B. State Programs Which Affect Davis County Elders

    Although the State Aging Service exists in Utah, they work through the AAAs instead of doing programs on their own. The web site for the state aging services is found at: www.utahagingservices.org. The site helps seniors find the closest AAA

     Of course, the state set the details and the requirements that each AAA in the state must follow, as they interpret national law and policy. The state agency also doles out the federal funds that are the backbone of the AAA programs.  Each year the state legislature meets and determines the moneys that the state will allocate towards aging programs.

     At the end of 2004, the Utah Association of Area Agencies on Aging (all of the AAAs in Utah) submitted a “Request for Additional Funding: Priority List” to the state legislature in the amount of $30,488,210. The largest amount, $22,059,800 was requested for home and community based care with the second largest amount, $5,122,122 to go towards meals for the elderly (both home delivered, $1,926,618 and congregate meals, $3,195,504). Transportation came in next with a request for $3,040,713 and for the Ombudsman program they requested $265,575. This information is unpublished but was supplied to this author through the Aging Advisory Board.

    Another annual feedback loop in Utah is Senior Day at the state legislature. In Utah there often have been two days for this event: one day for seniors that live in the urban area surrounding Salt Lake City and another day for rural seniors to be heard. Having attended such meetings, this author has witnessed a very great variety of political viewpoints expressed by the seniors of the state.

    A proposal to the state legislature in 2005 would create another feedback loop on a state wide basis. The proposal is to create the “Utah Commission on Aging,” which would have a paid director and non paid volunteer members, which is very similar to the organizations of the two boards mentioned earlier. The goals of the Commission, should this new Commission pass into law, is to:

   63-99-102 Creation - Purpose

     (2) The commission’s purpose is to:

           (a) increase public and government understanding of the current and future needs of the state’s aging population and how those needs may be most effectively met;

          (b) study, evaluate, and report on the projected impact that the state’s increasing aging population will have on:

                 (i)     government services;

                 (ii)    health services;

                 (iii)   social services;

                 (iv)  the economy; and

     (v)  society in general.