
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, December 22, 1994                   TAG: 9412220106
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SOME ELDERLY FACE LOSS OF SERVICES

The League of Older Americans Area Agency on Aging would lose nearly $17,000 in state funding for services to elderly people in the Roanoke Valley and Alleghany Highlands under Gov. George Allen's proposed budget.

The Roanoke-based agency was notified this week that Allen had proposed cutting its state funding - as well as state funding for its 24 sister area agencies on aging - by 4 percent.

Kevin McCullough, director of public relations for the Roanoke-area LOA, said trimming 4 percent from the agency's state funding would mean a loss of $16,664, or funding for services to 157 elderly people.

"The state money we receive is not for administrative costs - salaries or computers or buying cars," McCullough. "Our state money is for direct services to people."

McCullough estimated that:

113 of 217 people who receive transportation services through the LOA would lose them.

32 of 700 homebound elderly people who participate in the Meals-on-Wheels program would lose that service.

12 of 90 people who receive in-home care would lose it.

The proposed cuts also could result in the deterioration and eventual hospitalization or nursing-home placement of agency clients, McCullough said.

"It has happened before when we've had to reduce services because of budget cuts," he said.

Eleven percent of LOA's budget comes from the state. The largest chunk of funding - 60 percent - comes from the federal government, McCullough said.

by CNB