Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging Battling Budget Cuts

The state's proposed two-year budget cuts Title III Older Americans Act funding by 8 percent in the first year and another 7 percent in the second, which will affect programs that help seniors stay at home.

Jenny Justi, training manager with the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging, was at the Community Room recently to rally support for funding. She said the proposed cuts would cut WRAAA services by 10 percent in the first year and 20 percent the second year.

Justi said cuts will hurt the PASSPORT program, which assists seniors who want to stay at home rather than go into a nursing home.

She noted that nursing homes are costlier to taxpayers, with Medicare payments being far more than the money spent on PASSPORT.

"Ultimately, PASSPORT saves the state money," Justi said.

WRAAA staff members are encouraging seniors to call and send postcards to state representatives and senators urging them to restore all PASSPORT budget cuts. The state budget must be passed by July 1.

Justi said the goal is to balance Medicare funding given to nursing homes with what is spent on programs that keep seniors at home. She said about 52 percent of Medicare dollars go to nursing homes.

"What we're really trying to do is to balance the funding for long-term care," she said.