County Office on Aging visits Idyllwild to discuss senior needs

Local nonprofit Forest Folk held a special meeting at Harvey House on
Friday, September 6, with a team from the Riverside County Office on
Aging. The purpose was as much to inform the Office of the needs of
Idyllwild-area seniors as to educate locals on what the county has to
offer them.

Although the Office on Aging provides many services throughout the
county, Idyllwild is one of the “pockets of the county” where there
“aren’t a lot of resources” according to an Office on Aging
representative. Transportation assistance is limited to vouchers for
public transit or other ride services, which are not available here, and
meal programs require a local commercial vendor, which we also do not
have at this time. Forest Folk have developed a local solution to the
transportation issue with their free shuttle, and much of the
conversation Friday focused on the process for creating a senior meals
program that the county could pay for. That hinges on finding a vendor
with a commercial kitchen, the capacity to produce enough meals, and the
willingness to jump through the hoops to be approved to work with the
county.

Health Education Assistant Stephanie Posada started the presentation
with the history and mission of the Office on Aging. The mission, Posada
said, is to promote and support a life of dignity and well-being for
older adults and person with disabilities. The program finds its roots
in the Older Americans Act of 1965, and the County Board of Supervisors
created the Office in 1974. As an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) it is one
of 33 in CA, and 622 in the US.

Eligibility is broad; the office provides services for those: over 60;
over 18 with a disability; and caregivers of older or disabled adults. A
phone call to the office begins the process of connecting with a network
of available services. These services include meals, utility bill
assistance, wellness, transportation, and other support, aiming also to
address the loneliness many seniors experience. For legal disputes, the
office includes among its vendors Inland Legal Services, which maintains
a senior helpline. Seniors who are not tech savvy can sign up for
training on how to work a tablet, use social media and email, classes
that include a free tablet.

Supervising Nutritionist Maricruz Carrillo dealt with the technical
questions about meal distribution services. We heard that the Office on
aging is not delivering meals in Idyllwild, but these things begin with
requests from the community, and that the interest and need that was
expressed at the meeting would be sent up the chain of command. “We will
push it up to leadership…” and “…advocate for you to get the services
you need.”

Asked how many recipients would be needed to start a delivery route, the
number 30 was suggested. A member of the public said that about 30% of
our community is over 60. Census figures suggest the number is closer to
22%, but also caution that there is a large margin of error, and the
figure could well be that high. We certainly have a greater
concentration of seniors than the county as a whole. In any case, these
numbers seemed to make an impression on the Office on Aging personnel.

We heard that the Office would provide local nonprofits and interested
citizens with a list of qualifications to become a vendor for meals.
They must have a business license and copy with the California Retail
Food Code. The County inspects the kitchens and approves all menus.
Employees must undergo background checks. The rigorous requirements
favor one large vendor over many small ones. The vendors usually provide
five to seven meals per recipient each week, frozen for use throughout
the week. In some places vendors provide “congregate settings” where
people can gather and eat together. Again, we heard voices saying, “We
have to get a senior center here!”

Other ideas that were floated included using a vendor from the desert to
provide meals for local delivery. We were told that existing vendors do
not have the extra capacity. The question was asked “How long would this
take for Idyllwild, three years?” Carrillo did not think it would take
that long, especially if locals are organized and proactive.

Reba Coulter, treasurer for Forest Folks, recounted some of the
organization’s history, an example of what can be done with persistence.
The Idyllwild Shuttle is now in its 10th year. Forest Folk started with
the hope to establish a senior center, but pivoted towards the goal of
public transport, of which Idyllwild had none. Coulter was volunteering
with the Art Alliance of Idyllwild when the Chamber of Commerce folded.
The Alliance accepted the shuttle bus which the Chamber had occasionally
operated. The Alliance in turn gave it to Forest Folk in October 2014.
In January 2015 this group sent a grant proposal to the county. The
grant required a matching funds, and Coulter was able to secure the
grant by presenting the fair market rental value of the bus as the
match. The grant is paid for by measure A funds, a 1/2 cent county sales
tax.

That first shuttle was too large, requiring a commercial license. After
the first year the group “begged” the county for a smaller van, and
eventually a second van to provide a backup and keep the service
running; the older vehicles need upkeep, especially with the mountain
driving. Coulter has continued to think bigger: Forest Friends are
expecting to take delivery of a new 2024 Ford Transit this month, and
she sees the possibility of getting a second like it. The plan is to
retire one of the older vans and keep vehicles, two operating and one in
reserve.

The shuttle operates year-round, with a Monday through Thursday
schedule, providing door-to-door service. Monday, they go to the desert,
Wednesday Hemet, Tuesday and Thursday are for local trips. The shuttles
also go to the Mountain Community Mutual Aid and Town Hall Feeding
America food distributions. This week, they made 19 deliveries for the
Town Hall distribution. The shuttle even connects to CommuterLink and
MetroLink trains and buses, and Palm Springs Airport. The focus is on
the elderly, disabled, and low income, but everyone is welcome to ride.

To use the Forest Folk shuttle or volunteer, call the service manager at
(951) 288-2002 or visit online at forestfolk.org. To contact the Office
on Aging call (877) 932-4100, Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit online at:
www.rcaging.org or email: [email protected]. Follow on Facebook,
Instagram, X tag: @rivcoaging