Medina County Senior and Adult Services audit results in no corrective action, six month review of agency's work

MEDINA — Medina County Senior and Adult Services recently completed its audit from the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging with no corrective actions, according to Director Laura Toth. The Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging is the department's largest grantor, Toth said, receiving about $600,000 a year from the organization. Toth presented the news about the audit during the Medina County commissioners meeting on Tuesday. She also provided the Medina County Senior and Adult Services' numbers for the first half of 2025. There have been 4,204 meals served in a congregate setting, Toth said. The numbers include the Wadsworth Soprema Center's voucher program, she said, with 1,950 vouchers used. "It just goes to show the success of that program down there," Toth said. Toth said the agency also delivered 21,494 meals to county residents. There are currently seven meal routes that deliver to the county residents, Toth said. At the end of 2024, the Medina County Senior and Adult Services was considering another route due to increasing numbers. "Over the last three months, the meals delivered have gone down quite a bit," Toth said. "We are staying steady at seven meal routes. It is the lowest number of meals we've delivered since 2022." Medina County Senior and Adult Services averages about 1,300 transit trips a month, Toth said. In 2024, Medina County Senior and Adult Services spent about $200,000 on transit for subsidized rides, Toth said. For this year's budget, Toth said they set transit at $240,000 to anticipate increased costs. In the first six months, the agency spent $97,825 on transit. To address the costs, the agency implemented a change in May for subsidized transportation, limiting several types of trips to places like the grocery store, the bank or the pharmacy. Toth previously said that while the subsidized trips have been limited, seniors can still take the Medina County Public Transit; they'd just have to pay for the trip. In other news, there have been 387 Medina County seniors who've signed up for the Ohio Department of Aging's annual Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which runs through the end of November. "In 2024, we were at 349," Toth said. "So we've already had a lot more people sign up and $19,350 worth of funds have been issued." Toth said that as more people have applied, the state has provided the county with more funds to disburse. Medina County is now up to $20,000, Toth said. Each year, the Ohio Department of Aging partners with local agencies to provide Ohioans who are 60 or older, and whose annual income is no more than 185 percent of the federal poverty level, access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Those who qualify can apply to receive $50 worth of vouchers to use at select farmers markets. Since the start of this year's program, people have spent more than $3,500. Toth said there is more than $15,000 left unredeemed. To learn more, visit tinyurl.com/2me2wpzc. Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.