Earlier this week, the Belmont County commissioners announced a change is coming for the Senior Services program; this time, in the form of a stand-alone agency.

"Sometime after early January 2013, there will be the creation of this new county department," Dwayne Pielech, director of Belmont County Job & Family Services, said.

Pielech stressed that seniors will see virtually no change in the quality of programs and services.

"The line workers who are cooking the meals, who are medically transporting the clients to their medical appointments, the senior center coordinators at the senior center, all those employees will stay the same," Pielech said.

The only difference will be a new director. Pielech said in the very near future, the commissioners will be hiring a new director of senior services and some other senior management leadership.

It's all due to the major growth of the program over the past year and a half. Pielech noted an increase in services, service providers and in some cases, the seniors themselves.

"What we're saying now is because of the demand, because of the need to devote a full-time director to these services, that's why the commissioners made the decision and we in leadership here will do what we can to make sure that the transition is seamless," Pielech said.

He said Job & Family Services employees are problem solvers at their core, a trait that will only work in the favor of the seniors.

"I want to reassure seniors that nothing will be changing," Pielech said.