SULLIVAN COUNTY — New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed budget for 2026 includes $45 million for aging services, $8 million of which has been designated for the Mid-Hudson Valley. Sullivan County Communications Director Dan Hust said approximately $100,000 of this funding will go directly to the Office for the Aging, directed by Lise-Anne Deoul. 

Deoul confirmed the $100,000 allocation and said it would be used to increase compensation for home health aides. Deoul explained that the Office for the Aging subcontracts home care through the Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP). 

“We are in a home care crisis,” said Deoul, and this new funding from Hochul’s proposed budget will give an increased reimbursement wage for home health aides. Under the current agreement, $32/hr goes to the subcontracting agency and $18/hr goes to the aide. With the influx of new state funding, Deoul will try to “amp this up” to $40/hr for the agency and $22/hr for the aide. 

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years,” said Deoul, “and I’m proud to say that my job is to keep people out of nursing homes.” She said most people want to age at home, because it’s a familiar place where they can be among family members. Nursing homes provide essential care for some patients, she said, but stressed that they should be a last resort.

The Office for the Aging’s mission is to advocate for the older population of Sullivan County by keeping residents at home, providing home delivery meals, and assisting in applications for health insurance and benefit programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program). 

The new $100,000 allocation from Hochul’s budget will help Deoul and the Office for the Aging achieve their goals by offering higher compensation for subcontracting agencies and the home health aides that administer care and service to the elderly communities of Sullivan County.