Despite hot temperatures, seniors of all ages came to Wednesday’s rally. Shirley Sherry, Rose Lydick, Hope Sarnovsky and David Repine all found shade on a bench. (Josh Imhof/Gazette)

By Josh Imhof, Indiana Gazette

Dozens of seniors and aging services leaders braved the heat Wednesday to rally outside of state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman’s Indiana office to advocate for increased funding to Area Agencies on Aging across Pennsylvania.

Residents of Indiana, Jefferson, Westmoreland and Armstrong counties brandished signs and peacefully spoke with community members in the hopes that Pittman would help back their cause.

AAA relies on a combination of federal funding and PENNCARE support, a program financed by the Pennsylvania Lottery. These funds allow AAA to provide seniors with meals, at-home care, educational programs, transportation, elder abuse investigation assistance and more.

These funds have not been enough for some time, according to Ed Cochran, an Aging Services Inc. board member.

“The cost of everything has gone up in the past 20 years, and we’ve stayed the same,” he said.

To combat this, Gov. Josh Shapiro included a $20 million increase to PENNCARE in his 2025-2026 budget proposal. Ralliers hoped to attain an additional $30 million for PENNCARE, as well as for the state to impose taxes on “skill games.”

These are casino-like machines found in gas stations and bars that could provide a financial source similar to the lottery for PENNCARE, which Cochran said is important.

“If they’d give some of (those taxes) to Aging Services, we will be solvent again,” he said.

In an email to the Indiana Gazette, Pittman said that while “there are many worthwhile programs which are receiving thoughtful consideration as part of this year’s budget deliberation … we must be honest with taxpayers about the difficult reality that this budget cannot be all things to all people.”

He went on to say that Gov. Shapiro’s new budget proposal has increased $3.6 billion from the current year’s budget, and that this would both raise taxes and not close the state’s multi-billion-dollar structural deficit.

Up until this point, allocations to the PENNCARE program have come in smaller increments, according to state budget reports, and recently, federal funds have been cut, with multiple programs being delayed and/or scaled down.

Leaders and community members said that this has also caused issues with maintaining operations.

In Indiana County, ASI has made plans to close the Mahoning Hills social center later this month, which will leave some elderly community members without a place to socialize. This isolation can lead to health problems and force seniors into nursing homes, according to ASI Executive Director Janine Maust.

“I’m lucky because I have a family, but there are people who don’t have anything at all,” said Earlene Clamer, of Blairsville. “Sitting at home by yourself is not fun.”

Others, like Brian Oswalt, have relied on these resources for more than just socialization.

On April 1, 2023, his home was destroyed by a fallen tree, leaving him homeless and forcing him to spend the next six months sleeping on friends’ couches. Indiana Aging Services put him in touch with Indiana County Community Action Program, a local nonprofit, who found housing for him and covered his security deposit and first month’s rent.

Oswalt now regularly visits the social center.

Despite the current issues, Oswalt and the rest of the attendees remain hopeful that they will be able to continue to work with legislators to find a solution.

“We’re not against Senator Pittman. Joe’s been great,” Cochran said. “We’d just like him to give a little boost.”

Josh Imhof is a student at Duquesne University and one of 10 Pittsburgh Media Partnership summer interns.