LACKAWANNA COUNTY BOARD of COMMISSIONERS
LACKAWANNA COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES / AREA AGENCY on AGING
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for SERVICE PROVIDERS
Fiscal Years 2026/2027 thru 2028/2029
Issued: April 22, 2026
RFQ ID #: 112/26/1100/03
1. INTRODUCTION:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a fair and open process, sealed
submittals will be received and reviewed by the County of Lackawanna ("COUNTY")
Board of Commissioners ("Board of Commissioners") for the provision of services to
eligible individuals served by the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging / Aging
Block Grant. This RFQ will be used in applying for funds to provide services for Fiscal
Years 2026/2027 thru 2028/2029.
Submission Deadline:
Respondents must submit their written
Submittals by 4:00 p.m. prevailing time:
Contact Person:
Gayle Sensi
May 21, 2026
Email: humanservices@lackawannacounty.org
Submissions received will be reviewed and evaluated by the Lackawanna County Area
Agency on Aging (herein after referred to as the Department), based upon such criteria
as the Department, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. The Department reserves
the right to request clarification or additional information from any respondent. The
Department, in its sole discretion, may accept or reject any or all submittals.
The Department reserves the opportunity to modify this Request for Qualifications
(herein after referred to as RFQ) at its own discretion and without prior notice, and to
waive any immaterial defect or informality in any proposal as may be permitted by law.
1
2. PURPOSE:
The purpose of this Request for Qualifications is to solicit submissions from qualified
agencies and /or individuals to provide professional services on behalf of the County in
relation to the administration of the Aging Block Grant. Service areas/definitions
include:
• Personal Care Services…consumer choice service that includes assistance
with Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s), such as feeding, skin and mouth care,
ambulation, bathing, hair care, grooming, shaving, dressing, transfer activities,
toileting, and assistance with self-administration of medications (i.e. opening
medication containers, providing verbal reminders). Consumers receiving
Personal Care services shall need some degree or amount of hands-on Personal
Care to assist with the completion of activities of daily living (ADLs) during each
authorized visit.
Home Support activities may be included in personal care service if they are
necessary and secondary to the provision of personal care.
Unit of service = one hour.
• Adult Day Services…is a consumer choice service where Older Adult Daily
Living Centers operate for part of a 24-hour day and offer an interactive, safe,
supervised environment for older adults with a functional impairment, and adults
with a dementia-related disease, Parkinson’s disease, or other organic brain
syndrome. Older Adult Daily Living Centers offer a community-based alternative
to institutionalization and provide a reliable source of support and respite for
caregivers, while providing personal care, nursing services, social services,
therapeutic activities, nutrition and therapeutic diets and emergency care.
Unit of service = one full day or half-day attendance that includes a meal.
• In Home Meals/Emergency Meal…provides regularly scheduled meals to older
adults who may have nutritional needs such as the inability to obtain food or
prepare meals due to a physical or cognitive disability, lack of resources for
meals or absence of someone willing or able to prepare meals for them. Home
Delivered Meals must meet at least one-third of the recommended nutritional
needs of older people. Meals can be provided hot, cold, frozen or in
combination, to consumers in their individual residences, and not in a congregate
setting.
Emergency meals generally consist of healthy shelf-stable items that do not
require refrigeration or frozen meals that can be delivered prior to need. Meals
may be provided when weather, center emergencies or other temporary
2
organizational situations prohibit regular meal service being provided for a
defined period of time.
Unit of service = one meal.
• Congregate Meals…meals provided in a group setting to eligible persons and
served at Senior Community Centers/Satellite Centers. All meals must comply
with requirements for menu development, sanitation standards, transportation,
and reporting standards. Foods or combinations of foods served must meet 1/3
RDA requirements, only foods meeting this eligibility can be counted as USDA
reimbursable. With prior written approval from the Lackawanna County Area
Agency on Aging, meals may occasionally be served at approved alternate
locations such as picnics, etc. All dietary needs will be considered as a choice at
all Senior Centers. If kosher meals are to be provided, details regarding
packaging, transportation and delivery of food must be detailed to include how
meals will remain Kosher throughout the process from preparation to
consumption.
Unit of service = one meal.
• Dietitian…an individual with a bachelor’s degree in dietetics who has
successfully completed the national examination of the Commission on Dietetic
Registration (CDR) and maintains continuing education requirements as
established by the CDR. The Dietitian/Nutritionist shall be licensed in
Pennsylvania pursuant to the State Board of Nursing regulations at 49 PA. Code,
Chapter 21, Professional and Vocational Standards for Licensing Dietitians/
Nutritionists. Responsibilities of provider are to complete nutrition monitoring,
nutrition education and evaluation.
Unit of service = one hour.
• Senior Community Center Administration…administrative oversight of all
Lackawanna County AAA affiliated Senior Community & Satellite Senior Centers
(up to 8 total.) SCSC’s offer activities to meet the socialization, recreational,
educational and enrichment needs of older persons. A diverse range of
programs, activities and services to active older adults in communities are
planned and implemented. Activities usually take place in a senior community
facility in which people age 60 years of age and over, and their spouses
(regardless of age), can meet with one another to access a wide array of
services and fulfill many social, physical, emotional and intellectual needs.
Unit of service = one participant
• Health and Wellness Program Administration…administration and delivery of
Lackawanna County AAA’s Pennsylvania Department of Aging approved IIID
3
Evidence-Based Programs to include name of program, website, program goals
& target audience, program description, how/whom program delivered by,
training requirements, and the Health & Wellness priority areas. Programs to be
delivered to Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging Senior Centers, as well
as senior housing complexes, (public or private), senior clubs, senior
organizations, and groups. Health & Wellness programs must be evidence
based, approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, responsible for
collection of data for entry into AAA/SAMS system and have ability to establish a
Wellness Committee for reporting to PDA. This also includes Non-Evidence
Based Health and Wellness Programing to enhance the activities provided to
older adults by the AAA and promote physical fitness, mindfulness and wellbeing.
Unit of service=one IIID program
• Guardian of Estate and/or Person… Activities include serving as guardian of
person and estate for individuals aged 60 and over when so appointed by the
courts in compliance with Chapter 55 of the Pennsylvania Probate, Estates and
Fiduciary (PEF) Code, commonly referred to as the “Guardianship Act.”
Applicants must employ minimally one (1) nationally certified guardian to oversee
guardianship activities. Additionally, applicants must have the ability to provide
both guardian of person and guardian of estate services. Guardians are required
to continue to provide guardianship services when a ward transfers out of county.
Unit of service = one consumer served per month.
• Legal Services… Legal Services are to be provided in accordance with the
Older Americans Act focusing on the areas of law most affecting older adults with
the greatest economic or social need. A legal services provider seeking contract
with the LCAAA will provide legal assistance, counseling, education, and
representation to individuals aged 60 and older to understand, secure, protect or
expand their legal rights. This includes representation with or without the
consumer's presence before a public benefit agency. Legal services provided
under the scope of this contract are only for non-fee generating and civil legal
matters. Priority areas identified for the LCAAA Elder Law Program are:
▪ Housing (Non-eviction Landlord/Tenant Matters, Eviction Prevention,
Home Ownership Matters including delinquent taxes, reverse mortgage, &
foreclosure issues)
▪ Advanced Life Planning (healthcare & financial powers of attorney,
healthcare directives, Medicaid eligibility options, and simple & living wills
in combination with any other advanced life planning service)
▪ Elder Abuse & Financial Exploitation (in collaboration with the
Lackawanna County Elder Justice Multidisciplinary Team referrals to
4
prevent or mitigate elder abuse, protection from/remediation of financial
exploitation, & education and advocacy related to Elder Abuse.
• Ombudsman…are federally mandated, legally-based, and state-certified via
standardized trainings to actively advocate and give voice to consumers of long-
term care services. Pennsylvania ombudsmen champion the rights of these
consumers to achieve the highest quality of life and care wherever they reside.
They are united through an impassioned commitment to listen, educate,
investigate, mediate, and empower through a visible presence. Long-term care
ombudsmen make themselves available to take a message of concern forward
and help to resolve it on behalf of care-dependent elderly.
Ombudsman program directs the PEER Program which is a self-advocacy and
empowerment partnership between residents, facility staff, and the local
ombudsman. Pennsylvania’s Empowered Expert Resident (PEERs) are long-
term care consumers who are trained in self-advocacy and empowerment to
provide support for other long-term care consumers in skilled nursing facilities
and personal care homes where they reside. Ombudsmen are client driven and
client directed. As the consumer's advocate, they act on the wishes of the client.
Unit of service = a resolved complaint.
• PA Medi…provides information and education on available services and benefits
and links individuals with appropriate agencies and community resources to meet
their needs. I & R activities include services and telecenters which help
Medicare beneficiaries to understand their health insurance options and make
informed decisions about what is best for the consumer without providing any
bias about their choices.
Unit of service = one direct service received by a consumer and includes time
spent with or on behalf of a consumer (including assessment of the consumer's
needs).
• Transportation-Shared Ride Program…. The shared-ride program lets senior
citizens (65 years of age and older) to use shared-ride services. Shared Ride
allows you to schedule transportation and usually provides curb-to-curb service.
Providers are responsible for participant registration, scheduling of rides, and
providing monthly reporting/data to the AAA on individuals served through this
program.
Unit of service = one 1-way trip.
5
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.