Aging well together

by Victoria Howell

In recent months, the Bitterroot Star has covered a lot of news about local youth, so it’s a good time to devote some space to our aging population.

About 35% of Ravalli County residents are 60 and over. That’s more than one in three of our neighbors, according to Cathy Orr, director of the Ravalli County Council on Aging. She said Montana has the sixth oldest population in the nation and Ravalli County is possibly the “oldest” county in the state.

“That’s not a small niche of our population – that is our community,” says Orr.

Orr has been the director of the local Council on Aging for the last six and a half years. She’s lived in the Bitterroot for 30 years, and she and her husband have raised four kids here. Greg Orr is a Battalion Chief with Missoula Rural Fire District and recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with the department. 

Cathy has a degree in Health Administration. Before joining the Council on Aging, she worked at Capron Family Dental, a practice dedicated to serving underserved patients, including many on Medicaid. Earlier, while working at Alpine Granite, she partnered with the owner to launch the Bitterroot Backpack Program in 2015 to support local students experiencing food insecurity. That program has since spread throughout the valley. 

“Between Greg’s career in public safety and my work in nonprofit leadership, service to others has always been a central part of our family’s life,” says Orr.

She says the Bitterroot has always been a place where people come to build a life, and they stay to enjoy it.

“Our job at the Council on Aging is to make sure that as people grow older here, they can continue to live with dignity, independence and connection,” said Orr. “Aging isn’t the end of the story, it’s another chapter. The Council on Aging is committed to making sure it’s written with dignity, connection, and care.”

The mission of the Council on Aging is to provide essential services that allow older adults to stay in their homes as long as possible. That includes congregate and home-delivered meals, transportation, caregiver support, Medicare counseling through SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program), health promotion programs and an Ombudsman program that advocates for residents in long-term care. 

The Council on Aging is funded through the federal Older Americans Act, which was signed into law in 1965 and provides social, health, and nutrition services to adults aged 60 and older. It was created to support independent living in homes and communities through a national network of state and local agencies. Other funding for the Council on Aging (COA) comes from a county senior mill levy, as well as donations from clients and the community. Orr said that there was some review of the programs when the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was active in 2025, but ultimately the COA funding was not threatened. This is a popular program.

The list of services provided by COA is long, and includes Meals-on-Wheels which delivers healthy, nutritious meals to homebound seniors up to seven days a week from Florence to Sula. Approximately 31,770 meals were served in 2025.

The Bitter Root Bus service offers on-demand, curb-to-curb transportation, including to Missoula. This is the primary public transportation in the valley, and is open to all ages. The service is currently providing about 1000 rides per month (call for appointments at 406-363-7484).

Congregate meals are provided at local senior centers in Hamilton, Victor and Stevensville, and at Darby meal sites for a small contribution. The noon time hot lunches provide healthy meals as well as lively conversation and companionship.

Other COA services that may not be as well-known include Homemaker Services, Community Education, Lifeline Medical Alert Services, Information and Assistance, Ombudsman Program, Money Management Program, Farmers Market Coupons, and Commodity Supplemental Food Program food boxes which are distributed every other month.

There is also a Loan Closet at the Council on Aging, with a wide range of durable medical equipment for loan, including walkers, wheelchairs, bath benches, lift chairs and other equipment on a donation basis. This service is open to all county residents, regardless of age.

“But beyond services, we provide something just as important: connection,” says Orr. “Loneliness and isolation are real health risks for seniors, especially in rural communities like ours.”

That’s where the local senior centers, in Hamilton, Victor and Stevensville (and the weekly meal site in Darby) play a vital role. According to Orr, they’re not just meal sites. They’re gathering places. They’re hubs of friendship, learning, and belonging. Each senior center is independently run as a non-profit entity.

“But we support them,” says Orr. “And we arrange presentations on our various programs, such as elder fraud and abuse, etc.”

Orr said that the Council on Aging has launched some new initiatives recently that she’s really excited about. One is the Ravalli Senior Network, a county-wide collaborative that was formed to connect senior-service providers, and expand access to critical resources in our geographically dispersed rural communities.

“By bringing agencies together, we’re sharing information and making it easier for seniors and families to access the right help at the right time,” says Orr. “It’s about collaboration over competition, because our older adults deserve a coordinated system of care.”

Founding members of the new collaborative, in addition to Orr with Council on Aging, include Dyana Canavan with Partners in Home Care, Kristina McConnell with Hoblitt Homes, Charlene Miskimen with Medicare Advocates, and Dominic Farrenkopf with Sapphire Lutheran Homes.

The Council on Aging also helped launch Dementia Friendly Bitterroot in partnership with Jana Branch. This initiative is about education, reducing stigma, and helping local businesses, churches, and community members understand how to better support individuals living with memory loss.

“We want the Bitterroot to be a place where someone with dementia – and their caregiver – feels understood, supported, and safe,” says Orr.

“Our partnerships are important because aging doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community. No one agency can do it alone. But together, we can build a community where people don’t fall through the cracks.”

“What we want the public to understand most about COA is that we are here to walk alongside them in their aging journey,” says Orr. “Whether someone is 60 and just beginning to think about what the next chapter looks like or 85 and needing more support, or caring for a spouse with dementia, we are here. Aging is not something to fear. It’s something to prepare for, and something our community can embrace together.”

The Ravalli County Council on Aging was created in 1979. It is currently located at 310 Old Corvallis Road in Hamilton, on property donated by Susie Wilkinson. Orr oversees a staff of about 30 which includes the cooks at the Victor and Stevensville senior centers. The phone number is 406-363-5690 and the website is www.ravalliccoa.org .

“We’re just trying to help each other age well,” says Orr. And, as our population continues to live ever longer, “we need to keep having conversations about it so we can all age well together.”