234.56 per day for nursing‑home costs. Those per‑day figures as transcribed appear inconsistent with typical service‑cost reporting and may reflect transcription mistakes or misplacement of decimals; the county did not provide supporting spreadsheets during the meeting. The board asked staff to collect documents if members want follow‑up detail.

What’s next: Crier invited commissioners to request additional briefings and to connect constituents to Region 7 resources; the board received the presentation and materials for the county’s transparency packet.