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DATE: |
September 27, 2022 |
06 |
SUBJECT
Title
RECEIVE UPDATE ON THE AGING ROADMAP (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
There are approximately 959,000 San Diegans over the age of 55, and by 2030, that number is expected to grow to more than 1.1 million. San Diego County’s over-85 population is projected to diversify and grow more than any other age group. Thus, it is crucial that we take the needs of our region’s older adults into account as we plan for the future. Launched at the direction of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) on September 24, 2019 (4), the Aging Roadmap is the County of San Diego’s (County) plan to ensure that the region has communities and programs that equitably support the needs and celebrate the contributions of the growing population of older adults in the San Diego region. The Aging Roadmap serves as the County’s framework for aging and identifies goals and action steps in ten priority areas:
• Health & Community Support
• Housing
• Social Participation
• Transportation
• Dementia
• Caregiver Support
• Safety
• Preparedness & Response
• The Silver Economy
• Medical & Social Services
This annual report provides an update on Aging Roadmap progress and accomplishments. It also describes activities in the past fiscal year to engage older adults and older adult service providers in updating the Aging Roadmap goals to further advance equity in aging. For each of the ten priority areas, the report describes accomplishments and next steps towards reaching the vision for that area.
This item supports the County’s vision of a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all, specifically those communities and populations in San Diego County that have been historically left behind, as well as the ongoing commitment to the regional Live Well San Diego vision of healthy, safe, and thriving communities. This will be accomplished by supporting older adults and persons with disabilities to live healthy, safe, and thriving lives and helping to ensure a community that is livable for people of all ages. The Aging Roadmap aligns with and supports the Board’s Framework for Our Future by actively working on assessing and improving equity across Aging Roadmap programs and services to ensure equity for people of all ages to include Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Receive update on the Aging Roadmap.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Principles of equity are incorporated across all ten Aging Roadmap priority areas. Recognizing the diversity of San Diego County’s population, the Aging Roadmap represents a commitment to ensuring that all residents can age well while accessing needed services. Equity continues to be prioritized in all aspects of program planning, community engagement, and service accessibility. In the past year, discussions and events focused on equity and reaching diverse audiences. An “Aging + Equity” Virtual Workshop was hosted in partnership with County of San Diego (County) Health and Human Services Agency, Aging & Independence Services (AIS), the Office of Equitable Communities, the Department of Human Resources, and the AIS Advisory Council, among others. The event offered simultaneous oral translation in English, Spanish, and Arabic so participants of various languages could engage in meaningful discussions in real time. This event is an example of how to advance equity and weave equity, diversity, and inclusion into all ten Aging Roadmap priority areas by providing a space for people of all backgrounds to participate. Moving forward, community partners will continue to be closely involved in these conversations and an equity lens will be applied to planning specific programs across the Aging Roadmap priority areas. To ensure that AIS is sufficiently meeting the needs of the community, AIS will continue to seek community input and feedback to promote collaboration between the County, community organizations and members of the public. Strategic promotion and accessibility of community team meetings and Area Plan Public Feedback Forums will be prioritized in order to engage diverse groups across the county. Additionally, AIS will continue to pursue opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration to effectively and efficiently address what is heard from the community.
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT
The Aging Roadmap represents the County of San Diego’s comprehensive system of care, including person-centered and community-wide efforts. Working with partners to improve and expand programs and services that contribute to the safety and welfare of older adults and persons with disabilities will advance the County of San Diego Sustainability Goals: engage the community; provide just and equitable access to County services; and promote health and wellbeing. The Aging Roadmap considers the unique needs of older adults and how environmental factors, such as extreme heat and fires, can impact this population more severely because of challenges like limited mobility and increased frailty. The Aging Roadmap will continue to elevate the needs and considerations of older adults in the region’s discussions and plans for sustainability, to ensure residents can thrive in a safe, healthy, and inclusive environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the proposed action. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
The Aging & Independence Services Advisory Council reviewed this item at their regular meeting on September 12, 2022, and recommended approval.
BACKGROUND
The Aging Roadmap serves as a guide for the future of aging in the San Diego region. It was developed through input and information gathered from hundreds of older adults during community assessments and stakeholder interviews. It builds upon excellent work already underway and allows for innovation, flexibility, and coordination to meet current and future regional needs. The Aging Roadmap was launched on September 24, 2019 (4), when the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) directed County of San Diego (County) staff to implement the Aging Roadmap in partnership with community-based organizations, hospital partners, and the County departments of Aging & Independence Services, Planning and Development Services, Public Health Services, Housing and Community Development Services, the Department of Public Works, the Office of Emergency Services, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and the San Diego County District Attorney.
The Aging Roadmap identifies specific goals and action steps in ten priority areas:
• Health & Community Support
• Housing
• Social Participation
• Transportation
• Dementia
• Caregiver Support
• Safety
• Preparedness & Response
• The Silver Economy
• Medical & Social Services
The 2022 Annual Report (Attachment A) provides an update on Aging Roadmap progress and achievements. It also describes activities in the past fiscal year to engage older adults and older adult service providers in updating the Aging Roadmap goals to further advance equity in aging. For each of the ten priority areas, the report describes accomplishments and next steps towards reaching the vision for that area.
The Aging Roadmap is the product of multiple phases of community input and collaboration. In 2016, the community provided input and selected the first five priority areas listed above to comprise Age Well San Diego, the County’s AARP® age-friendly initiative, approved by the Board on May 15, 2018 (6). Teams comprised of community members, experts, and County staff were created to develop and implement goals in each of the five priority areas; these five teams, led by community members, continue to meet, and achieve goals. In 2019, the Aging Roadmap was conceptualized as a broader framework to encompass all County programs for older adults and individuals with disabilities. Additional community input was garnered, and the remaining five priority areas were identified, completing the Aging Roadmap’s ten priority areas.
In 2020, the Aging Roadmap was adopted as the organizational framework for San Diego County’s 2020-2024 Area Plan. The Area Plan, a California Department of Aging requirement, is the primary document by which Area Agencies on Aging provide a four-year plan of services and program execution of the critical responsibilities addressing present and future aging and long-term care issues within California. As part of the development of the Area Plan, County staff solicited community input through countywide public feedback forums; this feedback was integrated into the Area Plan and now informs various County programs and the direction of the Aging Roadmap.
In Spring of 2022, several opportunities were presented to capture the voices of community stakeholders, older adults, and caregivers, including:
• Collaborative threading meetings across County departments to ensure continuous collaboration, information sharing, and alignment of efforts related to housing and homelessness.
• Input sessions with the Caregiver Coalition of San Diego to further understand current, new, and emerging issues affecting caregivers throughout the region.
• Community listening sessions with monolingual older adults participating in the Elder Multicultural Access and Support Services program. Input was collected on needs related to the Aging Roadmap focus areas. Languages included Spanish, Arabic, and Tagalog.
Using information gained from the input above, Aging Roadmap partners participated in Action Planning workshops to identify goals and strategies for the future to reflect new, emerging priorities that include greater emphasis on equity and aging. Since the launch of the Aging Roadmap, community input and impactful partnerships have advanced current programming and supported the development of new programs, projects, and services to address current and anticipated long-term needs of older adults. Opportunities for more community input on Aging Roadmap efforts will be facilitated through the 2024-2028 Area Plan Public Feedback Forums that are planned for 2023.
The Aging Roadmap & COVID-19
The Aging Roadmap is designed to be flexible to address emerging needs with appropriate adaptations to policy and service delivery goals. This flexibility has been necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, when older adults and individuals with disabilities confronted new and evolving needs across all ten Aging Roadmap priority areas. In addition to the adaptations due to COVID-19, there is much to celebrate as goals were achieved across all priority areas. The 2022 Aging Roadmap Annual Update Report details the successes to date and demonstrates how collaborations across multiple sectors can result in significant progress. Special thanks are given to the community partners, many dedicated County staff, and diverse organizations who have contributed time and expertise to this effort. With the continued support of the Board, the Aging Roadmap can become a model for age-friendly communities and aging services across the country.
Next Steps
Building age-friendly communities requires sustained efforts, and the Aging Roadmap provides the blueprint for the work ahead. Goals and priorities will continue to be adaptable and responsive to community needs, including challenges associated with COVID-19 and issues of equity, social isolation, access to technology, food security, affordable housing, and safe transportation. Progress will continue by strengthening cross-departmental relationships to help older adults age in place and identifying emerging opportunities to expand inclusive programming for all ages, abilities, and zip codes. Within the Aging Roadmap, community involvement will continue through work conducted in partnership with community teams and development of the 2024-2028 Area Plan, ensuring that the community’s voice is well-represented and included.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed action supports the County of San Diego's 2022-27 Strategic Plan Initiatives of Sustainability (Resiliency), Equity (Health), and Community (Quality of Life), and the regional Live Well San Diego vision by strengthening the system of care for older adults and ensuring a community that is livable for residents of all ages.
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN N. ROBBINS-MEYER
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - Aging Roadmap San Diego County Regional Plan: 2022 Annual Update