A controversial plan for Ventura County government to give up control of the Area Agency on Aging was halted – at least temporarily – by the Board of Supervisors on March 3.
Supervisors voted 3-2 to pause the plan to transition the agency’s administration to the California Department of Aging. The state group had already issued a request for proposals in hopes of finding a community-based group to run the agency without interruption as of July 1 though county officials said no bids had been received so far.
The area agency runs programs for older adults and provides state and federal funding to other community groups contracted to provide services, including group meal programs, fall prevention efforts, watchdog services aimed at nursing homes, Medicare insurance counseling and other efforts.
The county Human Services Agency’s initial plan to stop administering the area agency as of July 1 was driven by massive federal funding cuts. Senior advocates said the transition would halt one program that serves older adults and disabled people for at least 18 months and also would potentially interrupt meal programs, transportation services and other programs.
“For our seniors who rely on these services, we owe them stability not uncertainty,” said Supervisor Jeff Gorell who proposed the pause.
The action directs the state’s request for proposals to be halted. It stops the administrative transition of the area agency likely for at least one fiscal year and is designed to provide time to assess other possible alternatives, including a public-private partnership and a model that would keep the county in charge but in an altered role that would cost less.
County administrators were also asked to assess the ability and readiness of community-based organizations to take on control of the program. Gorell said the pause will allow the county to learn from the successes and or shortfalls in other regions of the state where nonprofits are administering an area agency.
The action will add $1.2 million to the county’s general fund in next year’s budget to cover the unreimbursed costs of running the area agency. Gorell’s proposal also calls for using an additional $100,000 to $150,000 for a consultant to assess different models of operation.
Without the pause, the transition’s timetable was moving at a pace that appeared to hinder community groups that might otherwise submit proposals to run the agency, Gorell said.
The California Department of Aging’s deadline for proposals is March 27. Roger Robinson, director of the Human Services Agency, told the board that he wasn’t aware of any groups that had made bids so far.
Supervisors Gorell, Kelly Long and Janice Parvin voted for the pause. Matt LaVere and Vianey Lopez opposed the pause.
LaVere pointed at the federal cuts coming from President Donald Trump’s budget reconciliation act – the “big beautiful bill.” He said the lack of money will affect all programs and forces the county to prioritize services mandated by the state, including adult protective services and in-home supportive services.
The cuts mean the county likely wouldn’t be able to maintain current programs in the area agency. It would be better off in the hands of a nonprofit group that could do fundraising, LaVere said.
Lopez said she worried the pause would offer a temporary delay but no new solution. She proposed trying to find a way to extend the California Department of Aging deadline and give community-based organizations more time to figure out a plan for running the organization.
Many of the fears about interrupted programs center on an Aging & Disability Resource Center that provided services to 17,000 older and disabled people last year.
Program leaders said that if the county gives up administering the program, it would lose its accreditation, stopping services for at least 18 months.
Gorell said the pause will allow the program to continue to operate. State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, also introduced a bill in February that would allow Aging & Disability Resource Centers to continue operating during administrative transitions.
Senior advocates in Ventura County pushed hard for the pause.
“We believe that taking the time to ensure clarity, alignment and community engagement will ultimately strengthen the system and protect those who depend on it,” said Andrea Gallagher, representative of a group called the Ventura County Aging Services Coalition.
Martha Shapiro, director of programs at Senior Concerns, told the board she was speaking on behalf of an anonymous organization that wants to apply to run the area agency. It has faced a series of barriers because of the aggressive deadlines and the lack of information about requirements.
“Additionally, there is no start-up money attached. Funding starts July 1, the same day services are expected to start,” Shapiro said, noting groups will need money to ramp up staffing so that services aren’t interrupted. “It is unrealistic.”
Shapiro also writes a weekly senior column for The Star.
In an email, California Department of Aging officials offered no reaction to the county’s decision to pause the area agency transition except to say they are reviewing the motion and its “potential implications.”
“CDA’s priority remains ensuring uninterrupted services for older adults, individuals with disabilities and caregivers in Ventura County,” agency officials said.
Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com.
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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: County pauses changes to Agency on Aging amid fear of losing services
Reporting by Tom Kisken, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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