Senior Center and Older Adult News Roundup | 10/21/2025 - 10/28/2025

Senior Center News (October 21–28, 2025)

1. Emergency Funding Needed as Meals on Wheels Faces Cuts in San Antonio

On October 21, 2025, KSAT reported that Meals on Wheels San Antonio is at risk of suspending meal delivery services for 350 senior clients beginning in early 2026 due to severe budget shortfalls after funding was reduced following the federal government shutdown. In response, KSAT Community partnered with Meals on Wheels to host an emergency phone bank on October 23, operating from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., aiming to raise funds to support vulnerable seniors. You can learn more at ksat.com.

Key details:

• The drought in funding also impacts the organization’s “AniMeals” program, which supplies pet food for clients reliant on their animal companions.
• There is a waitlist of 8–10 months for food assistance, and 900 older adults are currently waiting.
• To help some who can afford it, a “Client Support Meals” option will offer meals for a subsidized rate of $100 per month.

2. Madison County Senior Center in Missouri to Close Due to Persistent Funding Gaps

On October 22, 2025, Daily Journal Online revealed that Madison County Senior Center, which has operated for nearly 50 years, will officially close on October 31, 2025, unless funds are found. The center, which serves meals and activities and delivers food to over 1,000 recipients under Medicaid and Title III programs, cannot continue operations amid state and local budget cuts. More information is available at dailyjournalonline.com.

Additional points:

• The center’s monthly expenses are approximately $19,000, but income has shrunk to around $15,000.
• Malden Nutrition Center, serving several counties, faced similar threats but succeeded in raising $40,000 in community donations to remain open.
• Delivery to more than 260 people not eligible via Medicaid or Title III will be suspended, though those individuals may join a waiting list.

3. Tennessee Awards $5 Million in Grants for 125 Senior Centers

Earlier this month, the state of Tennessee revealed it would distribute $5 million in grant funding to support 125 senior centers across both rural and urban areas. This is part of a larger $42.5 million allocation in the 2025–26 state budget dedicated to supporting older adult programs statewide, including for transportation services, facility upgrades, and program enrichment. Read the full report at thinkamerican.news.

Details include:

• The grants range from $10,000 to $50,000 per center.
• Uses include capital improvements, marketing, routine operating costs (excluding staffing), and expanded programming.
• Three centers in Loudon and Monroe Counties are specifically named among the recipients.

4. Meals-to-Go Pilot Revives Services After Funding Cuts in Western Pennsylvania

In two counties in Western Pennsylvania, the Meals-to-Go pilot program has restored daily hot lunches at Canonsburg and Cecil Township senior centers. These replaced a previous Grab-and-Go service that ended in February when federal funding was cut. The shift is entirely fueled by community donations. The story can be found at wpxi.com.

Noteworthy information:

• The program is essential for older adults living in high-rise buildings who cannot come to senior centers.
• One senior, Albert Dami (age 89), said he depends on this service “for a nice little lunch every day.”

Broader Older Adults News

5. Government Shutdown Endangers Key Senior Services like Telehealth

Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown beginning October 1, 2025, millions of U.S. seniors may lose access to telehealth services unless Congress acts. The Washington Post reported on September 30 that telehealth reimbursements under Medicare require separate legislation; without it, many providers may halt services. Read the full article at washingtonpost.com.

Also at risk:

• More than 31,000 seniors who are part of hospital-at-home programs could be discharged back to hospitals or lose care at home.
• While Medicare and Medicaid themselves continue during a shutdown, the funding for telehealth via COVID-era expansions is not guaranteed.

6. Crisis in Long-Term Care Affordability for Seniors

An in-depth analysis published earlier this year but still resonant finds that many older Americans—particularly those who are middle-income—are caught in a gap: too wealthy for Medicaid but unable to afford private long-term care or aided home care. The burden often falls on unpaid informal caregivers, many of whom are women, leading to financial and emotional strain. The analysis is available at time.com.

7. State-Level Funding Cuts Threaten Nutrition and Health Programs for Older Adults

Los Angeles’s senior nutrition programs expect to reduce meals by about 30% when temporary federal appropriations end on September 30. Organizations like ONEgeneration, which currently serve ~800 meals per day at seven locations in the San Fernando Valley, anticipate that number dipping significantly. Read more at lapost.com.

Other elements:

• Seniors dependent on daily nutrition services face risk of missing meals during these cutbacks.
• The changes follow the expiration of supplemental federal support, especially under the Older Americans Act, which expanded services during the pandemic.

8. Role of Informal Care in Dementia Detection, Costs, and Health Outcomes

A recent academic study using data from 2010–2022 examined how informal caregiving—often provided by family members—influences cognitive decline, healthcare spending, and institutionalization among older adults with dementia. Instruments in the study suggest that informal care significantly reduces likelihood of nursing home placement and overnight stays in institutions, though reports of better cognition remain mixed. The full study can be found at arxiv.org.

Key findings:

• Informal caregivers act as a substitute for institutional care in many cases.
• Cognitive outcomes (memory, thinking skills) show association with informal caregiving in ordinary least squares models, but when using causal inference methods, that effect is not strongly proven.
• Hospital use, outpatient surgeries, and doctor visits were less consistently impacted by caregiving levels.