ST. GEORGE - A group of seniors and people with disabilities attended a class on emergency preparedness Tuesday, part of a weekly class schedule teaching different life skills to St. George residents.

The class was part of a program at the Red Rock Center for Independence, a local agency that provides information, training, equipment and other support to help seniors and people with disabilities to remain independent. The lesson left those in attendancewith some useful information on how to deal with major disasters, from fires to earthquakes to power outages, but clients and staff alike still are waiting for information on another potential problem - looming state budget cuts.

Programs and services for health care, personal attendant services, home health services and general assistance could see major cuts, or be discontinued. Agencies already have seen some cuts this year, such services as equipment and technology training have been slashed - even items as essential as eyeglasses, hearing aids and wheelchairs are hard to come by.

"It's scary thinking about," said Ceil Stevenson, who raised a son with disabilities and now organizes the weekly classes for the RRCI.

The Utah Legislature is set to finish its general session next week, and the RRCI's clients are cautiously awaiting the results of budget proposals that have at times appeared dire for government-funded programs.

The federal stimulus pack- age and some state-initiated adjustments have temp- ered some immediate fears, but the state still is looking at 15 percent cuts to most programs - education has been spared somewhat with 6 percent cuts.

For places like the RRCI, cuts appear inevitable, but organizers like Stevenson plan to move forward with help in whatever areas they can, such as the weekly classes.

"There's so many other things we can do for people besides the budget money things," she said. "We can teach them daily living skills and other things to help them stay independent."

In Salt Lake City, legislators are doing their best to mitigate the damage as much as possible, said Garry Owens, executive director of the RRCI. However, when the funds aren't available, they have to "bite the bullet."

"We're going to get cuts," he said. "It's inevitable."

A boost did come from the stimulus - the first chunk of Utah's $1.5 billion total share of the stimulus was $53 million sent to help keep Medicaid health coverage for the elderly, poor and disabled. However, stimulus funds are a one-time shot in the arm, and won't stop long-term programs from being cut, Owens said.

One major issue is some of the smaller programs people use, which most residents might not recognize but which make a big difference for seniors and people with disabilities.

Merideth Dick, St. George, who has vision disabilities from macular degeneration, said one such program is a taxi coupon program, where people who need a ride but have difficulty affording the help can receive state aid for cab fare. As departments start to implement their cuts, it's those types of programs that can fall through the cracks, she said.