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The Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan is pleased to announce the Kent County Senior Millage (KCSM) partners for 2020 with funded services amounting to $12,033,000. The KCSM has helped fund vital services for older adults in Kent County since 1999 with the goal of enabling them to stay in their homes and communities as they age.

The 2020 funding will support a variety of services throughout Kent County from meal delivery, transportation, household chore assistance, wellness programming, and more. For 2020 there are 34 agency partnerships and 57 unique services funded with an additional 25 purchase of service agreements in place, all coming together to provide resources for older adults in need. New services for 2020 include the community health worker dementia care program, the clubhouse, a support group for persons with visual impairment, and professional organizing and coaching. Services such as these, and the variety of others in place for 2020, not only give older adults the ability to remain independent, but they also come alongside to support the care that families and friends are providing to their loved ones.

The KCSM Review Committee, comprised of community members and County Commissioners came together in early October to review proposals and hear presentations from the agencies that requested funding. Recommendations for the KCSM were made and they were then approved by the Kent County Board of Commissioners on November 21, 2019. Of the funding process, Chair of the Millage Review committee Nancy Nielson remarks, “The decision-making process is no easy task. Ultimately, we want to make sure the various services all come together in the most efficient way possible to ensure that gaps in care are eliminated and older adults are given the resources they need to best thrive at home and in their communities.”

To be eligible to participate in a KCSM funded program, individuals must be a Kent County resident and 60 years of age or older. Donations are accepted and in some cases, depending on income requirements, co-payments may be required.

Learn more about the KCSM

Kent County residents approved a renewal and increase to the millage in August 2014 and it is currently an 8-year millage cycle. The Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan is contracted through Kent County to administer the millage, ensuring that it directly supports services that help older adults remain independent.