Caroline County approves SOAR senior services plan after state consolidation cuts direct services
July 07, 2026 | Caroline County, Maryland
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Caroline County commissioners voted July 7 to approve the county’s annual SOAR plan for older adults after hearing that the Maryland Department of Aging consolidated programs and reduced funding, a change that county and regional providers say will limit direct services.
Jennifer Cox of Uppersure Aging told the board that the state merged the senior care program with the senior assisted‑living subsidy under the new SOAR (Supporting Older Adults with Resources) structure and allocated $495,000 for the three‑county region this fiscal year. "So they merged our senior care program together with our senior assisted living subsidy program," Cox said, adding that the funding for the three counties comes to about $165,000 per county under the new allocation.
Cox said Caroline County currently serves 64 clients and has one full‑time case manager and one part‑time case manager, with six people on the referral/wait list. She warned that stricter caps and the program changes will force cuts to direct services such as personal care: "We really had to cut that back … those people aren't gonna have those services," Cox said.
An aging‑services official (speaker) and commissioners noted the state lowered the program’s eligibility age from 65 to 62, which will expand demand even as per‑county funding fell. Commissioners asked staff for a spreadsheet showing FY26 versus FY27 allocations and which jurisdictions received increased funding under the new structure; Cox or the county aging official agreed to provide that comparison to commissioners.
Despite concerns about the funding reduction and service impacts, a commissioner moved to approve the county’s SOAR plan. The motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote.
Commissioners asked the aging provider to return with a more detailed breakdown of the cuts and to meet with the secretary of aging if necessary to press for clarity about allocation decisions. County staff said they would seek the spreadsheet showing how funds shifted across jurisdictions.
Jennifer Cox of Uppersure Aging told the board that the state merged the senior care program with the senior assisted‑living subsidy under the new SOAR (Supporting Older Adults with Resources) structure and allocated $495,000 for the three‑county region this fiscal year. "So they merged our senior care program together with our senior assisted living subsidy program," Cox said, adding that the funding for the three counties comes to about $165,000 per county under the new allocation.
Cox said Caroline County currently serves 64 clients and has one full‑time case manager and one part‑time case manager, with six people on the referral/wait list. She warned that stricter caps and the program changes will force cuts to direct services such as personal care: "We really had to cut that back … those people aren't gonna have those services," Cox said.
An aging‑services official (speaker) and commissioners noted the state lowered the program’s eligibility age from 65 to 62, which will expand demand even as per‑county funding fell. Commissioners asked staff for a spreadsheet showing FY26 versus FY27 allocations and which jurisdictions received increased funding under the new structure; Cox or the county aging official agreed to provide that comparison to commissioners.
Despite concerns about the funding reduction and service impacts, a commissioner moved to approve the county’s SOAR plan. The motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote.
Commissioners asked the aging provider to return with a more detailed breakdown of the cuts and to meet with the secretary of aging if necessary to press for clarity about allocation decisions. County staff said they would seek the spreadsheet showing how funds shifted across jurisdictions.
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