Region 7 agency tells Bay County commissioners it distributes roughly $700,000 annually and urges greater visibility

Dana Alton, the new chief executive officer of the Region 7 Area Agency on Aging, told the Bay County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 17 that Region 7 distributes approximately $700,000 annually to Bay County for senior services and that about $1,000,000 in services are accessed by roughly 300 Bay County older adults through the My Choice waiver.

Alton described Region 7 as a federally designated agency under the Older Americans Act that receives both state and federal funds to distribute to counties in its service area. “We are designated, federally designated under the Older Americans Act, and we receive state and federal funds to distribute out to our counties that we serve,” she said, adding that the agency provides or funds congregate nutrition, home-delivered meals, case coordination, caregiver case management, homemaking, personal care, respite care and adult day care.

Alton asked commissioners to help raise the agency’s profile in Bay County, saying, “We have to do something about this. We need to be the best known resource, and so that does not take away from your Department on Aging. We support them.” She also urged commissioners to keep the county’s seats on Region 7’s board and advisory council filled, saying those seats help keep Region 7’s advocacy relevant to local needs.

The presentation included demographic context: Alton said nearly a quarter of Bay County residents are 65 or older (about 23.1 percent) and that the county’s population aged 85 and older is expected to double by 2050. She said these trends increase the importance of coordination among local and regional aging-service providers.

Pat Easton, who introduced herself as the county appointee to the Region 7 board, followed with a public comment praising local senior-service efforts, including Meals on Wheels and a monthly magazine produced for older residents. “I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure your funding is always there,” Easton said, and thanked staff and volunteer drivers.

A commissioner moved to receive the Region 7 presentation; the board approved the motion by voice vote.

What’s next: The board received the information and did not take further action beyond receiving the presentation. Alton asked that staff involve Region 7 when commissioners meet with state legislators to discuss aging services.