Commission on Aging dilemma

A nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life for senior citizens in Kings County is feeling a pinch, as it is pressed by the need for a new home and also faces budget cuts, officials say.

The Kings County Commission on Aging has launched a public appeal this week to save its very existence, seeking help from businesses and local governments to find a new location to house its administrative office and an adult day care service.

The commission currently operates in Mary Brock Hall, an aging building inside the county government center earmarked for demolition along with Kings Building and Rossen Hall. The agency has already been given a notice of lease termination by the county, although the county has been flexible so far.

"The clock is ticking," said Sharon DeMasters, executive director of the Commission on Aging, adding that finding a new home is critical to the continued viability of the agency.

"If the commission is abandoned, there's no substitute. There's nothing comparable to us," DeMasters said. "I'm just appealing to the community support at this point."

Funded by contracts, city and county support, United Way and private donations, KCCOA provides a full spectrum of services for seniors. Its programs include adult day care in Hanford and Lemoore, information and referral, long-tern care ombudsman, behavioral health outreach and senior nutrition site management.

KCCOA also provides discounted KART bus passes, health screenings, legal advocacy and insurance counseling -- anything that helps seniors live independently.

The agency, founded in 1970, today helps with nearly 1,500 requests and questions each month, DeMasters said.

"I don't think people really realize what we do," said Jeanice Cardens, who chairs the commission's governing board. "We have so many programs that are all for the elderly. We need a new home, and we need it desperately."

The commission officials have been meeting monthly about the relocation with various agencies, including the county government leaders to explore any options that the commission may be able to afford.

With virtually no money in its budget, the agency has been hitting a brick wall in the search. Currently, the county lets the commission use half of the Mary Brock Hall virtually for free. The commission would need a 10,000-12,000 square feet space in a new home. That's basically how it has been able to sustain itself over the last three decades despite a tight operating budget of $350,000 year.

County Supervisor Tony Barba, an ex-officio member of the commission board, says the county leadership is doing its best to help.

"We do advocate for them as much as we possibly can," Barba said. "We're going to continue working with them to find a new location."

Barba said the county is moving forward with its plan to demolish old buildings and construct a new human services building in the area. "We can't slow the progress there," he said.

"Now would be the time for the rest of the community to step up to the plate as well," Barba said.

The Kings County Commission on Aging is one of the legacies of the late Simon Lakritz, former Hanford mayor who died last month. First established in 1970, the commission has been playing an increasingly important role in the community as society ages.

As baby boomers join the ranks of seniors, the number of people needing services is growing. But many people prefer to lead independent living. That's where the commission comes in.

"I think everyone has mothers, grandmothers and neighbors who are elderly. It's our responsibility to care about them, and the society needs to have some system to help them," DeMasters said. "When seniors come to our services, they want to stay independent ... If you make them more vulnerable and dependent, that's how it's going to cost the society more."

But money for senior services isn't growing with the demand, DeMasters said.

Things are even tighter this coming year for the commission, as the state is poised for deep budget cuts in funding for senior services.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently vetoed a $150 million allocation to the statewide senior rent assistance program, through which KCCOA provides low-income seniors with a $355 a month assistance.

The state is also cutting 75 percent of funding for the ombudsman program -- which ensures the vulnerable seniors in nursing homes are treated right and that abuse is not happening, according to DeMasters.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2429.

(Oct. 3, 2008)