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Costs rise for East Hampton's senior programs
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Suggested donations to East Hampton Town's senior citizens programs will increase substantially over the next few months, though the contributions will remain free will.
The town's Human Services department runs a nutrition program, a senior day care center and a transportation program for residents who are 60 and older.
"Suggested donations have not changed since they started," said Human Services Director Edna Steck. The nutrition program has been in place since the mid-1970s, and the day care program has been in place since 1990. "Under the 1965 Older Americans Act, we cannot charge fees. However, we are required to give participants the opportunity to contribute toward the programs."
Suggested donations for the senior nutrition program, which is held five days a week at the town's senior center on Springs-Fireplace Road, increased from $1.50 to $2 on November 1 and will increase again to $2.50 on January 1.
The contribution for adult day care increased from $15 to $20 per day on November 1 and will increase to $22.50 per day on January 1.
Transportation costs increased from 50 cents per one-way trip to $1 per one-way trip on November 1 and will increase again to $1.25 on January 1.
"Eligibility for the programs is in no way dependent on a person's ability to give in any way," said Ms. Steck. "These programs are open to seniors who are residents of the Town of East Hampton over age 60. No one is denied service in any way. Some people give more than the suggested donation. Others give the amount. Others may or may not give every time. Contributions are anonymous."
The senior nutrition program alone is expected to cost the town more than $400,000 next year. Just $80,000 of that amount is provided by the federal government through a grant. Users of the program paid about $20,000 in donations in 2008.
"It will be interesting to see how much the donations do increase. But the donations are only a small part of the funding," said Ms. Steck.
She estimated that about 300 people use the senior nutrition program over the course of the year. The senior day care program, which has sites on Accabonac Road and at the Montauk Playhouse, provides care for 12 to 15 people per day at each site.
The transportation program had initially been funded by the federal government, which recently backtracked on financing the extensive on-demand program, which includes transportation to and from the day care program and to medical appointments and stores both in East Hampton and as far west as Stony Brook University Hospital.
That program is expected to cost the town $440,000 next year and receives just $5,000 in grant funding from New York State and about $1,000 in donations by users of the services.
"The nutrition program in many towns increased several years ago, but our Town Board had decided not to increase," said Ms. Steck. "But the percentage of the money that comes from donations has always been small. In the nutrition program a third of the people are below 150 percent of the poverty level. The increase is making people a little more conscious and aware of the costs. There will be some who will be able to meet that and some who will be able to exceed it and some who won't pay."
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