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Home My WebLink AboutFY 2027 (Agency on Elderly Affairs) AGENCY ON ELDERLY AFFAIRS FY 2027 BUDGET AND OPERATIONS SYNOPSIS Emily Ishida Executive on Aging Fund: GENERAL FUND Department: ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Division: ELDERLY PROGRAMS 0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000 1,600,000 1,800,000 Salary and Wages Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Lease Operations FY 2026 and FY 2027 Comparison FY 2026 FY 2027 0% 0% Vehicle/Equip, Lease Operations 25% 53% Benefits Utilities 22% FY 2027 Operating Budget Salary and Wages Operations 0% 0% Vehicle/Equip, Lease 26% 50% Benefits Utilities 24% FY 2026 Operating Budget Salary and Wages Salary and Wages Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Lease Operations FY 2026 FY 2027 $ + / - % + / - 687,074 693,194 6,120 0.9% 759,724 768,373 8,649 1.1% 0 0 0 0.0% 1 1 0 0.0% 1,451,582 1,632,614 181,032 12.5% 2,898,381 3,094,182 195,801 6.8% MAJOR CHANGES AND/OR VARIANCES IN OPERATIONS BUDGET For FY 2027, we are projecting an increase in salary and wages in the amount of $6,120 or 0.9%; a 1.1% increase in employee benefits or $8,649. The increase in salary and wages is due primarily to across-the- board salary increases for union positions. The $181,032 increase in operations supports nutrition programs including home delivered and congregate meals and essential in-home services for kūpuna. Due to an increased demand for home-delivered meals, the requested budget is intended to fully address and eliminate the current waitlist, and our two home delivered meals service providers have sufficient capacity to meet this current need. OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES As the elderly population grows, the demand for in-home services and home delivered meals has steadily increased. This growing demand and current cost inflation have placed added pressure on existing funding, along with creating staff shortages for providers, sometimes resulting in a waitlist for services. Furthermore, our federal and state funds allocated to our essential services are inconsistent, increasing the burden to the County’s general fund. We have experienced consistent vacancies within the Agency and our providers. This creates a dual workforce challenge that directly impacts the consistency, reliability, and timeliness of essential services for our kūpuna. OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM FY 2025 Operational highlights include increased nutrition programs to reduce food insecurity and increase social engagement. These include our Food and Security contract with nonprofit partners providing meal kits and produce boxes, contracts with home delivered meal providers and congregate meal sites. Our digital literacy program, Kūpuna Connections, delivered 42 classes consisting of 563 participants from Kīlauea to Kekaha. This program plays a vital role in supporting kūpuna to maintain their quality of life in today’s digital world. By providing hands-on training, the program has empowered kūpuna to stay connected with loved ones and access essential health resources, medication information and telehealth appointments. It keeps them abreast of new digital technology including artificial intelligence. Additionally, the program enhances their safety and security by teaching them how to recognize and avoid online scams, ensuring greater confidence and independence in navigating the internet using their smartphones and laptops. The Agency hosted our first annual Elder Abuse Conference, drawing strong attendance of 100 community members, including County Council members, services providers, kūpuna advocates, and key community partners. The conference focused on prevention, intervention, and awareness, with keynote presenters and panelist sharing best practices, and information on current scams affecting kūpuna. The event fostered meaningful collaboration among law enforcement, social workers, and health care professionals to strengthen coordinated community responses. As a direct outcome, Kauai’s Elder Abuse Task Force was established, now meeting quarterly and distributing a newsletter to highlight priority issues and ongoing prevention efforts. The Enhance Fitness program supports the well-being of older adults by promoting regular physical activity, strength, balance, and social engagement. Five active classes were offered, along with one virtual Zoom option, serving a total of 91 participants. By providing both in-person and online formats, the program increases accessibility and participation opportunities for our kūpuna by helping them maintain independence and improve overall health outcomes. As the sponsoring agency for the Kaua‘i RSVP program, the Agency ensures a high-quality experience for its volunteers by offering diverse service opportunities island wide. Assignments span Healthy Futures, education, environmental stewardship, economic opportunities, and other community priorities. With Healthy Futures as its primary focus area, the program supports independent living and socialization, engaging 243 active volunteers who performed 120 different assignments across 41 workstations. Collectively, they contributed 24,689 hours of service, representing approximately $950,000 in donated time!