The Ventura County grand jury recommends in a report released last week that Camarillo survey those 60 years and older to better understand their concerns, especially when it comes to the congregate meal program.
Such programs serve meals in a group setting to those age 60 and older.
The grand jury found the Camarillo Health Care District receives less available public funding for its congregate meal program than other program providers across Ventura County.
Kara Ralston, chief executive officer for the Camarillo Health Care District, said Camarillo's senior nutrition program is based on the highest needs among the senior population it serves.
Ninety-seven percent of the federal funds the Camarillo district receives for the senior nutrition program go toward home-delivered meals, while the remaining 3 percent help pay for congregate meals, she said.
Camarillo holds it congregate meal on the third Thursday of the month.
The federal funding only pays for a portion of the estimated $200,000 it costs to run Camarillo's senior nutrition program every year, Ralston said. The district will receive $69,660 in federal funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The district got $55,942 in federal funding this fiscal year.
"It takes many partners to run the program," Ralston said, noting funding for Camarillo's senior nutrition program also comes from the city of Camarillo and from property taxes.
The district also depends on volunteers to deliver meals to the elderly at home, many of whom are ill and unable to go out.
"The dimension that community volunteers add to this program is priceless," Ralston said.
Federal funding for Camarillo's senior nutrition program comes through the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, which is charged with planning for the needs of seniors and advocating on their behalf.
Ralston noted there are not enough federal dollars to cover the full annual costs of running Camarillo's senior nutrition program.
She also said Ventura County once ran the senior nutrition program for cities across the county.
But then "the county stopped because it was too expensive," she said. The county told Camarillo and other cities to find a way to run the program, she said.
The Camarillo Health Care District, along with the city and the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District will discuss the grand jury's report during a Tuesday meeting, Ralston said.
"After the meeting, we will be drafting a response to the report that we hope will meaningfully address it," she said.
About 23 percent of Camarillo's population is 60 years old or older, compared to 18.1 percent for the rest of the county, the grand jury stated in its report.
Victoria Jump, the area agency on aging's director, said "more people are living longer, many of them with chronic diseases who can't leave their home."
As such, this group cannot partake in congregate meals outside their homes, but instead depend on home-delivered meals.
As to congregate meal programs in some other county cities, Jump said Port Hueneme has no such program, while Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Ojai, Santa Paula and Fillmore provide five congregate meals a week for their residents.
June 11, 2016
Ventura County Star
By John Scheibe
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