10 reasons to support the Warren County Senior Services Levy
| 10 Reasons to Support the Warren County Senior Services Levy |
1. It helps seniors remain independent in their homes.
As we age, most of us want to stay at home, even if we need help. Home means independence, privacy, dignity and connection to our loved ones. While care at home is much cheaper than nursing home care, it’s still beyond the means of many. That’s where Warren County’s senior services levy helps. It supports Warren County ESP. Through services such as home-delivered meals, homemaking, personal care and transportation, Warren County ESP helps more than 2,700 older adults remain in their homes with independence and dignity.
2. It's funded by Warren County for Warren County.
Warren County ESP exists thanks to the generosity of county voters. A tax levy in place since 2002 provides 94% of ESP’s funding. The current 1.21-mill levy was approved by 78% of voters in 2021 and costs approximately $22 per $100,000 of property value annually. Funds raised through the levy stay in the county to help eligible Warren County older adults remain independent at home.
3. It helps older adults while saving taxpayers money.
It costs an average $426 per month to help an older adult enrolled in ESP. If that same person were in a nursing home on Medicaid, it would cost taxpayers more than $8,000 a month. To help the program serve as many people as possible with the tax dollars available, some clients help pay for the cost of their care through cost-sharing. Cost-sharing is based on factors including income, assets and care plan costs. All cost-sharing payments are reinvested into ESP to serve more people.
4. It benefits the entire community.
Beyond older adults, Warren County ESP supports caregivers struggling to juggle the responsibilities of family, career and elder caregiving. ESP provides supplemental care that enables family caregivers to continue working, which is good for business and our economy. It helps working families keep mom and dad at home; it helps long-married spouses care for each other and stay together; and for older adults who have no family nearby, it makes a difference in quality of life.
5. It's for your friends, neighbors and family.
In their day, they were secretaries, construction workers, farmers and business owners – the backbone of our community. They served our country and built our towns. The typical ESP client is a woman in her 80s, living alone on a modest income. She has health problems, doesn’t drive, and needs help with housework and meals. But she doesn’t need a nursing home.
6. Warren County ESP is well managed and mission-driven.
Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COA) manages the program via a contract with county commissioners. A non-profit organization, COA is designated as the Area Agency on Aging for southwestern Ohio, including Warren County. COA's mission is to enhance people’s lives with services that help them to remain independent at home. COA brings in federal funds which help support ESP and other services for Warren County older adults.
A volunteer organization, the Warren County ESP Advisory Council, advises the program. Warren County Community Services, Inc. provides eligibility screening and care management for clients. Providers deliver services – such as homemaking, meals and transportation – via contracts with COA.
A volunteer organization, the Warren County ESP Advisory Council, advises the program. Warren County Community Services, Inc. provides eligibility screening and care management for clients. Providers deliver services – such as homemaking, meals and transportation – via contracts with COA.
7. Warren County ESP delivers the right services at the right time.
Professional care managers create a plan for each client and arrange and coordinate services. Depending on client needs, these may include adult day care, electronic monitoring systems, home-delivered meals, home modifications (e.g. wheelchair ramp), personal care, housekeeping, caregiver respite, transportation and more. ESP can also provide support as an older adult transitions home from a hospital or nursing home stay.
To be eligible, clients must live in Warren County, be age 60 or older, agree to an in-home assessment and be unable to perform certain daily activities without help. Some clients help pay for their care, and services can be adjusted as a client’s needs change.
To be eligible, clients must live in Warren County, be age 60 or older, agree to an in-home assessment and be unable to perform certain daily activities without help. Some clients help pay for their care, and services can be adjusted as a client’s needs change.
8. The need is real.
Warren County's older adult population is growing rapidly. Today, more than 51,000 residents (21% of the county’s population) are age 60+. By 2050, this number will grow by 35%. The fastest-growing age group – and those most likely to need care – is people age 85 and older. Currently, nearly 3,600 county residents are in this age group. By 2050, this age group will more than double in size.
9. Without the levy, ESP will end.
And, there is no other local program that could fill in. The levy provides about 94 percent of the funding for Warren County ESP. Other funding comes from federal and state sources (via Council on Aging), client donations and cost-sharing. The current levy will expire at the end of 2026. To continue the levy and ESP, voters must renew the existing levy in November. The renewal will NOT raise taxes.
10. Warren County cares about its older residents.
Voters have supported the Warren County Senior Services Levy since it first appeared on the ballot in 2002. Warren County voters understand the value of ESP for today’s older adults and caregivers, and for those who will need it in the future.