Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Editorials

Seniors can thank Washington politics

Los Gatos is going to pay a steep price for the inability of elected officials in Washington, D.C., to come to terms with the national budget. Just last fall, it looked as if the community might finally get a much-needed comprehensive senior center. Two respected social-service agencies--Live Oak Adult Day Services and Family Services Association of Santa Clara Valley--joined forces to spearhead a capital campaign to build such a center.

Now Family Services Association has had to back out. The Older Americans Act monies the agency counts on to fund case management for the frail elderly is being allocated on a month-to-month basis. Whether the funding ultimately will be reduced a little or a lot or not at all is a complete unknown.

As a practical matter, it is the agency's case management activities that would have made the provision of services for active seniors economically feasible. Family Services Association really had no choice. Under the circumstances, the agency couldn't undertake a capital campaign.

Live Oak Day Services asked the Los Gatos-Saratoga Senior Citizens, the group that owns the property at 550 Hubbell Way, and was going to donate it to the senior center project, to donate the property instead to Live Oak to build a permanent home. The group agreed.

Certainly, Live Oak deserves support in its efforts. The agency enjoys an excellent reputation and in providing day-care services for frail elderly, many of whom live in their children's homes, the agency is filling a necessary and dramatically growing need.

Still, it's unfortunate that the community will only be getting half a loaf instead of a whole. A comprehensive senior center provides a continuum of care under one roof. It's a place where active seniors can meet for social activities. It's a place where they can enjoy a meal, obtain counseling on insurance questions, have their blood pressure taken and take a class.

It's also where trained social workers can help frail seniors and their families get the services that are most appropriate for their needs at any given time. With all these services under one roof, a senior who becomes less active, but isn't really frail, can move gradually to the proper level of support.

Los Gatos is the only municipality in Santa Clara County with no comprehensive senior center. Thanks, Washington.

Who will do it?

It's good news that the Los Gatos Downtown Association is going stay in existence even though its membership drive did not meet expectations.What we can't imagine is why everyone who operates a business downtown hasn't joined. The LGDA brings business downtown.

Some prospective platinum members have indicated that they are willing to put up $5,000 for highly visible projects such as the Cats Festival and beautification, but not anything so mundane as operating costs.

Without operating costs, though, just exactly who is going to organize the Cats Festival, plant flowers and nag Town Hall about newsracks, benches and other amenities?

Nobody. That's who.