Every day 100 Oklahomans turn 65 years of age or age out of services for the disabled! As our populations of seniors and those with disabilities continue to grow dramatically, we need to provide the most cost efficient and appropriate options for their care. Adult day services save our state millions of dollars by rebalancing our states aging and disabled services from institutional to home and community-based. Adult Day saves the state 61% over the daily rate of institutional and nursing home care.

Golden Villa Adult Day services comprise one of the most crucial components of long term care. Consumer preferred, Golden Villa services provide up to 9 1/2 hours of daily care for seniors and adults with disabilities. Our services include medication management, meals, wellness checks, activities, and socialization in a wellness model that supports the individual and the families with whom the individual resides, for 39% of the cost of a nursing home.

Adult Day Care is one sector hit the hardest with COVID-19. At the onset o(COVID-19, most adult day care centers closed to ensure the health and wellness of clients and employees. Golden Villa struggled with increased costs, workforce shortages,and compliance with the additional regulatory guidance. Through the Cares Act,Golden Villa was able to regroup, put policies and procedures into action, hire additional employees and was able to comply with the additional regulatory guidance.

Some center were closed weeks, others months. Due to the Governor’s Executive Order stating that (a.) those over 65 and those at risk should shelter in their homes and (b.) prohibiting gatherings of over 10 people, participants took a break from Adult Day programs to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19. This forced Golden Villa Center to shut down daily operations for 6 weeks following the Governor’s Executive Order. However, families of our clients were in dire need of our services to continue working outside the home or obtain respite in care giving.

In order to remain viable, Golden Villa has had to continue to cover fixed costs even during periods of closure including mortgage, utilities, administrative and employee wages etc. As a result of this dire situation, Adult Day Centers are experiencing extreme financial distress with some on the brink of closure. Once Oklahoma loses this vital long term care infrastructure, we will likely never be able to replace it. Work is underway on the FY ‘22 state budget and now is the time that we take action for Adult Day. We must step up and make sure that DHS funding includes restoration of the critical funds for DHS Adult Day Services. Budgeted funds for this program were not allocated to this program in FY ‘21 to address operational challenges with COVID but were diverted to another program to provide COVID financial relief.

Please contact your legislators; we really need your support!

“Senator Bill Coleman/Ok lahoma Senator

2300 N.Lincoln Blvd.,Rm. 432 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 (405) 521-5581

bill.coleman@oksenateov

Ken Luttrell/House Representative 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.

Room 405.2

Oklahoma City, OK 73105 (405) 557-7355

ken.luttrell@okhouse .gov