March 3, 2005

A strategic plan for seniors

By Donald F. Gage
Supervisor, District One
Special to the Times

As the number of adults age 55 and older increases in Santa Clara County in the next decade there will be a great need for expanding our senior services.

Santa Clara County is projected to have a population of 2 million residents in the year 2010 with 23 percent of this population expected to be age 55 and older. Between the years of 2000 and 2020 the population of older adults (60+) in Santa Clara County is expected to almost double from roughly 220,600 to 428,300.

In anticipation of this expanding senior population, the Santa Clara County Department of Aging and Adult Services and the city of San Jose developed a joint strategic plan. Entitled “Community for a Lifetime - A 10 Year Strategic Plan to Advance the Well-Being of Older Adults in Santa Clara County” it’s designed to meet the needs of this population. A 40-member Strategic Advisory Group, co-chaired Councilmember Ken Yeager and myself conducted an extensive strategic planning process.

In addition to the advisory group, over 1,100 community members comprised of seniors, family members, advocates, elected officials, service providers and academics participated in the development of the strategic plan.
The planning process consisted of identifying older adults’ needs and developing strategies for addressing them. Over 500 Santa Clara County seniors were surveyed by phone and over 365 individuals participated in two large-scale Town Hall Meetings. The Strategic Plan Advisory Group convened over 20 focus groups including people from the north and south areas of the county. Expert interviews comprised the third arm of the Countywide Senior
Needs Assessment.

The two service needs, which surfaced as priority issues across all three information-gathering methods, were in the areas of transportation and information. The following additional service needs rose as top concerns to older adults; housing, language, health care, in-home care and caregiver support.

The Strategic Plan was developed in an economic context of extreme hardship for federal, state and local governments and for many of the constituents I serve. Because of these budgetary issues, the time to be strategic is now. This plan is a critical tool in developing strategies and is the first step in the process.

For your convenience, I’ve provided the following list of resources for seniors:

- Senior Nutrition and Meals on Wheels: (408) 928-3800
- In-Home Support Services: (408) 928-3737
- Adult Protective Services: 1-800-414-2002
- Office of the Public Guardian/Conservator: (408) 534-2500
- For information on transportation contact VTA/Outreach Paratransit: (408) 436-2865
- For information on Senior Housing visit www.housingscc.org.

If I can answer any questions on this issue, or be of assistance on any other county matter, contact me at (408) 299-5010 or visit www.dongage.org.