rap #103 06/10/20
OCEAN COUNTY TO LOSE FUNDING FOR RESPITE CARE;
CALLS ON STATE TO RESTORE OR EXPLAIN
TOMS RIVER – With the largest population of 75 year-olds and older in the state of New Jersey, many caregivers
in Ocean County rely on the Statewide Respite Care Program to assist with taking care of their loved ones while getting
a needed break for themselves.
But an abrupt change in the way the state program is funded has Ocean County officials calling upon the state to
restore more than $105,000 that has been cut from the program administered by the Ocean County Board of Social Services.
“Ocean County’s original 2009 allocation for this program was $552,363 and is being reduced to $447,171 resulting
in a reduction of $105,192 in this current year,” said Freeholder Gerry P. Little, who serves as liaison to the Board of
Social Services. “This is an unconscionable act on the part of the state and it either has to give us some incredibly
plausible explanation or restore the funds.”
As a result of the reduction in funding, some 45 recipients will not be able to access this program, which
currently has 227 clients.
“This is the type of program that allows an aging person to stay in the comfort of their own homes and provides some
brief relief to the full time caregiver, who has made the decision to take care of that person, whether it is a spouse
or a parent or a child,” Little said. “There are numerous benefits to staying in their homes rather then being placed in
nursing homes. And now the state of New Jersey deems it okay to reduce Ocean County’s funding for this critical program
and send the money elsewhere.”
Freeholders Little and Joseph H. Vicari, who serves as chairman of the Office of Senior Services, have sent letters to
the county’s legislative representatives noting the funds need to be restored.
In addition, the freeholders said, the state, without warning changed the funding formula recently so that it no longer
relies on the most current data.
“The statewide Respite Care funding formula was updated in 2008 in keeping with the legislation’s intent to update the
funding factors with the most current available data,” Little said. “Since current census data is available and was used
for the 2008 formula, it would seem that reverting to data prior to 2004 is in violation of the legislation.”
Freeholder Vicari noted that Ocean County has the fastest growing senior population in the state and based on 2007
Census population estimates, the 75 and older population totals 70,514 while the 85 and older population totals 23,118.
“These are the numbers the state needs to look at,” Vicari said. “Using old data to determine funding is especially
troubling when Ocean County’s frail, older population continues to increase, leading the state.”
The respite care program serves individuals that are classified as functionally impaired and the county population of 75
and older.
As a result of the funding changes, eight counties will lose funding due to this change.
“Ocean County is being hit the hardest though with a decrease of more than $105,000,” Little said. “This reduction will
have a deleterious impact upon the Board of Social Services ability to provide Respite Care.”
Little said that while talk continues on all the benefits that will result in stimulus funding from the federal and
state government, Ocean County, with a growing population, continues to see it’s funding reduced substantially.
“This funding is for viable programs that have been in place for a number of years,” Little said. “This Board has made
every effort to make sure the county programs are funded properly. The state needs to do the same.”
