As the designated area agency on aging for Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Office of Aging and Adult Services (MCAAS) has the responsibility to develop and coordinate a comprehensive system of services and programs to address the needs of older adults. As mandated by the Older Americans Act and the regulations from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Aging and Adult Services must assess the local needs and develop goals for the future as part of its planning process. This Four Year Plan reflects the agency’s compliance with this mandate, while also creating a map for future trends, services, and programs for the aging network in Montgomery County.
I. Overview of the Needs Assessment
From the demographics, we know Montgomery County has 141,815 persons 60 years of age and older, the third highest county in the state of Pennsylvania. Montgomery County has a higher percentage of older adults than Philadelphia County, 18.9% compared to 17.9% in Philadelphia County, and Montgomery County demographics indicate there is a higher median age (38.2) than exists in any of the other counties within the Southeastern region of the state.
While it is clear that Montgomery County is aging as a county, the growth in the number of persons over the age of 85 has been the most significant group since this is the age group requiring the highest level of support and services. The numbers have risen by 35% since the 1990 census to a level of 14,717 persons over age 85!
What is also remarkable is the diversity among the aging population of Montgomery County. The demographics show that among the elderly, the Asian population over age 85 has grown by over 200%. Other ethnic and minority groups have grown by over 200% as well. Different minority organizations stress that the growth extends beyond those census figures, which have also shown a significant growth in non-English speaking persons over the past ten years.
With these demographics in mind, MCAAS distributed surveys from December through February to over 4,000 caregivers, older adults, homebound elderly, senior center participants, community members, aging professionals, and those within medical and legal communities across Montgomery County. After tallying the results from 1,326 surveys, it was found that the following issues were the most common concerns for older persons across the county: Cost of Prescription Drugs, Sufficient Income to Meet the Cost of Living, Affordable Housing, Transportation, Physical Health/Affordable Health Care, Maintaining One’s Home/Apartment, Accessing Information on Services, and Grief/Depression/Anxiety.
MCAAS led six public “town meetings” across Montgomery County between January and March to obtain feedback from the providers and the general public regarding the top concerns for older persons, and the MCAAS Advisory Council met to rank their top concerns as well. Similar issues and concerns were ranked at these meetings, when compared to the surveys, and there were regional differences noted among both the survey results and the results from the public meetings.
II. Future Goals: The needs assessment identified several significant areas of concern for older residents and their caregivers, which need to be examined more closely and then addressed through a series of initiatives over the next four years. In all, seven goals were identified in the following areas: Income Needs, Affordable Housing, Senior Community Centers, Mental Health, Community Education, Transportation, Diversity, and Family Caregiving. Of those, the top three will be given priority for the near future.
Income Needs were expressed as a major barrier for older persons and their families, and so MCAAS will institute a Benefits Outreach program and expand efforts to support APPRISE counseling for the future, in order to ensure that those qualifying for basic benefits and programs are assisted in applying for them.
Community Education will be stressed through increased efforts to train information and referral staff, volunteers and gatekeepers on a regular basis, improve public relations within the community, and increase outreach efforts to isolated persons with barriers to information and supportive services.
Diversity Issues, affecting access to benefits, programs and services, especially within the Asian, Hispanic, and African American populations, will be addressed through training and assistance to gatekeepers, expanding community outreach efforts and examining service and program changes necessary to ensure greater cultural inclusion.
III. Budget Implications:
MCAAS primarily receives funding from the PA Department of Aging through its Aging Block Grant to support most of the MCAAS services and programs, although a sizable amount of funding from the PA Department of Public Welfare and some support from the Montgomery County Commissioners also assist MCAAS in providing the system of aging services currently provided. In order to maintain the existing programs without reductions to current service levels, and still accommodate these new initiatives, additional Aging Block Grant funding on an annual basis will be necessary. However, since no additional increases in public funding are currently anticipated, except perhaps as designated for specific programs like the PDA Waiver, MCAAS is committed to providing the activities listed through reallocation of existing funds, collaboration with other agencies and programs, and seeking alternative grants in partnership with other public and private agencies and foundations.
