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MDHHS provides $200,000 to local agency to help Flint seniors

: February 16, 2017FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LANSING, Mich. – In order to better serve senior residents in Flint, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is providing $200,000 to the Valley Area Agency on Aging (VAAA) for outreach and service delivery.

“We are grateful for our partners at the Valley Area Agency on Aging for their great work in helping to connect Flint’s older and vulnerable adults with much-needed services and for helping to identify additional needs in the community,” said Nick Lyon, Director of the MDHHS. “The funding announced today will help fill service gaps and will increase VAAA’s capacity to collaborate with other community partners to reach more people and better serve those already receiving services”

Of the 6,650 adults aged 60 or older in Flint, it is estimated that 32 percent are living alone with no assistance and 43 percent report having a disability, according to VAAA.

According to a July 2016 Flint Senior Needs Assessment commissioned by AARP Michigan, with support from VAAA, gaps in service delivery and service information are a major barrier facing Flint’s older and vulnerable residents. The needs identified in the assessment include assistance with blood testing, filter installation, water distribution and delivery, access to timely and reliable information, medical care access, and more.

Beginning on March 1, VAAA will assist Flint’s older and vulnerable adults with the installation and replacement of filters, provide in-home water testing, bottled water delivery, blood testing, mental health counseling, and will provide access to lead-mitigating food, lead abatement information, transportation assistance for medical and nutritional needs, and more.

www.michigan.gov/flintwater.For more information about the Flint Water Crisis, visit

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