Sonoma County is staring down a painful reality for its older residents: isolation is spiking just as a major lifeline is about to disappear. A $3 million, three-year state grant that has helped keep the county’s PEARLS outreach program afloat is set to expire at the end of this month, and local leaders say the timing could hardly be worse. Recent surveys and public-health data show many older adults go weeks without contact, and suicide rates among people ages 75 to 84 have climbed sharply since 2020.
Funding cliff meets growing demand
PEARLS, a short-term coaching and outreach program for older adults, has been sustained locally by a state grant scheduled to end June 30. Without replacement funding, officials warn, services will almost certainly shrink. As reported by The Press Democrat, the Council on Aging has launched an urgent fundraising push, securing some early donations but still staring at a significant shortfall.
State data show roughly 140,000 Sonoma County residents are 60 or older, about 29 percent of the population, according to the California Department of Aging. A national survey released in January by insurance marketplace Choice Mutual found a large share of seniors living alone went an entire month without a meaningful check-in. Together, those numbers outline why local officials say time is running out to keep isolation from getting worse.
Evidence-based help that costs money
PEARLS - short for Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives - was developed at the University of Washington as a home and community-based intervention to tackle late-life depression. The approach focuses on problem-solving, goal-setting, and planning enjoyable activities, and implementation reports show it can reduce depressive symptoms while boosting social connection. That evidence is exactly why Sonoma providers fought to bring it in and keep it running.
Without continued funding, program coordinators say trained coaches and the one-on-one outreach that helps catch small issues before they turn into full-blown crises will have to be scaled back. The model itself is relatively low-cost, they note, but it still requires staff time, training, and coordination - all of which depend on stable funding.
Where help comes from now
Outside of PEARLS, the county’s day-to-day safety net relies on adult-day programs, Meals on Wheels routes, and county social workers who keep tabs on some of the most isolated residents. Staff at Sonoma County’s Adult & Aging Division point out that a hot meal dropped at the door is often also a wellness check, and that meal drivers and volunteers are frequently the first to notice when something is wrong inside a home.
Residents looking for help or guidance can reach a trained social worker through the county’s Aging & Disability Resource Hub at 707-565-INFO, which connects callers with services and referrals. Sonoma County’s Adult & Aging Division outlines how to access these supports and explains what is available for both seniors and caregivers.
What’s next and how residents can help
Nonprofits are now leaning hard on local donors and neighborhood generosity to buy time. The Council on Aging is hosting a fundraiser this Tuesday at Homerun Pizza in Larkfield Center, and officials say early gifts from community partners have moved the effort partway toward its goal, though not nearly far enough to replace the expiring grant.
Staff and advocates stress that residents do not need a program badge to make a difference. A phone call, a shared meal, or a simple knock on a neighbor’s door can be a powerful intervention for someone who has not talked to anyone in days. County and nonprofit leaders say they will keep pressing for sustained state or county funding while asking the public to help cover the coaching hours and outreach visits that keep local seniors safer, more connected, and a little less alone.
