Ayer Council on Aging Sets Accreditation Priorities, Plans Second Van Before New Center Opens

AYER -- April 14, 2026, Ayer Council on Aging Board maps accreditation priorities and flags Meals on Wheels decline. Meeting at the Senior Center on 18 Pond Street on April 14, the board worked through a self-assessment checklist tied to accreditation standards, assigning timelines and responsible parties to items including a combined board-and-center mission statement, a formal program evaluation plan, a volunteer manual, and a Senior Center organizational chart. Director Katie reported March figures of 156 older adults visiting for programs, 61 outreach client visits, 510 van trips by 67 riders, and 15 volunteers logging 221 hours valued at more than $3,000. She flagged that Meals on Wheels enrollment has fallen from roughly 35 clients when she began her tenure to nine, describing a referral-system impasse involving the regional Aging Services Access Point and the Meals on Wheels operator that is effectively blocking new enrollments even for residents who meet functional eligibility criteria. The board also reviewed the town's new website platform, agreed to add a documents tab to the board's page, and noted that the member directory is currently broken, a fix requiring follow-up with the town's IT director.