POLK COUNTY, Fla. — More than a thousand Polk County residents and religious leaders came together to urge officials to restore care for seniors.
About a quarter of Polk County's population is over the age of 60.
“I’m 88-years-old and pretty soon I feel like I might need some of these services,” said Audrey Oliver.
In Polk County, one in five seniors is considered low-income, and many prefer aging at home versus the more expensive assisted living.
“I do not want to be put into a nursing home if the time comes that I should not be able to take care of myself,” Oliver said.
However, Oliver lives alone and is worried she will not have in-home care when she is no longer able to care for herself.
“It costs a whole lot of money to have someone come and take care of you. In order to get benefits from the County, you have to be dirt poor,” Oliver said.
The Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment (PEACE) is calling on county leaders to allocate funding for senior care services.
“There used to be five adult day care centers. They all closed. There used to be an adult assisted living facility and that has closed. The facilities have been reallocated, the funds have been reallocated to infrastructure projects,” said Rev. Lois Sorensen, PEACE board member.
PEACE leaders are pushing for local officials to first look at in-home care as a solution.
“Affordable, reliable home health care aids, so that people don't end up in nursing homes before they absolutely have to be there,” Sorensen said.
“We need to listen to the voice of the people, right?”
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