The grand reopening of St. Charles Council on Aging’s Luling Activity Center not only demonstrates the growth of the agency itself but also the growing need for its services.
“The problem is increasing demand,” said Executive Director April Keller.
With an estimated 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring a day nationwide, the local Council on Aging is also seeing more seniors. Louisiana hit a million seniors statewide this year.In St. Charles Parish, anyone 60 years or older who lives in the parish qualifies for agency services. Assistance is not based on income and comes at no cost to the client. In addition to the activity centers, the Council on Aging advises on crime prevention, exercise programs, legal assistance, a Medical Alert service, help for caregivers, personal care, recreation, utility assistance and wellness. Services are also available for homebound seniors.
United Way of St. Charles provides funding for transportation so seniors can get a ride to dialysis, doctors, grocery shopping or even visiting a sister by calling by 1 p.m. the day prior to the appointment.
The agency also provides assistance with utility bills. It takes the applications while the funding comes from the Salvation Army. This is where the donation goes when anyone fills in the little box on their utility bill to help others with their utility bills.
At the Luling Center, the location has been expanded to increase seating from 36 to 92.
If funding holds and there are no budget cuts from the state, which is in a severe funding crunch, Keller said they plan to also renovate and expand the New Sarpy Center, which is also crowded.
The centers provide both a meal and a place to socialize for still seniors who can travel.
According to Keller, “We’re growing rapidly, pretty much in all our services and mostly in-home deliveries.”
The agency manages eight routes, delivering 44 meals a day per route to the homebound elderly. In total, the Council on Aging delivers 300 meals a day. Overall, it delivered 53,337 of them in the 2015 fiscal year. This year’s figure is already at 53,187 as of April 30, not including two months left in this fiscal year.
“We’re lucky to get the local millage,” Keller said. “Without the millage, we would not be able to provide services at the level we are providing them.”
The agency gets .96 of a mill in property tax, estimated to provide $1.1 million this year. It represents 71 percent of its budget and comes up for renewal next year. The budget also includes 19 percent in federal and state funding, and 10 percent of other monies including contributions.
The Home Delivered Meal program is growing along with all of the services including Home Maker, personal care, transportation, the activity centers, and wellness.
The activity center daily attendance is averaging 25 a day, up from 20 a day, Keller said. More meals delivered on eight routes means eight SUVs are needed to get them to residences, and a ninth SUV may be purchased soon.
And meal delivery is an impressive logistical feat.
Bateman Senior Meals in Baton Rouge delivers the food hot Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. Agency personnel portions the food into meals at the old Hahnville cafeteria, and drivers begin delivering them at 9 a.m. All clients must be fed by 12:30 a.m.The Council’s Board of Directors does not want a waiting list so any senior who seeks the services is assisted immediately.
“We just adapt,” Keller said.
But she added the agency’s mission remains clear that all seniors, persons with disabilities and family caregivers in the parish have access to information and services that promote physical health, mental well being and options for living that ensure personal dignity and individual choice.
“It’s all part of our mission and vision to provide a comprehensive, coordinated system of services,” Keller said. “We don’t just do meals.”
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