Orange County’s older adults, as well as caregivers, have until Dec. 30 to complete a survey helping the county plan for their needs in the future.
Because OC’s aging community is its fastest growing population, county officials want to figure out their needs and identify gaps in care with a new Master Plan for Aging. That is where the Older Adults Needs Assessment survey comes in.
“In Orange County, those ages 55 plus, we have 700,000 and it’s grown. It’s the fastest growing component of our population,” Fourth District Supervisor Doug Chaffee said. “So we took the state survey and tweaked it. We need to know what the needs are and what factors affect our health as we age. That’s why we’re asking for input not only from caregivers, but also the older people themselves.”
The county’s plan is mirroring the state’s proposal released in 2021 meant to prepare state leaders for the expected growth of the senior population to 10.8 million people by 2030.
The state’s master plan has five main goals: housing for all stages and ages, improving access to healthcare, opportunities for older adults to live and work without isolation and fear of neglect, supporting the caregiving workforce, and increasing economic security for the aging population.
“This assessment will help us identify and prioritize the needs and factors affecting the health of our aging population, specifically those aged 60 and older,” Claudia Harris, director of the Office on Aging, said in a statement. “The information will be crucial in helping the county understand the holistic needs of the aging population and provide us with a better understanding of the areas of greatest need, current barriers to accessing services, and more precisely identify gaps in services and inequities creating these gaps.”
The county, Chaffee said, plans to have its master plan completed by the end of January, but that could change depending on the number of survey responses…
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