Northampton County, PA— In Northampton County, we are facing a nearly $400,000 reduction in our Area Agency on Aging (AAA) budget due to state budget cuts. As a result, the County will be required to consolidate the senior center network, and the Lower Nazareth Senior Center and the Northampton Senior Center will close as of June 30, 2026.
The reason for this funding gap is that the Commonwealth has eliminated a key revenue generating function previously available to county Agencies on Aging: aging well “desk reviews.” Desk reviews are review and comparisons of data from Functional Eligibility Determination assessments that Area Agency on Aging staff still complete to determine eligibility for long-term care services, in home or in a nursing facility. In 2025 alone, Northampton County’s AAA completed 1,440 of these reviews, generating $373,464 in revenue that directly supported services for local seniors. The loss of this function represents a loss of capacity that will force difficult decisions.
Executive Zrinski expressed her dismay at this immediate and significant funding gap—which she says arrives at the exact moment when state leaders are expressing concern about oversight, performance, and outcomes in elder protection.
“Across Northampton County, these centers are a lifeline for older adults, providing not only meals, but connection, wellness support, and a place to engage with their community and live vibrant, healthy lives,” said County Executive Tara Zrinski.
Northampton County’s AAA serves thousands of older adults each year. The professionals doing this work are navigating complex cases involving medical fragility, cognitive decline, isolation, and, at times, individuals who are unable or unwilling to accept help. These are not simple interventions, and outcomes are not always within an agency’s control.
“We must be honest about the broader system in which these agencies operate” said Zrinski. “When funding is reduced at the scale we are experiencing, the impact is not theoretical. It means fewer home visits, slower response times, reduced oversight, and fewer opportunities to intervene before situations escalate. It means a system that is being asked to do more with less—something that is true not only in Northampton County, but across many aging agencies in Pennsylvania.”
For seniors now attending the Lower Nazareth Senior Center and the Northampton Senior Center, the County will make accommodations to help them attend a neighboring Senior Center.
