The Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging (SEKAAA) has implemented changes to its 60+ Dine program in response to increasing demand for services and rising operational costs. In Allen County, 60+ Dine meals are served by the Allen County Regional Hospital cafeteria.
The adjustments primarily affect the number of discounted meals participants can receive each month, as well as suggested donation amounts. The number of discounted 60+ Dine meals available to participants monthly has been reduced from 16 to eight, and the suggested donation has increased from $4 to $5.
Suggested donations for home-delivered meals and congregate meal sites have also increased from $2 to $3.
Kathy Brennon, director of SEKAAA, said the decision was driven by the need to address long waitlists for home-delivered meals and ensure long-term sustainability of the agency’s nutrition services. Brennon noted that despite suggested donation amounts, the average donation in 2024 across the service area was 97 cents per meal.
The 60+ Nutrition Program serves individuals age 60 and older across Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties. Meals are provided either through home delivery for eligible individuals or at community dining sites (60+ Dine), with a suggested donation requested but not required.
ACCORDING TO Brennon, the agency has struggled to meet the growing need for services. “We had to establish a waiting list for our home delivery meal portion of the program last year,” she said. “The nutrition staff has made extraordinary efforts to examine all costs and reduce them where possible and we were able to add 30 people from the waiting list. Unfortunately, we are adding approximately 10 people to the waiting list each month, so overall the waiting list is increasing.”
Currently, SEKAAA is not accepting new participants into the 60+ Dine portion of the program, though meals remain available for those already enrolled at the same days and times.
Some community members have suggested offering carryout meals to help address space limitations at cafeteria sites, but Brennon said program guidelines prevent that option at the reduced rate.
“The funding guidelines for the program require the meals to be eaten at the cafeteria,” Brennon said. “The goal of this program is two-fold: to provide a nutritious meal and socialization. I believe most who do participate in the program enjoy this aspect.” While meals may still be purchased as carryout, they are not eligible for the discounted rate, she added.
Financial challenges have played a significant role in shaping the recent changes. Brennon said the nutrition program was projected to exceed its income by at least $60,000 in 2024 and has operated at a loss for several years as operating expenses continue to rise.
“Each year the food cost, vehicle cost, staff cost and so on have increased, but income – federal, state, county and donations have not kept up,” Brennon said. SEKAAA reports more than 300 people are currently on the waiting list for home-delivered meals. Brennon said meeting even basic food costs for those individuals would require significant additional funding.
“To just cover the cost of food and no other expenses for those on the waitlist, we would need approximately $400,000 a year in additional income,” she said.
The agency serves roughly 1,000 participants across its nine-county service area through the 60+ Nutrition Program.
EVEN WITH financial pressures, Brennon says SEKAAA is committed to maintaining accessibility. “There are seniors in the area that don’t know where their next meal is coming from and we want to make this service available to them,” she said, noting there are no financial eligibility requirements for participation.
The program is funded through a combination of federal, state, county and donation support. Federal funding through the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services accounts for 44% of funding, followed by 43% from the state of Kansas, 5% from counties and 7% from donations. Annually, Allen County contributes $3,000 to SEKAAA.
Current donation levels are not meeting program needs. According to Brennon, recent support from the Kansas Legislature has helped mitigate federal funding reductions and provided temporary funding to address waiting lists, though the grants are limited to one year.
