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<br />Task Force for Seniors and Youth <br />Meeting Minutes <br />April 7, 2011 <br />The meeting commenced at 6:30 pm. Two guests were in attendance – Gladys Hicks with Mid- <br />East Area Agency on Aging and Mary Hart with University City Senior Resource Team. <br />Gladys Hicks shared information about her experience working with senior centers. She <br />discussed some of the unmet needs in the area which include transportation and lack of a <br />caregiver. MEAAA is charged with keeping seniors independent and in their homes as long as <br />possible. Transportation remains a constant issue. MEAAA is one of about 600 similar agencies <br />in the country. They receive a combination of federal and state money. They mainly work with <br />independent seniors in their own homes who do not need a significant amount of assistance. <br />Questions/comments and discussion: <br />What is meant by need for caregivers? Ms. Hicks – Those who need help with things like home <br />repairs, etc. <br />How do people qualify for services? Ms. Hicks – Nobody is denied for meals for home bound <br />seniors. Anyone over 60 can receive help. <br />How many meals do you serve? Ms. Hicks – In March, about 4,000 meals were served. Most <br />needful area is University City but also Pagedale and Wellston. We also contract with the <br />Crowne Center for meals. <br />Is there a waiting list for services? Ms. Hicks – Hopefully there is not; we try to get meals out to <br />everyone who needs it in the area. We are the only such program in the area. It is difficult to <br />reach every area. We contract with companies for services we cannot provide. <br />Working with the Task Force, what is the biggest area we could help with? Ms. Hicks – <br />University City rates very high in support for seniors. Centennial Commons has always helped <br />to meet the needs of MEAAA. There are always different ways of getting the word out about <br />services. <br />Is there coordination among senior providers in the community? Ms. Hicks – That would be <br />helpful. <br />Ms. Hart – AAA’s (Area Agencies on Aging) are always the best resources. <br />How well does existing coordination work? Ms. Hicks – There are good community resources. <br />Is there a mechanism for all needs to be met? Ms. Hicks – No. <br />Ms. Hart – There was an effort to provide a “one-stop-shop” at one point. <br />tm; <br />šE <br /> <br /> <br />