Public Invited to Forum on May 10

Forum Gives Public a Voice on Spending for Aging Services
AgeWays seeks recommendations on the distribution of state and federal dollars during Fiscal Year 2018

AgeWays is holding a public forum in order to get feedback on how approximately $22 million in annual federal and state funding earmarked for senior services in its six-county service region during Fiscal Year 2018 should be spent. The agency’s service region includes much of southeast Michigan, including Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties. About 30 percent of the state’s seniors—nearly 640,000 people over age 60—reside in its service area.

The agency is seeking feedback from the public as part of the development of its Annual Implementation Plan for Fiscal Year 2018, which runs from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. The plan will map out spending priorities for funding received from the State of Michigan’s Aging & Adult Services Agency and federal funds received from the Administration on Aging via the Older Americans Act.

“These funds help us provide truly critical services to our region’s seniors,” said Jim McGuire, AgeWays interim CEO. “These are services like Meals on Wheels and direct care services that help seniors get the care and support they need to live safely and independently.”

The agency is inviting seniors, family members who are caring for older adults, senior advocates, senior care professionals and any other interested members of the public to attend the forum, which will be held on Wednesday, May 10 at 9 a.m. at the AgeWays Southfield office. The office is located at 29100 Northwestern Highway, Suite 400. People who cannot attend the forum in-person are invited to phone-in to share their feedback.

“The forum gives people an opportunity to let us know what services and programs are important to them,” said McGuire. “Getting that feedback is an important part of our planning process.”

For more information or phone-in instructions for the forum, email Angela Dixon at adixon@AgeWays.com. For more information on AgeWays or its programs and services for older adults, call 800-852-7795 or visit AAA1B.org.

A draft of the plan is also available for review. Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Implementation Plan (Draft)