A care crisis has hit Butler County's most vulnerable population, and there is no resolution in sight.

Beth Herold, director of the county Area Agency on Aging, said a worker shortage at the agencies contracted by the county to provide bathing, meal preparation, cleaning, shopping and other services for low-income county residents over 60 years old is having devastating effects on many low-income residents in the county's senior citizen high-rise apartment buildings and in their homes.

“Those services are really essential to keep them in their current living environment,” Herold said.

She told the county commissioners at their Wednesday meeting that there are 70 seniors in the 16001 and 16002 ZIP codes who are not receiving the vital services they need due to staffing shortages among the nearly one dozen companies that contract with the county.

Herold also said there are precious few care homes in the county that accept low-income clients, so she and her staff find themselves calling 50 to 60 long-term care homes all over the region, and even out of state, for placement of one individual.

“I think it's important that the public is aware of the pending crisis,” said Leslie Osche, commissioners chairwoman.

Herold said on Thursday that some seniors in the county's high-rise buildings are being served with eviction notices because they are unable to maintain their apartments and have no one to provide housekeeping for them due to the worker shortage.

She said the Area Agency on Aging is hiring companies to do deep-cleaning on apartments at the county's high-rises for seniors facing eviction.

Herold said she understands that the county Housing and Redevelopment Authority, which owns the county's senior citizen high-rise apartment buildings, must maintain the buildings in good condition.

“They are working with us and they are not being unreasonable,” Herold said.

She said agency care managers are picking up groceries or providing light work for seniors who are desperate.

One individual, Herold said, had a woman who came to help him, but the young mother had to quit when schools shut down to help her daughter with remote education at their home.

Another of his caregivers contracted COVID-19 and died.

“Now, he's on the waiting list,” Herold said. “He is on the verge of eviction because his apartment has an odor and it's dirty.”

She said the agency calls the 70 seniors who are without caregivers or helpers to check up on them, but there is little they can do for the individuals.

“It is just heartbreaking,” Herold said. “The staff's case load becomes like their family. They'll do anything for them, but we don't even have the staff to do that.”

Herold said while many outside agencies are reputable, desperate seniors are hiring people who are less than scrupulous to help with self care, housekeeping and meals.

Other times, employees of outside agencies simply don't show up to help their assigned senior.

“We have an average of 30 to 35 reports of abuse or neglect per month,” Herold said. “In November, we had 65.”

She said neglect calls are even coming in from nursing homes, where staffing shortages are causing seniors to go without care.

Herold feels for caregivers today, who are working twice as hard and enduring long shifts and overtime.

“You need to be mentally and physically taken care of also when you are working in these roles,” Herold said.

She said in addition to the coronavirus pandemic, part of the reason for the shortage is that many traditionally minimum wage employers raised their pay to attract workers, which matches the hourly rate earned by many nurse's aids and helpers.

“You can go work at Giant Eagle and not have the responsibility or be overworked,” Herold said.

She said there is no end to the crisis in sight, and she worries about all 700 seniors who rely on the agency for care and help.

“Never in my life did I think I would see something like this,” Herold said. “Some of (the seniors) are scared. They need that assistance and they are trying the best they can.”