The “Kansas Plan on Aging” has been approved for the next four years by officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The plan is a broad outline

of how the state intends to use federal resources under the Older Americans Act.

Kansas Secretary for Aging and Disability Services, Shawn Sullivan, says the plan is based on priorities identified by older Kansans, and those who work with them.

“Seniors here in Kansas want to stay at home, and in order to do that, I think there are some changes that we need to make. We need to do a better job with transportation systems, we need to do a better job with information referral systems, we need to make sure the appropriate services are out there in the community,” Sullivan said.

All of that takes money. Sullivan says the plan doesn’t address budgeting. However, he says providing the services people need to stay in their own homes is much cheaper than paying to house them in nursing homes.

For those who do need a higher level of care, he says they still want to have choices about where they live, and when they live there. Sullivan says the statewide Aging and Disability Resource Centercan help anyone with questions find out more about the options available to them. The center can be reached at (855) 200-2372.

By Bryan Thompson
KPR