The Commission on Services to the Aging and the Office of Services to the Aging (OSA) have announced that five public hearings will be held this year around Michigan to seek input on issues of concern to older adults in our state.

The five public hearings have been scheduled: Friday, March 20 at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in Detroit; Friday, April 17 at OSA in Lansing; Friday, May 15 at the Region VII Area Agency on Aging in Bay City; Friday, June 19 at the Crystal Lake Senior Center in Iron Mountain; and Friday, October 16 at Senior Services, Inc. in Kalamazoo.

All hearings will be held 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in conjunction with monthly meetings of the Commission.

If you are concerned with transportation, nutrition, housing, long term care, health, independence, scams, employment, volunteer opportunities, and other issues that are important to older adults, you are invited to attend and provide testimony.

In addition to comments received from citizens at the public hearings, OSA encourages the submission of written testimony. Written testimony can be mailed to the Office of Services to the Aging, PO Box 30676, Lansing, 48909-8176, attention Cindy Albrecht. Or it can be e-mailed to albrechtc@michigan.gov, or faxed to 517/373-4092.

For more information, or directions to the public hearings, go to the OSA website at www.michigan.gov/miseniors; call OSA at 517/373-8230; or TDD at 517/373-4096. Persons needing accommodations for effective participation at the hearings are asked to contact OSA at least one week in advance.

OSA is the designated state office on aging for Michigan. The OSA Director and members of the Commission are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Michigan Senate.