The Butler County Area Agency on Aging is accepting surveys about its senior centers until the end of the month.

The surveys, which were mailed to 4,800 county residents who are 60 and older in the county, were originally due this past Friday.

Beth Herold, AAA administrator, said Friday morning more than 500 surveys have been returned.

AAA is reviewing how to best use resources to serve seniors as fewer people are using of centers.

“We would like to service as many individuals as possible,” Herold said.

Among the county’s options is consolidating the number of centers and opening a central site. Another alternative is reducing the hours at some of the county’s 10 centers, which includes three satellite locations.

The survey asks people’s interest in and satisfaction with senior centers.

The questions include if the person knows where the closest center is, reasons for visiting a center, reasons for not visiting a center, does the person’s center meet the need for that person and what is that person’s opinion on consolidation plans for the centers.

The county spends $720,000 annually to operate all the centers.

After talk of possible consolidation arose, seniors began attending county commissioner meetings to express opposition to closures.

County officials maintain no decisions have been made since this is an informational gathering phase.

Although the state doesn’t have specific mandates, it has urged counties to find ways to maximize their services to seniors.

Herold said the 4,800 residences were chosen at random because it wasn’t feasible to send surveys to the more than 38,000 seniors registered to vote in the county.

Completed surveys may be turned in through the mail, in person or over the phone.

The AAA phone number is 724-282-3008.

The agency’s address is: Butler County Area Agency on Aging, Building 3, Sunnyview Home Complex, 111 Sunnyview Circle, Suite 101, Butler, PA 16001.