Lorain County deserves credit for securing a nearly $1 million grant from the Ohio Department of Aging to assist the county’s senior community.
The funds will allow some Lorain County senior citizens to remain in their homes and connect to their communities, preserve their personal assets and will promote a healthy, independent and active lifestyle for older adults.
This is a step in the right direction to helping senior citizens, especially those who may feel isolated and don’t know where to turn, even for some services.
During a Lorain County Commission meeting in October, Deputy Administrator Karen Perkins indicated the county had applied for $927,000 through the Department of Aging’s Healthy Aging Grant program to address the factors that influence positive health outcomes and foster improved quality of life for seniors in Lorain County.
At their Oct. 31 meeting, commissioners Michelle Hung, Dave Moore and Jeff Riddell voted unanimously to support the funding from the state.
The grant approval process required the county to adopt a resolution in order to officially solidify the agreement.
Specifically, the funds will be utilized to help the local aging population with transportation, food, housing, finances, education, healthy living, socialization and counseling services.
The Ohio Department of Aging administers programs and services to meet the needs of older Ohioans.
These programs are funded by the federal Older Americans Act, Medicaid and other sources.
The Ohio Department of Aging is a cabinet-level state agency, and Ursel J. McElroy is the current director.
As a point of interest, the U.S. Administration for Community Living designated the Ohio Department of Aging as state’s lead agency for Older Americans Act services.
And, the Ohio Department of Medicaid contracts with the Ohio Department of Aging to administer certain Medicaid programs.
Most of its programs and services are coordinated locally by contracted area agencies on aging.
The Lorain County Office on Aging is the primary agency supporting Lorain County’s older adult population.
Its mission is to improve the health, well-being and independence of aging individuals and other adults with special needs, and to provide support, resources and advocacy to ensure that older adults can age successfully in Lorain County.
The Lorain County Office on Aging has other resources and programs to assist senior citizens such as the Aging & Disability Resource Network, in-home services, nutrition, the Kinship Program, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and the Senior Years newspaper.
With more than 76,000 older adults living in Lorain County, the need for services to support this vulnerable population continues to grow.
By ensuring easy and continued access to its services and resources available through partnerships, the agency has shown it is a compassionate steward for those who need its help the most.
The vision of the local agency is to be the best place to age in the nation, while the mission is to foster sound public policy, research and initiatives that benefit older Ohioans.
Similar to the local efforts, the Ohio Department of Aging administers programs and services to meet the needs of older Ohioans and are funded by the federal Older Americans Act, Medicaid along with other sources.
But, for those Ohioans age 55 and older, soon they will have the opportunity, if they want to obtain job training to join the modern workforce through the Ohio Department of Aging’s Senior Community Service Employment Program.
The Senior Community Service Employment Program began Oct. 12 and will continue over the next four months.
Vantage Aging will host a series of online workshops for older Ohioans looking to re-enter the workforce.
The first workshop covered resume writing tips for older adults.
Upcoming workshops will include: Developing a Winning Mindset; Job Search Strategies for Older Workers; and Seniors, Computers and Cybersecurity.
But senior citizens interested should reach out to the Ohio Department of Aging’s Senior Community Service Employment Program for more information.
Older workers are a valuable asset to Ohio’s workforce because they bring skills and years of experience to the workplace, have a strong work ethic and they likely would find work enjoyable, meaningful and fulfilling.
This could be the answer to some of the employers looking to fill some of the technical-skilled jobs that are vacant.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of workers aged 65 or older has grown by 117% in a span of 20 years, while employment of individuals 75 years or older has likewise increased by 117%.
With the grant, Lorain County is in a better position to help those who are in need.
