Supervisors OK Proposal For More Senior Facilities, Services

SAN DIEGO, CA — The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday to improve and expand services for senior citizens, in connection with San Diego County's "Aging Roadmap."

Supervisors also directed Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins- Meyer to suggest elements that can be incorporated into the roadmap. Robbins- Meyer, who will present her recommendations in three months, will:

• evaluate current services at county senior centers, and the cost of increasing services to additional senior centers;
• meet with community partners, senior centers and other relevant agencies on improving access to self-sufficiency programs including food assistance, and county offices such as Aging and Independence Services; and
• review existing county facilities with available space, such as libraries and community centers, to host senior activities.

Supervisors Nathan Fletcher and Nora Vargas, who sponsored the proposal, said the county needs to do more for its aging population.

Census statistics show that by 2030, nearly 27% of the county's population will be over 60, according to Fletcher and Vargas. A San Diego Seniors Community Foundation report stated that "modernizing local senior centers will aid the region's community down the line."

On Tuesday, board Chairwoman Vargas said grandparents "helped shape us to who we are right now," and too many older people lack access to food or other vital needs. She said that after visiting senior centers in her district and elsewhere, she has seen the good they can do.

Combining the master plan with existing policy is an opportunity "to make sure that our families have what they need in this time of their lives," she added.

Fletcher noted that adults 60 and older are the fastest-growing population in the United States, and the county needs to adapt to this demographic shift.

Supervisor Jim Desmond said that as a senior himself, he was glad to see the proposal moving forward. Desmond said residents in unincorporated areas should be a priority, as the county is their only governmental resource. He suggested the county identify any service gaps in unincorporated region so "we're taking care of as many folks as we can."

Paul Downey, CEO of the non-profit Serving Seniors organization, said during public comment that centers do more than just provide meals and activities -- they also give seniors "a reason to get up, get dressed and go somewhere where they can feel actively engaged with their community."

Another man told the board that senior centers are the "true north" in terms of resources for older folks, and also help younger residents in the "sandwich generation" who are taking care of their children and parents.

"Every community deserves a senior center in San Diego County that you can turn to and trust," the speaker added.

City News Service