MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — A Mecklenburg County mistake stripped some of the most vulnerable adults of the free rides they rely on every day to get their meals, health care and quality of life. The recent error caught families off-guard and left them scrambling.
The Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services has since righted the wrong for the roughly 175 families impacted.
After WCNC Charlotte's questions, officials also committed to helping existing customers for another year. But with 150 others on a growing waiting list and federal pandemic money running out, the county isn't sure those people waiting will get the rides they need.
"It's like, what if the school bus got taken away for children?"
Sandra Kuykendall relies on Mecklenburg Transportation System (MTS) to arrange and provide rides Monday through Friday to and from Gracious Living Adult Day and Health Care Center. The 81-year-old with dementia eats, socializes and receives medical support at the facility.
MTS, a taxpayer-funded ride service, keeps her out of a nursing home and allows her daughter to work during the day and care for her mom at night. Kuykendall's family learned Mecklenburg County abruptly stopped the service in late March.
MTS told the family and others funding had run out and that they'd have to arrange transportation on their own starting in April.
"It's like, what if the school bus got taken away for children? That's what it's like for me and for her, so it was a shock," Kuykendall's daughter said. "I hadn't been given any sort of notice at all, so I was confused and left scrambling."
The service cancellation lasted about two weeks before Mecklenburg County admitted its mistake and resumed services.
"As a part of evaluating spending in FY2024 and the proposed FY2025 operating budget, adult day care trips were erroneously included in the category of trips that would be examined for reduction," a Mecklenburg County spokesperson told WCNC Charlotte.
While the correction resulted in relief for Kuykendall's family, it also led to fears about possible future financial problems.
More than an afterthought
"It shows such a careless disregard for their feelings, who they are," Michele Allgood said of the county's error. "That was pretty painful. They weren't even given an, 'I'm sorry.'"
Allgood, who is the executive director of Gracious Living, created the center after trying to juggle her prior career with her mother's care after a stroke. She said the county's recent actions point to a broader problem.
"We are just always the last ones to the table," Allgood said. "They don't forecast enough for our seniors, yet they know the need."
Mecklenburg County records show, as of February, 176 families relied on MTS for this particular service. Another 150 were on the waiting list, which has grown 13-fold since last year, according to records.
Allgood said this segment of the population tends to be considered an afterthought and is often discarded as those who just exist, rather than live.
"Our seniors should not be silenced and it really infuriated me," Allgood said. "We respect aging."
Funding cliff ahead
Over the last several years, federal pandemic dollars have allowed MTS to provide rides to a growing number of people with health-related (and other) needs, but that money is starting to dwindle.
At the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday night, Director of Social Services Kim Henderson warned of an upcoming financial cliff that will likely limit resources moving forward.
Records show the county is expected to lose $1.54 million in COVID funding after the next fiscal year.
Under the current plan, MTS will continue providing rides to Medicaid patients and those relying on MTS for health maintenance-related trips.
"Based on our projections for next fiscal year, we will be able to provide adult day care trip services to our existing customers without interruption," a county spokesperson told WCNC Charlotte, adding, "CFAS continues to enroll new clients into the services, but priority is placed on clients in need of adult protective services, as mandated by North Carolina statute."
Due to funding constraints, however, the county is proposing to eliminate general-purpose trips, like rides to banks, higher education sites and jobs for people who aren't on Medicaid, effective July 1.
"We do want to stay within our proposed budget as a start," Henderson told county commissioners.
Elected leaders raise concerns
Ahead of Tuesday's meeting, WCNC Charlotte shared the wait list numbers with Commissioners Elaine Powell (District 1) and Vice Chair Mark Jerrell (District 4).
"The needs get bigger all the time and hopefully we're preparing for that budget-wise," Powell told county staff during the meeting.
Jerrell, meanwhile, acknowledged the efforts of Allgood, who attended the meeting, in advocating for this population.
"We have to make some tough decisions as well in how we can support the needs of the community," Jerrell told county staff.
Dignity hangs in the balance
The timing is critical with budget deliberations well underway. Depending what leaders eventually decide to prioritize during this budget cycle, Allgood knows people's dignity is at stake.
"We need a line item because this is ridiculous," Allgood said. "They're gonna hear from me. I will be heard. It's for my mother and all of those like her."
While Sandra Kuykendall and her daughter now again have the reliability of a ride and the stability that comes with it, 150 others do not.
Contact Nate Morabito at nmorabito@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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