In support of seniors in Grant and Hidalgo County, Hidalgo Medical Services (HMS) has been allotted $15,000 reoccurring funds to go towards Senior Services that are provided by five centers in Mimbres, Santa Clara, Silver City, Gila and Lordsburg. This is due in part to the advocacy of State Representative, Rebecca Dow through Capital Outlay Junior Bill funding.

Every year, state and local governments review discretionary General Fund monies to allocate to a variety of resources and programs. Across the state, over 130 senior centers are funded through the Area Agencies on Aging and distributed to provide full time programs. HMS has been the administrative agency for the Senior Centers in Grant and Hidalgo County since 2015 and every year the need increases. Based on the 2000 census projections, by 2030, New Mexico will move from 39th in the nation to 4th in the percentage of people older than 65. “This combined with the challenges of the pandemic has placed a strain on resources and budgets and we are grateful for the funds and the collaboration of Representative Rebecca Dow to make them available in our community”, HMS CEO, Dan Otero said.

“As I meet with seniors across Grant County, particularly those who are home bound, they repeatedly share stories of meals delivered by HMS. The staff delivering the meals are often the only contact the seniors have with others. It becomes an informal “well check” and a connection to others our seniors need,” Rebecca Dow said. “With the rising cost of food and wages, I knew they would need more funds to assure meals are high quality. Especially during COVID, these services must not be disrupted.”

HMS Senior Services delivered over 102,000 meals last year to 500 plus seniors within the Grant and Hidalgo County area. In order to sign up for services, individuals must be 60 years of age or older, or a spouse, widow/widower of someone 60 years of age or older. Any individual with disabilities, regardless of age, who resides with a senior, and accompanies them to lunch, is eligible for these services.

For more information, please reach out to the HMS Senior Care Advocate, Cassandra Jewel at 575-597-2967 or your local senior center.