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Chief Administrative Office and Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board:
1) Receive and file an update on Senior Services operations, including Placerville Senior Day Care challenges and the South Lake Tahoe Senior Services location change; and
2) Provide direction to staff regarding the operation of Senior Day Care in Placerville.
FUNDING: Senior Day Care is funded through General Fund (64%), Charges for Services (35%), and Donations (1%). Senior Services in South Lake Tahoe are funded through General Fund (43%), State funding (31%), Federal funding (19%), Donations (6%), and Charges for Services (1%).
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Placerville Senior Day Care
Between November 2024 and June 2025, the Board issued direction regarding the long-term sustainability and funding of non-mandated programs, including Senior Day Care. Key Board actions included:
• Direction to explore general fund savings. (Legistar file 24-1916)
• Direction to include non-mandated program funding discussions in the FY 2025-26 Budget (Legistar file 25-0217).
• Review of programs with Net County Cost, including Senior Day Care (Legistar file 25-0449).
• Direction to return with consolidation options for Senior Day Care sites (Legistar file 25-0654).
• Direction to include consolidation into the Recommended Budget (Legistar file 25-0732).
Average daily participation has been declining over the past year. As of early June 2026, average daily attendance was 16 participants. The August 2026 schedule reflects an average of 12 participants per day, with 26 enrolled members. Program sustainability requires between 24 and 32 daily attendees. Despite significant staff effort, attendance has not increased and has instead shown a long-term downward trend.
Staff have undertaken extensive outreach efforts, including:
• Social media campaigns
• Newspaper advertising
• Brochures distributed to more than 40 organizations
• Monthly articles in the Senior Times Newsletter
• An open house event in February 2026
• Presentations to multiple community groups
While outreach has increased visibility and community awareness, it has not resulted in measurable increases in enrollment or daily attendance. Instead, attendance has continued to decline.
The Senior Day Care program has a significant General Fund cost.
• Total Appropriations: $1,088,424
• Budgeted Charges for Services: $382,500
• Budgeted General Fund Cost: $696,475
• Remaining Revenue: $9,449
• Annual General Fund Cost per Enrolled Member: $26,788, for 26 enrolled members attending daily.
• Annual General Fund Cost per Attending Member: $58,040 assuming 12 members attending daily.
Attendance and enrollment levels are not sufficient to offset the program’s operating and personnel costs.
The program continues to face ongoing staffing shortages caused by retirements, recruitment challenges, and turnover. Recent retirements include long-tenured staff at leadership and program levels, while recruitment cycles from late 2024 through 2026 produced limited results, with many candidates not attending interviews, declining offers, or leaving shortly after onboarding. Multiple Program Aide positions have been filled or are in background; however, staffing stability remains a concern. Staffing shortages make it difficult to maintain the required 1:8 staff-to-client ratio necessary for safe program operations.
Senior Day Care serves older adults who need daytime supervision but do not require Skilled Nursing Facility-level care. The eligible population is inherently small due to the relatively short window between needing limited supervision and needing more intensive care.
El Dorado County has limited licensed private adult day care options, with one licensed provider in El Dorado Hills and one facility pending licensure in Shingle Springs.
Staff are requesting direction from the Board on how to proceed with the Placerville Senior Day Care program.
Option 1 - Contract with Existing Facilities
• Transition current members to private adult day programs.
• Offer subsidies to offset cost impacts on families.
• Determine duration of subsidy.
• Explore transportation options modeled after the El Dorado Hills closure.
• Caveat: Most private providers require upfront payment.
Option 2 - Close Placerville Senior Day Care
• Provide adequate notice to families.
• Closure is allowable under the existing admission agreement.
• Requires maintaining staffing levels through closure to meet staff-to-client ratios.
• Caveat: Staffing shortages present operational risks.
Option 3 - Stop Accepting New Members; Serve Current Members Until They No Longer Attend
• Least predictable option due to varying timelines for client transitions.
• A majority of current clients have been enrolled for more than a year.
• Requires minimum staffing to maintain required ratios.
• Highly dependent on staffing reliability and attendance.
The Chief Administrative Office recommends Option 2 - Close Placerville Senior Day Care due to the decreased attendance with a Net County Cost of $696,475.
South Lake Tahoe Senior Services Location Change
County-operated Senior Services in South Lake Tahoe will be relocating from the Senior Center on Lake Tahoe Boulevard to the new Recreation & Aquatics Center. The new facility provides expanded multi-generational amenities and will house Senior Nutrition, Senior Legal Services, Information and Assistance, and Educational Mini-Series. The move will occur once movers are scheduled and weather permits.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose any of the three options for Placerville Senior Day Care or provide a different direction.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar file 24-1916 - November 5, 2024 - Board issued direction to explore general fund savings.
Legistar file 25-0217 - January 25, 2025 - Board direction to include non-mandated program funding discussions in the FY 2025-26 Budget.
Legistar file 25-0449 - March 11, 2025 - Board direction to review programs with Net County Cost, including Senior Day Care.
Legistar file 25-0654 - April 8, 2025 - Board direction to return with consolidation options for Senior Day Care sites.
Legistar file 25-0732 - April 22, 2025 - Board direction to include consolidation into Recommended Budget.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
N/A
FINANCIAL IMPACT
If the Board chooses to close Placerville Senior Day Care, there will be General Fund savings dependent upon the closure date. The FY 2026-27 budgeted General Fund cost for Senior Day Care is $696,475. The location change for South Lake Tahoe Senior Services will cost up to $7,000 in moving costs.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Emma Owens, Chief Budget Officer
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency