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Others have defended the COA's position by saying that the reserve is a hedge against a possible financial shortage in the future.

When Pam Grassmick, from Beaver Island, stood before a group of COA members, county commissioners and others at a meeting in Boyne City on Oct. 22, she voiced her concerns about the allocation of funds and lack of services on the island.

"Our isolation and unique elderly situations require a different approach than if we were attached to the mainland," Grassmick, a registered nurse, said. "To have a waiting list for various services for sometimes as long as two years is unacceptable."

Grassmick read her statement and explained that she has had first-hand experience with her 89-year-old mother and 93-year-old father in dealing with the difficulties of obtaining help for seniors on Beaver Island.

"All of Charlevoix County has more COA services than Beaver Island," Grassmick said. "Bathing of home-bound seniors and other basic services are totally unavailable when our present single caregiver is off island. This neglects the very basic needs of our elderly for a week or more at a time. At the same time the COA is building a $1.5 million investment account, which plainly shows the COA has been and is broken and needs major changes from the top. How can the taxpayers of Beaver Island be assured that our taxes and grant monies that were earmarked for the elderly actually get directed to areas that the community has identified as being needed, versus the COA administration determining our needs?"

Grassmick elaborated upon her statement after the meeting, saying: "Another problem is that many seniors don't even know that help is available. When you get older, you can't do as much problem-solving and you can't reach out."

Grassmick made the trip from her home to Boyne City to attend a COA action planning meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to conduct a survey among county commissioners, senior services stakeholders and COA board members to determine priorities and assess potential actions and programs. The exercise was conducted by Dean Solomon of the MSU County Extension Office. He led the respondents through a series of proposals, including topics such as direct care concerns, programs, transportation and adult day services, using an eight-point scale ranging from "not at all important" to "very, very important." The two criteria considered were the importance to implement and the ability to achieve. Results of the survey will be calculated and released shortly.