Wilshire and agency advisory committee chair and former Clarion University staff member Dr. Iseli Krauss talked with local seniors about the county’s upcoming four-year plan on aging.

The plan is required by state and federal mandates.

“Gas and milk prices are up. The price of bread has gone up 13 dollars a pound for the flour. But still, no budget increase,” Wilshire. “We have 23 staff at the agency, and salaries and benefits always increase as well.”

Wilshire said the current state lottery surplus intended to help seniors is $596 million but that figure will likely be cut to between $35 to $39 million, possibly to offset rising Medicaid costs in the state.

Budget increases or not, local seniors were given the opportunity to discuss the county’s recently compiled needs assessment report. The report came from the results of a survey that asked seniors and agency staff to rank problems in the county’s aging services as “a serious problem” or “sometimes a problem.”

Seniors ranked inability or difficulty preparing nutritious meals as their most serious problem by nearly twice as many votes as other serious problems.

“The agency delivers around 200 prepared meals a day, and we offer lunch here at the center,” Wilshire said of the county’s efforts to counteract this problem.

Lack of transportation for daily activities and appointments ranked first among the agency’s serious problems.

Wilshire and the audience discussed the various forms of transportation available to seniors in the county.

The Clarion Area Transit bus is free to people over 65 and stops throughout Clarion, and the county van that brings seniors to the center is available for appointments if given at least a two-day notice.

“ Clarion County is only obligated to pay 85 percent of trips for seniors, but operates for free right now,” Wilshire stated. “But in the future, we might have to start charging for the service. We hope not.”

Problems with personal financial and legal matters was one of the less serious or “sometimes” problems discussed at the meeting.

Wilshire stressed the need for seniors to legally assign power of attorney to a trusted relative or friend before they are unable to do so legally because of failing health or mind.

“There are a lot of new facets we need to consider,” Wilshire said. “Eighty-five and up is the fastest growing segment of the county’s population and these seniors, some of which will outlive their own children, carry their own set of unique needs.”

The next step will be the county’s presentation of the four-year plan at a public hearing to be held at 2 p.m. April 24 at the Main Street Center .