Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Seniors fear drastic cuts in service

Adult and Child Guidance to close drop-in center

By Jeff Kearns

Los Gatos seniors will soon be seeing more cuts to the already bare-bones services offered in town. The senior drop-in center at the Neighborhood Center is scheduled to close at the end of the month, and workers serving homebound seniors will be pulled out of Los Gatos and reassigned to a San Jose office.

The workers, or case managers, work for the nonprofit Adult and Child Guidance Center, based in San Jose. Two weeks ago, one of two case managers serving the area was cut loose, and when the drop-in center closes, the remaining manager will work out of ACGC's San Jose office.

The drop-in center, which is open on weekday mornings, will most likely be taken over by the town and a team of volunteers, and case managers from ACGC will visit weekly. The center is an informal hangout for seniors, who can come in for information and referral or just to have a cup of coffee with friends.

Center volunteers are currently working with town staff to try to keep the center open. Clare Dudley, who works one day each week at the center, says many seniors are unhappy about the changes.

"The drop-in center is a very important part of our lives," she said. "It's the one contact for a lot of seniors to congregate, and we all stop in. It's a big part of many of our lives, and I hate to see it close." Dudley added that it won't be the same without the case manager, Kris Jensen, around the center.

Dudley is a member of the Happy Hoofers, a group of about 25 seniors who meet Tuesday mornings at the drop-in center to begin a brisk hour-long walk followed by refreshments. The Happy Hoofers say they're disappointed about the cuts.

ACGC president Ann Webster insists that area seniors will still get the same amount of coverage as in the past, but some say that it's impossible to stay in touch with seniors from a distance.

"Even though we're a nonprofit, we can't give away the store, and this felt like the least damaging choice," Webster said.

The caseworkers, each serving about 50 seniors, organize meal deliveries to home-bound seniors and help others with the complexities of medical bills and insurance forms.

In previous years, ACGC received $12,500 from the town for case management services, but the agency didn't submit a grant proposal for the upcoming fiscal year and lost the funding.

Community Services director Regina Falkner wrote and called Webster to explain that the grant was available, but never heard from her.

Webster wouldn't elaborate on why the agency didn't apply for a grant this year, except to say that there were complex questions about insurance coverage.

Webster says the lost grant money will be partially covered by money from other sources and that ACGC may reapply for the grant next year.

ACGC absorbed another agency, Family Services Association, last year. Webster says the move was intended to reduce overhead and provide more services. FSA previously managed the drop-in center.

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