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SANTA ANA, Calif., April 8, 2002 – Orange County’s
seniors are the focus of a new special report
released today, developed at the direction of
the County’s Board of Supervisors. The “Condition
of Older Adults Report,“ prepared by the Interagency
Committee on Aging, contains vital information
about the well-being of older adults in such key
areas as demographics, housing, transportation,
health, and mental health.
“The number of older adults in Orange County has almost doubled since 1980
and is expected to double again by 2020, creating a whole range of new issues
for both the public and private sectors,” said Pamela Mokler, executive
director of the County’s Office on Aging. “To meet this emerging reality, it’s
clear we must all work together in new and innovative ways,” she added.
The Report notes that Orange County’s rapidly growing older adult population is
expected to increase dramatically over the next two decades as the “baby boom”
population ages. By 2020, Orange County will be home to almost 700,000 persons
age 60 and over.
Moreover, as the population grows, the racial and ethnic diversification of the
County’s senior population will continue, with the Asian and Hispanic
populations accounting for an increasing share of the total older population.
Ensuring that information regarding services are is easily accessible to the
growing number of minority seniors will, according to the Report, require
increased understanding of which media is most used by varying ethnic groups.
Citing several county-wide surveys of older adults conducted in 2001, the Report
concludes that a majority of older adults in Orange County are generally
pleased with their physical health, housing, and quality of life, and appear to
feel comfortable that most of their needs can be met through their own personal
support networks.
The report describes transportation issues as a continuing concern to the
County’s older adults. Seniors prefer to travel by car and will continue to do
so as long as they can. Many older adults retain their driver's license into
advanced age, but limit driving to short trips and need assistance with
transportation only when circumstances require longer trips or medical trips
where driving is not possible. Only 4%four percent of older adults surveyed
said that they currently make use of fixed route buses.
“The Conditions Report is an excellent example of how well we can collaborate to
identify the needs of our customers. It’s just the first in a series of reports
that will provide regular benchmarks for tracking trends and developing
strategies to better serve our aging population,” said Mokler.
For a copy of the Conditions Report contact the Office on Aging at (800)
510-2020 or (714) 567-7500 (if calling from outside of Orange County, CA), or
at the Office on Aging website, www.officeonaging.ocgov.com.
The Office on Aging, which provides resources to nearly 400,000 seniors
throughout the county, is dedicated to improving the lives of older adults
living in Orange County. For media inquires, call Janice Parks, Public
Information Officer at (714) 834-6896.
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