Government funding shortfalls put Bay Area senior services at risk

"Barbara Griffin, 81, an amusement park retiree who's been coming to the center for the past 20 years, said recent schedule reductions have forced her to choose between her two favorite aerobic dance classes: Zumba and "Keep it Moving." She said she worries the city is starting to treat seniors like "an afterthought." "I feel like some people would rather have us sitting on a park bench feeding pigeons," Griffin said."

"Similar concerns are upsetting older adults in Sunnyvale, where a program that serves healthy meals to residents aged 60 and older, as well as their spouses and disabled dependents, increasingly has to turn people away as demand has outstripped the program's funding. "The numbers are climbing," said Ronald Nathan, who chairs the volunteer committee of the Sunnyvale Senior Nutrition Program. "At this rate, without systems to control overages, we could literally run out of food.""

"Earlier this month, Contra Costa County eliminated a $277,000 contract with Meals on Wheels Diablo Region due to federal funding cuts, ending weekly "Breakfast Bag" deliveries to hundreds of seniors. Seniors are the fastest-growing group in the Bay Area, with about 1.2 million residents now over 65, according to the Bay Area Census. Their rising numbers are expected to further strain the region's already limited resources."

Government budget shortfalls are causing senior centers across parts of the Bay Area to reduce services such as hot-cooked meals, exercise sessions and operating hours. The Downtown Oakland Senior Center cut Friday services and shortened weekday hours, forcing long-time attendees to drop programs. Sunnyvale's senior nutrition program is increasingly unable to meet demand and must turn people away as costs rise. Contra Costa County eliminated a $277,000 Meals on Wheels contract because of federal funding cuts, ending weekly deliveries to many seniors. Rapid growth in the senior population—about 1.2 million over 65—will intensify pressure on limited regional resources.

Read at The Mercury News