Your legislator needs to hear from you.
State lawmakers decide how much funding goes to services that help older adults stay at home. A short letter from a constituent makes a real difference, and it takes less than five minutes.
Send a letter online in minutes
Use the AgeWays advocacy page to write and send a custom letter to your state legislators. Ask them to support the Silver Key Coalition’s FY 2027 budget request, and add a few words about why it matters to you.
Not sure what to say?
Copy our sample message into the letter and fill in your name, city and story. Personal stories are what lawmakers remember most.
Prefer to call or email directly? Find your State Representative and State Senator.
Three steps
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Send a letter
Use the AgeWays letter tool to write to your state representative and state senator.
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Make it personal
Start from the sample message below. If you, a parent or a neighbor has waited for help or gotten too little, say so.
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Spread the word
Share this page with friends, family and your organization’s members, and ask them to send a letter too.
Sample message
Paste this into the online letter, an email or use it as a script for a phone call. Fill in the parts in brackets.
Always include your full name and mailing address so staff can confirm you’re a constituent and follow up.
Other ways to reach your legislator
Include your mailing address so your message is counted.
Phone call
Staff track calls on key issues. A brief, polite message is enough: who you are, where you live and what you’re asking for.
Mailed letter
A printed letter stands out. Include your full name and mailing address.
Meet in person
Schedule a meeting in advance, or attend your legislator’s office hours or community coffee hours.
Virtual meeting
Ask a staff member for a video meeting when travel or schedules make it hard to meet in person.
Find your legislators
Stay involved
Join the Senior Advocacy Network
AgeWays’ Senior Advocacy Network keeps advocates informed and ready to act when older adults’ issues are before the Legislature.
Email advocacy@AgeWays.org or call (248) 262-9232 to join.
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Talking points
Background for letters, meetings and testimony. Pick the two or three points that matter most to you.
Core talking points
- The request: A permanent increase of $14.8 million in the ACLS budget: $10 million to end wait lists ($8M for in-home services, $2M for home-delivered meals) and $4.8 million for the underserved ($1.9M for in-home services, $2.9M for meals).
- The wait list: 6,829 older Michiganders were waiting at the end of FY 2026: 5,714 for in-home services and 1,115 for home-delivered meals.
- The underserved: 4,734 more were getting less help than they need: 1,893 for in-home services and 2,841 for meals.
- The risk: Within two years, older adults on wait lists or getting too little help are 5 times more likely to enter a nursing home, 2 times more likely to need emergency care and 25% more likely to die.
- The savings: Medicaid nursing home care costs $85,000 to $132,000 per person per year. In-home services and meals cost about $2,258. Keeping 96 people out of a nursing home for one year pays for the $10 million wait list request.
- What people want: 88% of older adults want to stay in their homes and communities.
- The trend: More than 2.4 million Michiganders are 60 or older, projected to reach about 2.7 million by 2030, with adults 85+ growing fastest.
Beyond the wait list: measuring real need
- What “underserved” means. People with documented need who get less care than required because of funding limits. Providers cut meals, hours or visits before adding people to a wait list. Key message: Underserved does not mean low need.
- Shorter wait lists can be misleading. Declines often reflect rationing, not more capacity. Providers lean on local senior millages, philanthropy and temporary staff shifts, which aren’t sustainable. Key message: Fewer names on a list does not mean fewer people struggling.
- Health consequences. Underserved older adults face higher risks of nursing home placement, emergency care and death. Key message: Underserving speeds up health crises.
- Taxpayer savings. Help at home costs a small fraction of nursing home care. Key message: This is one of the highest-return investments in the state budget.
- A conservative ask. The request uses standardized, state-reported data; provider-reported need is higher. Key message: This is the floor, not the ceiling.
- Caregivers and the workforce. When services are in place, caregivers are more likely to stay employed and less likely to face severe financial strain. Key message: Aging services also keep Michigan’s workforce steady.
- Aging in place. Demand will rise as Michigan ages, whatever policy choices are made. Key message: Aging in place is coming, and Michigan must plan for it.
- Data and accountability. The coalition supports clearer statewide definitions of “wait list” and “underserved,” better reporting and regular needs surveys. Key message: We’re committed to transparency.
Family caregivers
- About 1.7 million Michiganders provide more than 1.1 billion hours of unpaid care a year, valued at about $15.1 billion.
- About 29% of Michiganders 50 and older are caregivers, including 35% of women in that age group.
- Michigan caregivers report poor mental health at higher rates than non-caregivers (19.6% vs. 12.9%).
- Nationally, family caregivers spend over $7,000 a year of their own money on caregiving.
- 19% of employed Michiganders 50+ have trouble taking time off work for caregiving.
- Caregivers of people receiving ACLS services are 3 times more likely to say caregiving no longer interferes with work, and reports of severe financial strain are cut in half.
Rising costs for providers
- Food, utility, transportation and labor costs keep rising. Meals on Wheels Western Michigan reported a 15% increase in food costs in a single year.
- Low wages and high turnover in the direct care workforce make it harder to meet demand.
- Temporary pandemic relief funding is gone. Without a permanent increase, fewer older adults will be served.
Ready to speak up?
Send a letter to your legislators today. Have questions, need district-level numbers or want help preparing for a meeting? Contact us.
