A new report from the Ohio Department of Aging released Thursday by Ohio Auditor Keith Faber said the agency has had trouble retaining staff since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between 2017 and 2024, only 24% of ODA's 92 employees remained on staff. The audit found most employees left because of retirements, promotions, transfers or personal health reasons.
Despite providing these reasons, the report said ODA only had exit interview data for two people out of more than 100 who left during that time period. The report said this means there is no meaningful insight tracked on reasons for employee departures.
Faber's report expressed concern over the turnover as Ohio's population of people above the age of 60 is growing rapidly. Faber said the funding available for programs and services to support these individuals has largely stayed stagnant over the past 20 years, meaning less resources may be available to seniors.
Department of Aging Director Ursel McElroy was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2019. While she's been in office, five out of her six deputy directors positions have changed hands.
The report found the turnover has strained ODA’s communications with local agencies and constituents, negatively affected operations and hindered auditors’ work to identify issues and offer recommendations for improvement.
“Ohio seniors rely on the services that are funded through ODA,” Faber said in a statement. “It’s essential that this agency address these issues immediately.”
McElroy responded in a letter and said ODA's staffing shifts mirror national trends since the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the audit found other state agencies like the departments of health, education and taxation retained a much higher percentage of staff.
McElroy wrote that the audit and other recently released financial audits "found no ODA deficiencies in programmatic performance, internal control related to financial and data reporting, fraud assessment activities, grant management or oversight operations."
"We welcome the opportunity to reinforce our unwavering accountability to all Ohioans," McElroy wrote.
The report found 7 of the state's 12 area agencies on aging say they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with ODA's communication. The report did not say how each regional agency responded.
Beth Kowalczyk, chief executive officer for the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging, said in a statement they appreciate Faber's work on the report to identify opportunities to strengthen the agency's operations.
“The Area Agencies on Aging are committed to working collaboratively with the department to improve communication, reduce barriers and ensure older Ohioans receive the high-quality services they deserve. We support efforts that lead to greater transparency, stability and effectiveness in Ohio's aging network," Kowalczyk said.
The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging declined to comment and deferred to Kowalczyk.
The Ohio Department of Aging deferred to the letter McElroy wrote that was included in Faber's report.
Faber offered several recommendations for ODA to improve, including making the agency's multi-year plan less broad; considering objectives specifically tied to programs ODA impacts; and communicating and collaborating with constituents to track progress.
Faber also recommended the agency should prepare and publish the required annual report in a timely manner, which was not always accomplished.
Faber said ODA also needs to improve data collection and utilization and publish information that could assist in decision making, including tracking the number of older Ohioans using different services and regional waitlist and levy data.
