Act Now: Stop the 20% cut to Senior Services Growth & Development Program Funding!
Missouri’s seniors are facing a looming crisis. Currently, a 20% funding cut is being considered for the Senior Services Growth & Development Program (SSGDP). While this may look like a budget adjustment on paper, for our older neighbors, it is a direct threat to their ability to live with dignity and independence in their own homes.
This program provides the essential “safety net” services that keep Missourians from being forced into institutional care prematurely.
How These Cuts Will Impact Missouri’s Seniors
For a senior living on a fixed income, these services are not luxuries—they are life-sustaining. A 20% reduction in funding translates to:
- Growing Hunger: The statewide loss of approximately 283,000 meals means that thousands of homebound seniors will face long waitlists for Meals on Wheels, losing the reliable nutrition and wellness checks they depend on.
- Lost Mobility and Safety: Vital home modifications—like wheelchair ramps and stairlifts—will be cut. For many, these are the only things preventing a catastrophic fall or a permanent move to a nursing facility.
- Isolation in Rural Counties: In rural counties, AAA-coordinated transit is often the only way for a senior to get to dialysis, a doctor’s appointment, or a grocery store. Without these funds, these seniors are effectively abandoned.
- Increased Hardship for Families: Family caregivers provide billions in unpaid labor. By reducing respite care and essential supplies (like mobility aids and incontinence items), these cuts accelerate caregiver burnout and force families to make the heartbreaking choice of nursing home placement.
A Fiscal Decision with Human Consequences
Cutting the SSGDP doesn’t save money—it just shifts the bill to a much more expensive ledger. When we strip away preventative care, we force seniors into emergency rooms and nursing homes. We are choosing to trade proactive, affordable community support for the skyrocketing costs of Medicaid-funded crisis care. We can pay for independence now, or we will be forced to pay for institutionalization later.
Protect the SSGDP
Let’s ensure Missouri remains a state where our seniors can live with the dignity and independence they have earned.
Call to Action
We must honor Missouri’s seniors by protecting the programs that allow them to age in place.
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS:
Find your Missouri House representative: https://www.house.mo.gov/Session.aspx
Find your Missouri Senator: https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default.aspx