By Ruth Purnell Rappahannock News Staff Writer The Rappahannock

By Ruth Purnell Rappahannock News Staff Writer

The Rappahannock Rapidan Elder Care Coalition will be hosting a forum Wednesday May 25, 2005 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Washington Fire Hall to discuss the elderly of Rappahannock County. The county is currently facing a large influx of residents over the age of 60 who are looking to retire. The main issue of the forum will be to determine how the needs of these people will be met in the years ahead.

“One of the goals is to create a county vision statement,” said Cathy Zielinski, the local Community Partnerships Project Coordinator.

The Rappahannock Rapidan Elder Care Coalition was selected in September of 2004 from a field of 486 applicants nationwide to receive a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Community Partnerships of Older Adults program.

The foundation awarded the Coalition $150,000 to be used to develop long-term care plans for the elderly in Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties. Over the next few months, the Coalition will have the opportunity to apply for a $750,000 grant to implement their plans.

Even if the grant is not acquired, having a well prepared plan is a major benefit when seeking funding from other organizations explained Zielinski.

Over the next year the coalition hopes to work with the community to develop a plan that will best serve those in need. The coalition consists of 28 organizations and serves the above five rural counties in north central Virginia. Although the counties share the description of having no major cities, each has its own distinct set of needs.

Rappahannock County is faced with several sets of issues. According to the 2000 census there were 1393 residents over 60 and by 2020 the county is expected to have 3253, meaning 37 percent of the population would be 60 or over.

r