Details

July 14, 1999

Congress is debating possible cuts to a number of programs that serve the elderly-- including Meals on Wheels.

In Salt Lake County alone, the program serves about 1,000 seniors a day.

News Specialist Shelley Osterloh tells how program cuts would affect them.

98-year-old Jacob Green lives in his own home.

Each day a van delivers a hot meal to Mr. Green and his wife, who has Alzhiemers disease.

Relatives help the Greens in the morning and night, but this mid day visit is important to them.

Jacob Green says, "Anybody that do anything for me, I appreciate it. I do the best I can do, see."

His grandaughter is worried what might happen if funding for Meals on Wheels is cut.

Christine Diniz, grandaughter, "I don't see any reason to cutting down a low-cost health program that benefits so many peole that are able to stay in the home and able to get a status check in the middle of the day."

It's a lean program -- 20 percent of the meals are delivered by volunteers, like Nia Sherar.

She says, "We are all going to be old. I hope someone delivers a meal to me when I get older."

Proposed funding cutbacks to Meals on Wheels couldn't come at a worse time. Elderly people are the fastest growing segment of our population.

Salt Lake County commissioners say Meals on Wheels is a top priority program, but federal matching funds are in jeopardy as Congress prepares to cut several programs for the aging.

Shauna O'Neil, the director of Salt Lake County Aging Services, says, "The funds for every one of those programs is going to be cut, it's not just Meals on Wheels. So your abiltiy to be able to balance and supliment and create a situaion where you can minimize the impact, dissappears when you have that kind of cut."

Just how much will be cut won't be known until Congress finalizes next year's federal budget.