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Annual reports highlight COA and ESP impact on older adults in southwestern Ohio

Annually, Council on Aging (COA) releases several annual reports:

The reports detail how Council on Aging delivers home and community-based services to older adults and caregivers in southwestern Ohio, and relate stories of the impact those services have on the region as a whole.

COA’s 2023 Impact Report highlights the partnerships COA has built with its
provider network, funders, elected officials and other organizations in the community — all with the aim of achieving COA’s mission to help older adults remain independent in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

I feel strongly that this spirit of partnership makes
our industry and our network unique — and it is what
makes us strong and successful.”

Suzanne Burke, Council on Aging CEO

From relationships with service providers, to community service projects carried out by COA staff, data and stories in the report demonstrate the effectiveness and impact these partnerships have on the more than 26,000 individuals served by COA in 2023. Click here to read the full report.

2023 Impact Report Highlights – By the Numbers:

  • 26,691 individuals remained independent in their homes with COA’s help
  • 1.4 million hours of in-home care provided via contracted providers and consumer-directed services
  • 1.8 million meals served through home-delivered and congregate meal programs
  • 132,757 community members engaged through presentations and events
  • 72,006 requests for information and referral fulfilled
  • 128,067 website users
  • 174,811 trips provided for medical and senior center activities
  • 2,991 clients supported from hospitals or nursing facilities to home via transitional care programs
  • 2,427 participants in the USDA Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
  • 247 community-based free health and wellness workshops offered

Elderly Services Program 2023 annual reports

Council on Aging has also produced print and digital versions of the 2023 annual reports for four Elderly Services Programs (ESP) it administers, in Butler, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties.

During 2023, more than 16,000 older adults in these counties received ESP services that helped them remain independent in their homes. Additional data presented in the reports shows that on average, across all counties, more than 55% of older adults enrolled in ESP live alone and more than 84 percent are age 70 or older (with 74 clients who are 100 and older!).

On average, client incomes range from $1,784 to $2,071 per month, with average out of pocket medical expenses of around $400 per month.

The most common services provided by the program include electronic monitoring systems, home-delivered meals, and help with housekeeping and personal care. These services, combined with help clients may already receive from family or friends, is enough to help an older adult live independently at home.

Each report features success stories, underscoring the importance of ESP services in the lives of those the program serves. For example:

  • The Clinton County report highlights the important role care managers play in helping clients access the services they need to remain independent at home. ESP client, Allen, even goes so far to say that his care manager is his “guardian angel.”
  • The Hamilton County report details how the county’s senior services tax levy – which is ESP’s primary funding source – is supporting more county residents through programs such as the Senior Utility and Home Repair Assistance Program.
  • In the Warren County report, a client shares her experience using COA’s innovative AddnAide app to find and hire her own home health aide.
  • The Butler County report shares details about how local service providers stepped in to meet the needs of 1,300 clients who were impacted by the loss of a major service provider in the county.

As the administrator of the Elderly Services Program in these counties, COA leverages state and federal funding to cover a portion of ESP’s expenses. COA’s other responsibilities for ESP include: program development; provider management; data analysis and reporting; financial services and oversight; information technology; quality improvement; and community engagement. As a state-designated Area Agency on Aging, COA provides additional services in each county, including information and referral; transitional care services; Medicaid-funded home and community-based care services; and allocated Title III funding to local organizations to provide supportive services including caregiver support, legal services, congregate meals, transportation and more.

Print copies of these reports can be obtained by contacting Communications Director Paula Smith.

(513) 721-1025