County Surveys Residents On Needs Of Aging

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County is asking its residents to help create a local master plan for aging.

On Monday, it opened a public survey with questions about housing, healthcare, transportation, parks, libraries, community centers and any other services that support healthy aging.

"We hope to hear from a diverse and representative group of county residents over age 40, with robust response participation from people in every demographic group across age, ability, race, ethnicity, gender, orientation and socio-economic status," said Adam Spickler, spokesperson for the county's Human Services Department.

In 2021, California adopted its master plan for aging, an ambitious 10-year blueprint that includes programs to address everything from the way cities are designed to the recruitment and training of health care providers.

"The shortage in health care providers is a national crisis," Spickler said. "It's increasing in our community as well because our community is aging."

The total population of people over age 60 in Santa Cruz County has increase 50% since 2010, according to the U.S. Census. By 2030, that age group is expected to reach 30%.

The survey aims to identify emerging needs and gaps in services, as well as the experiences one has when obtaining services for themselves or for someone else. It takes about 8 minutes to complete.

The survey will be available online from Jan. 8 to Mar. 31 at www.agewellsantacruzcounty.org and www.buenavejezcondadodesantacruz.org. For more about the survey, contact AgeWell@santacruzcountyca.gov or (831) 454-4397.

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.