Discussions at a recent budget hearing have raised questions among town officials about the financial situation of Guilford’s senior population, a demographic that is growing rapidly in town.

Social Services Director Tammy DeFrancesco told Board of Selectmen (BOS) and Board of Finance (BOF) members that her organization has served an increasing number of senior citizens in recent years.

“The bulk of our new clientele happens to be...people who are getting older,” she said.

Social Services, which employs three full-time staff members and is currently seeking to replace an employee who took another outside the country, has added 90 new households this year for a total of 625 in fiscal year 2018-’19, according to DeFrancesco.

DeFrancesco said Social Services does not actively track the age demographics of its clientele, but told the Courier that she was in the process of putting together that data after a request from the BOS, as well as whether clients are renters or homeowners.

Guilford Interfaith Volunteers (GIV) Director Marta Slattery, who oversees the Meals on Wheels program in Guilford, reported an increase in her group’s clients, most of whom are seniors, as well. Senior Services Coordinator Terry Buckley said she has also seen an influx of people at the community center using bus services and subsidized lunches, though it’s difficult to determine how many of those are struggling financially, she said, rather than just taking part in recreational and social opportunities.

Buckley said the community center served 1,000 more subsidized lunches over last year, and has seen a 25 percent increase in use of its transportation services.

Social Services offers everything from energy assistance referrals—helping clients pay for oil or gas bills—to finding ways for families to avoid eviction after loss of a job or qualifying for medical insurance programs. They work with both local programs like the Guilford Food Bank, as well as state and federal services such as SNAP or Operation Fuel.

The reason why Guilford’s older population is struggling might not have an easy answer, DeFrancesco said. Both she and Slatterly said many of their clients cite medical expenses as a reason for why they’re having difficulty affording basic necessities or needing assistance in other ways.

“I had somebody in here the other day...they went through all their savings in medical bills,” DeFrancesco said.

Even for people who have good insurance—Medicare Advantage, for example—can quickly have relatively minor co-pay expenses add up quickly.

“Suddenly, every specialist you go to see is $50,” she said, “$75 dollars. The premiums are low—you’re paying hardly anything for the premiums, which is great. They can’t afford [the co-pays]—you’re talking about a couple thousand dollars.”

What ends up happening is people have to decide between medical bills and other basic necessities, like heating their houses or groceries. DeFrancesco said that of the 186 households that have accessed the Guilford Food Bank since July, only 53 are identified as families with minor children.

Though she emphasized it was impossible to know how many of the 133 households without children were seniors, DeFrancesco said that particular statistic was telling, as far as who was in need of food assistance in Guilford.

Meals on Wheels delivers ready-made food to Guilford residents, with most of their clients being seniors, according to Slatterly. She said the service is on track to provide more than 2,000 additional meals over last year, around 20 more per week on average. They serve approximately 130 people a month, Slatterly said.

Meals on Wheels only asks clients “to pay what they can,” Slatterly said. She said some clients are clearly not getting the nutrition or amount of food they need.

“You see their health improving when they start getting regular meals,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Many of her clients, Slattery said, have paid for the service for many years, but then after unexpected medical costs, find they no longer can.

“That’s when they call and try to cancel the meals, or they ask if they can lower the price. So we see that. So of course, when they call try to cancel, we ask them why, and if it’s because of financial issues...we work with them and try to keep them aboard.”

Charlie’s Closet, which is also run under the umbrella of Guilford Interfaith Volunteers, provides used medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, or hospital beds. Though it serves many folks outside of Guilford, Slatterly said the service also saw a large increase in need last year, serving 25 percent more people over the previous year.

When it comes to accessing support services, one obstacle for senior clients is that an increasing number of these services have to be accessed online, DeFrancesco said. Because many older people do not use computers, it can be difficult for them to sign up for these programs. DeFrancesco said that social service staff members then have to help those people either in their offices, or for those who have some computer skills, reserve time at the library for them to sign up or fill out applications.

It can also be difficult to let people know where they can get assistance when those with needs cannot be reached by social media, email, or other web-based communication tools, though she said they hope that family members of those who might need services will receive those messages and information.

As far as how the town reacts to these changes, First Selectman Matt Hoey said that continuing to support social services and other organizations that serve seniors in the town is the most important thing the town can do. He cited the town’s senior center “one of the most successful” in the state, he said, which provides things like discounted lunches and helps identify those in need of services.

“We continue to react to increasing demands and needs, and we provide the level of services that I think exceed most of our neighbors,” Hoey said.

Buckley said the senior center served 1,000 more subsidized lunches this year over the previous year, and has seen a 25 percent increase in use of its transportation services.

Anyone who is in need of assistance with food, transportation, bills, medical expenses, or connecting with services can contact Guilford Social Services at 203-453-8009. Guilford Interfaith Volunteers can be reached at 203-453-8359, and the Guilford Food Bank can be reached at 203-453-8009.