I have worked in older adult services for close to 20 years, most of that in Ventura County. I have seen many changes in the way services are provided, but a few things have always remained the same. The older adult population keeps growing, and their needs have consistently become more complex.
People are living longer, living with more chronic conditions, and rely more and more on services to support them to age in place.
In fact, Ventura County has reached a milestone that was not expected until 2030: 25% of our population is now age 60 and older. We reached this threshold five years earlier than projected.
For those of us working in direct services to older adults this is very real. This means more calls into our offices every day, and more of these calls require multiple services, follow-up, and attention than ever before.
More of our communities’ older adults are aging alone, more of our family caregivers are stretched too thin, and there is more demand for affordable housing, affordable care, advocacy, nutrition, and connection.
And yet we are seeing a trend in our social services landscape that is alarming: a reduction in funding and systems of support for older adults.
My office recently received a call from a family caregiver named Maria. She cares for her husband at home who has dementia. His behavior is becoming more erratic, causing her to lose sleep and not be able to leave him alone to do her errands.
Maria was able to connect with Senior Concerns Adult Day Care program to provide a safe and nurturing place for her husband to go during the day. This gave Maria time to rest, run errands, and keep her own appointments. She joined a caregiver support group and finally felt she had a lifeline to share and learn from others in similar situations. She was able to sign up for Meals on Wheels on the days her husband did not attend the center.
Services like these all require funding. Often these funding streams begin with federal funding that flows through the state of California, which then sends it to the county level where grants are awarded to nonprofits and other service providers to run the programs.
Federal, state, and county funds never fully cover the cost of services. That is why non-profits like Senior Concerns, where I work, must continually write grants, solicit donations, and run fundraisers to supplement the funding.
When funding is disrupted anywhere along that chain from the federal government to the county to the service providers, the effects quietly appear in our local neighborhoods.
Right now, Ventura County is considering changes that could significantly affect how aging services are coordinated. The impacts of any change in funding will be felt very personally by those who rely on it.
Too often I hear debates about funding issues, and I wish they were talked about in a more personal way. I see the personal side of funding issues every day in my work, but I know not everyone does.
People like Maria may not even realize how much is going on behind the scenes to make these services like caregiver support programs available to her.
At some point, aging affects us all. The way our society chooses to care for our older adults now reflects not only our current values but will affect how our future generations will define what makes up a strong and caring community.
Martha Shapiro can be reached at Senior Concerns at 805-497-0189 or by email at mshapiro@seniorconcerns.org.
