The Town of Webb Board believes a Senior Activity Program is needed in Old Forge, and it is committed to getting one off the ground, according to Councilwoman Mary Brophy Moore.
Initially, $7,800 has been budgeted by the Town for 2015.
This will allow the Town to pay a staff person to conduct the program, Moore said.
The program will convene once a week to start.
Hazel Dellvia, a member of the Town of Webb Health Center Fund, and local senior-care advocate, asked the Board to consider increasing the funds.
Dellavia said the recent closure of the Inlet Respite Care Program created a vacuum that the Town of Webb should attempt to fill as fully as possible.
“The program in Inlet is a $40,000 a year program,” she said.
Inlet’s program had been directed by Hamilton County’s Resource Center for Inde-pendent Living.
As such, Inlet required a certified operator of the program, according to Dellavia.
“They required a certain ratio (of staff to seniors), because of its nature as a respite program. The people that attend require a certain level of care,” she said.
The Town of Webb’s needs would seem to be even greater, according to Dellavia.
“We have such a large senior population, and it’s growing all the time,” she said.
Supervisor Ted Riehle, explained that the Town of Webb program would be different than Inlet’s, at least initially.
The immediate goal, he said, was to get the program rolling.
“It was short notice and, not knowing what was involved in the program, we wanted to start somewhere,” Riehle said.
The $7,800 in funding from the Town was thought by the Board to be adequate for the program’s initial phase.
“But that’s certainly subject to increase in the future,” Riehle said.
Councilwoman Mary Brophy Moore has been active in assembling the new program.
She explained the vision that the Town has, and the recreational needs of local seniors, as identified by the Board.
“This will not be a respite program, but a recreational program…this coming year,” she said.
“[It] would initially be one-day-a-week… and the [money budgeted] would help to fund the Program Director,” she said.
That would not be the only funding source, however.
“The idea would be to get as many partners in this as possible,” Moore said.
Additional partners would potentially be the Health Center, Community Trans-porta-tion Services, and others with an interest in local senior well-being, she said.
The goal would be to increase funding to expand the program, Moore said.
“I think the need will be there,” she said.
But first there has to be a start. The one-day-a-week offering will help establish a sustained program, Moore said.
“[For that] we really need to have a director,” she said.
Volunteers, at this stage, would not allow for the necessary foundation, she added.
The Town already has a commitment from Niccolls Memorial Presbyterian Church to provide the initial venue, according to Moore.
“The details are coming together,” she said.
Councilwoman Moore said she anticipates that a clear need will be demonstrated, once the Senior Program starts taking shape.
This will contribute to a future blueprint, hopefully by next year, she said.
“Part of the growth [will include] looking at grants that may be available for this kind of thing,” she said.
The Town wants to steer toward a full program that will be funded by grants, according to Moore.
“I envision that eventually we will see a Senior Center up here,” she said.
CAP-21 is already being enlisted.
“Nick Rose is on board. He’s got his eyes open to see what’s out there,” Moore said.
The Town of Inlet has been working to reestablish its senior program, but they remain about $20,000 short, according to Moore.
Either way, Moore said Inlet would make a great partner for the Town of Webb program.
Councilman Mike Ross said the Town’s initial $7,800 allocation should not be perceived as a lackluster commitment.
“We all feel [a senior program] is extremely important,” he said.
However, funding it to the tune of $40,000 doesn’t make sense at this stage, according to Ross.
“You don’t even know what you’re putting [that money] toward,” he said.