03.05.12 In response to public concerns over Gov. Bobby Jindal's plan to move the Office of Elderly Affairs from the governor's office to the state health agency, administration representatives have begun a series of public forums to field questions from concerned citizens and local officials.

Each Louisiana parish has a Council on Aging now organized and financed through the Office of Elderly Affairs, part of Jindal's executive staff. The governor's proposed budget, which lawmakers will consider in a legislative session that begins next Monday, shifts the programs under the Office of Aging and Adult Services in the Department of Health and Hospitals.

The Jindal administration pitches the move as a way to improve services. Some local council leaders, including Howard Rogers in Orleans and Al Robichaux in Jefferson, have expressed concerns that older Louisianans will be subjected to waiting lists and more bureaucracy.