It is a true pleasure to be able to announce good news for Michigan seniors. You may be aware that PVM is very involved with advocacy and community partnering to assist with quality of life for Michigan seniors. We are a part of making Michigan a great place to live and age well. No doubt there is still much work to do. However, on the good news front, we are making progress! PVM is a member of the Silver Key Coalition which was formed in 2014 to advocate for an increase in state funding for in-home services supported through the Michigan Aging and Adult Services Agency (AAHSA). AAHSA is the state agency charged with providing senior services across Michigan and reporting to state and federal government agencies. An increase of $7.5 million over the past three years was intended to remove wait lists and serve all in need of assistance.
Due to rising costs and increased need we still have been unable to eliminate wait lists; although many more seniors did receive help. And there are many more seniors who still need help. The services which are provided include: Personal Care, Homemaking, Respite, Home Delivered Meals, Chore Services/ Minor Repair, Adult Day Care, Personal Response Systems and Medication Management. Our next phase of advocacy will feature a rationale for the value and positive outcomes of in-home services. The main message will stress the exceptional productivity by the Aging Network to increase the number of individuals assisted, increase funding for those on the wait lists, and emphasize progress in addressing unmet needs. Governor Snyder and the Michigan Legislature have been quite receptive to our advocacy efforts. In fact, he recognized the success and importance of the Silver Key Coalition in his recent State of the State Address. So the good news is that we are poised to see another increase for the 2018 budget in support of the Silver Key Campaign and Michigan seniors.
Many experts have noted that seniors want to maintain as much independence as possible, yet have needed services and safety measures in place. PVM is proud to be a part of providing services which assist Michigan seniors to take charge of their Aging Well destiny and create new possibilities for embracing life at any age. We will continue to advocate daily at all levels for PVM and community initiatives in support of all Michigan seniors. I will keep you posted on our progress as well as any other new information regarding senior services throughout Michigan. Healthy aging for all!
