KIPDA to Lobby for Aging Care Funding

A local agency for aging and independent living will be in Washington next week to lobby legislators in the hope of preserving the federal budget for aging care programs.The Social Services Division of the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency provides assistance to disabled persons of all ages as well as the elderly, and Director Barbara Gordon says the agency is concerned about the possibilities of budget cuts to aging care programs“We hope to declare an important message about how important the services and programs we provide are to these vulnerable populations," Gordon says "but also the cost-effectiveness of these programs.”Gordon says the agency’s aging care services allow the elderly to continue to live at home, which saves money in comparison to the high cost of nursing homes.  She also says the services rely on government funding as a way to leverage private funds, and not as the sole source of funding.“That’s another message that we are trying to get across, is that the federal fund are needed because it is you know, our county’s goal, I hope," she says "to serve vulnerable populations and to make sure that all those who are in need have access to the services that they need.”The organization will meet with several Kentucky lawmakers, including senators Paul and McConnell to lobby for funding, as well as the preservation of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.