County commission approves spending for senior citizen services

Cape County Transit would deliver meals to elderly shut-ins next year and get more tax dollars if an agreement can be achieved with the Cape Girardeau and Jackson senior centers, which currently provide the service.

The Cape Girardeau County Commission on Thursday approved $388,761 in spending for 2003 for a dozen agencies providing 20 services for the elderly, including medical screenings and transportation. The money comes from a 5-cent property tax levied to fund senior services.

The county's seven-member Senior Citizens Services Fund board recommended the spending plan. It includes $79,518 for Cape County Transit if it takes over delivery of meals from the senior centers by July 1. If not, the agency will get $33,033 for its van service.

The spending plan envisions that the two senior centers would continue to provide meals to shut-ins for the first six months of 2003.

County officials said any change in meal deliveries depends on an agreement being reached between the two senior centers and Cape County Transit. The Cape Girardeau Transit Authority, established by the county commission two years ago, operates the transit service, which previously was operated by a nonprofit corporation.

Encouraging agreementH. Weldon Macke, county auditor and a member of the fund board, said board members wanted to encourage the transit service and the two senior centers to work out an agreement.

Macke said the transit service can get funding through the Missouri Department of Transportation to buy vans, something that the senior centers -- which need new vehicles -- can't do.

But with no operating agreement in place, the funding board crafted a spending plan that includes additional funding for the two senior centers to cover the costs of delivering meals if Cape County Transit doesn't take over the task.

The Cape Girardeau Senior Center will receive $74,610 in county tax dollars should it deliver meals throughout the year. If the delivery work is handled by the transit service after the first six months, then the center will receive $55,760.

The Jackson Senior Citizens Center will receive $40,866 if it delivers meals all year and $26,683 if it delivers meals only during the first half of the year.

Number crunchingJeff Brune, executive director of the Jackson-based transit service, said his agency still has to crunch the numbers when it comes to the meal-delivery proposal.

"We want to make sure it is feasible," Brune said.

Brune estimates his agency could end up delivering at least 200 meals a day throughout the county.

Susan McClanahan, who directs the Cape Girardeau Senior Center, said the idea has been talked about for a year but nothing has been finalized.

"There are a lot of things to work out. It can wind up being a logistics nightmare," she said.

McClanahan said her center delivers 110 meals a day to shut-ins in Cape Girardeau and the south part of the county. The Jackson center delivers meals to elderly in Jackson and the northern part of the county. Jackson center officials couldn't be reached for comment on Thursday.

The program at both centers is operated largely by volunteers.

The Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging provides funding for the program, including money to buy the food. The county provides additional funding through a 5-cent property tax earmarked for seniors.

'The need is there'McClanahan said her center uses two paid drivers, along with 25 to 30 volunteers a week, and still doesn't have the resources to deliver meals to every elderly shut-in who wants the food.

"The need is there," she said. "We have a waiting list." McClanahan estimated that as many as 50 to 75 more elderly residents on her waiting list could be served if the program could be expanded.

Brune said volunteers still would be needed even if his agency takes over the delivery of meals.

Brune earlier this month helped deliver 59 meals in the city of Jackson to better understand what the service requires. He said deliveries require a driver and a person to carry the meals from the vehicle to the shut-ins.

Brune said his agency might try to provide the service one route at a time. "We want to ease into it to make sure we are doing it correctly and efficiently," he said.

Cape County Transit operates with 14 vans. Brune said the agency will need additional vans -- he's not sure how many -- to handle meal deliveries.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

SENIOR SERVICES

Cape Girardeau County Senior Citizens Services Fund spending plan for 2003, excluding money for Cape Girardeau and Jackson senior citizens centers and Cape County Transit

Southeast Missouri State University for the APPLE Project, a program that assists the elderly in filling out Medicare and tax forms -- $64,000

Southeast Missouri State University for fitness programs and Eldercare --$59,000

Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center for in-home aides -- $27,000

St. Francis Medical Center for rehabilitation of heart patients and health screenings --$18,000

Area Agency on Aging for Retired Seniors Volunteer Program -- $16,000

Lutheran Family Services in-home counseling and case management -- $15,000

The Lutheran Home for medical screenings and other care for the elderly -- $11,000

Southeast Missouri Hospital for health screenings, education programs and a program that involves the use of wrist transmitters to locate people whose illnesses cause them to wander from home --$14,000

Delta Senior Citizens Center --$1,800

First Call for Help information service --$1,000