Monroe County Older Adult
Needs Assessment
Prepared for the Annual Meeting of the
Monroe County Human Services Collaborative Network
Monroe County, Michigan
November 19, 2015
by
Thomas B. Jankowski, PhD and Carrie A. Leach, MPA
Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University
web: http://www.iog.wayne.edu • e-mail: [email protected]
1
Monroe County Population
•  Total Population
Now: 150,000
ü  2030: 160,800
ü 
•  60+ Population
Now: 35,000
ü  2030: 49,500
ü 
•  Proportion of 60+ Population
Now: 23.3%
ü  2030: 30.8%
ü 
2
Population Projections
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
Ages 0-17
Ages 18-34
10,000
Ages 35-59
Ages 60 and over
0
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
Note: 1990-2010 data from decennial U.S. Census, 2020-2040 projections by SEMCOG
3
60+ Population Projections
60,000
50,000
Ages 60-64
Ages 65-74
40,000
Ages 75 and over
Ages 60 and over
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
Note: 1990-2010 data from decennial U.S. Census, 2020-2040 projections by SEMCOG
4
60+ Population Density
5
60+ Population
•  Age
Now: 75+, 30%
ü  2030: 75+, 38%
ü  2040: 75+, 50%
ü 
•  Gender
Women 54%, men 46%
ü  Gender imbalance increases with age
ü 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
60s: Women 50%, men 50%
70s: Women 56%, men 44%
80+: Women 62%, men 38%
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60+ Population
•  Household Income
ü 
Median: $62,000
•  Poverty
Households with food stamps 6% (~2,100)
ü  Under Federal poverty level 7% (~2,450)
ü 
Ø 
ü 
Between poverty and 1.5X poverty 8% (~2,800)
Ø 
ü 
$11K single, $14K couple
$17K single, $21K couple
Under Elder Index 26% (~9,100)
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60+ Population
•  Health & Disability Status
Overweight or obese 72%
ü  Arthritis 60%
ü  Functional or sensory disability 34%
ü  Cardiovascular disease 30%
ü  Diabetes 25%
ü  No leisure time activity 23%
ü  Currently smoke 16%
ü 
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Data Collection
•  Focus groups
Four groups, 40 participants
ü  Three groups of seniors, one of caregivers
ü 
•  Key informant survey
Service and healthcare providers
ü  Invited 150, responses from 109
ü 
•  Service recipient survey
Randomly selected from COA’s client list
ü  Mailed 2880, responses from 676
ü 
9
Data Collection
•  Intensive interviews
12 interviews involving 19 people
ü  In homes throughout the county, focus on rural areas
ü 
•  Caregiver survey
Surveys distributed at May caregiver summit
ü  67 responses, 59% unpaid caregivers
ü 
•  Older population survey
Randomly selected, 60+, County Clerk’s master list
ü  Mailed 3,935, responses from 959
ü 
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Notable Findings
•  Low levels of service awareness
Seniors and caregivers crave information
ü  Service providers struggle with outreach
ü  Service recipients don’t know source of services
ü 
Ø 
Some aren’t aware they are receiving services at all
Even those with awareness are confused and daunted
by the aging service system
ü  Within network, lack of communication and
collaboration
ü 
Ø 
Large majorities call for more coordination of services, more
input from older adults, less competition between agencies
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Notable Findings
•  High levels of service satisfaction
ü 
Large majorities were satisfied with all services
Ø 
Majorities agreed that services have improved their quality of
life, make them feel happier and more secure, and would
recommend them to friends
•  Senior centers are valued
ü 
Only about 16% of older adults use senior centers
Ø 
Ø 
ü 
73% would consider joining
90% agree that senior centers are important to quality of life
Over half of service recipients use senior centers
Ø 
80-90% satisfied with center programs and services
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Notable Findings
•  High levels of civic engagement and social
capital in older population
ü 
Extensive informal support
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
ü 
Majority belong to clubs and groups
Ø 
ü 
94% have family or friends nearby they can rely upon for help
Most have wide and deep social networks
Many depend upon mutual support and reciprocal
relationships with friends and neighbors
Most who belong spend significant amounts of time
30% engage in volunteer activities
Ø 
55% interested in volunteering, 62% to help other seniors
13
Notable Findings
•  Health and well-being mixed
ü 
86% report engaging in regular moderate activity
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
ü 
Nearly all have health insurance
Ø 
ü 
24% exercise six to 10 hours or more per week
1/3 report problems getting enough exercise
14-23% are sedentary, 72% are overweight or obese
6-12% don’t get dental, vision, or hearing care they need
85% have good or excellent quality of life
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Half have health issues or pain that interfere with activity
18% report moderate or major health problems
1/3 struggle with sadness, fear, worry, or loneliness
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Notable Findings
•  Transportation and housing mixed
ü 
93% own and drive a car
Ø 
Ø 
ü 
Service providers rate transportation 5th greatest need
Ø 
Ø 
ü 
92% report no problems getting to where they want to go
Only 4% use public transportation
Service recipients have more transportation problems
Rural residents complain about lack of transportation options
Majority own homes, most without mortgage
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Many struggle with climbing stairs, home maintenance
57% would consider moving
Many would like to stay in community, but face limited housing
options
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Notable Findings
•  Informal caregiving is widespread
ü 
24% of older adults get help from family or friends
Ø 
ü 
42% provide help to family or friends
Ø 
ü 
Mostly with household chores and maintenance
Mostly transportation and help shopping and running errands
Reciprocity is key; those who get more likely to give
•  Family caregivers need support
New caregivers need education, training, and info
ü  Experienced caregivers need peer support and respite
ü  1/3 report mental or emotional stress from caregiving
ü 
16
Notable Findings
•  Pride of independence, hardiness,
friendliness, predominate in rural areas
•  Rural residents face unique challenges
Isolation, distance, limited access
ü  Public transportation options limited
ü  Lack of sidewalks and amenities, dirt roads
ü 
•  Residents of south county underserved
Identify with Toledo, but ineligible for Ohio services
ü  Widespread perceptions confirmed
ü 
Ø 
Bedford township seniors most underrepresented
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Recommendations
•  Expand and enhance volunteer programs
Beneficial to people on both sides of the transaction
ü  Community benefits, intergenerational benefits
ü 
•  Leverage existing infrastructure
ü 
RSVP is effective, has much growth potential
•  Provide a means to exchange support
ü 
Consider time banking, mutual service forums
•  Ambassadors bridge informal networks
and formal aging services
18
Recommendations
•  Enhance and expand outreach, public
education on aging services
ü 
Work with community partners, encourage word-of-mouth
•  Require vendors to disclose funding source
ü 
“This meal provided with your Senior Millage tax dollars”
•  Enlist gatekeepers and ambassadors to help
get the word out, identify those in need
•  Expand programs for health promotion, falls
prevention, and disease management
19
Recommendations
•  Build community partnerships outside of
aging and social service network
ü 
Engage with churches, banks, doctors, restaurants,
community groups, etc.
•  Support those within network by providing
training and education
•  Encourage collaboration and coordination
among service providers
ü 
Hold a regular aging service summit
20
Recommendations
•  Centralize access and personalize service
One-stop-shop or hotline
ü  Systems navigators, service coordinators
ü 
•  Increase funding for home based services
Used most heavily by fastest growing age group
ü  Need will grow faster than aging population
ü 
•  Provide more caregiver support
Peer support groups should be expanded
ü  More education and training should be provided
ü  Better access to adult day, respite care
ü 
21
Recommendations
•  Continue to support transportation
ü 
Focus on specialized and non-emergency medical
transportation programs
•  Consider volunteer transportation
ü 
Meet rural need in cost-effective ways
•  Continue to support senior centers
Staff training, program development, health and
wellness activities
ü  Enhance efforts to attract those in their 60s
ü  Community focal points, service hubs
ü 
22
Recommendations
•  Explore and promote housing alternatives
Not only congregate housing, but smaller, ranch-style,
single-family dwellings, condos, townhouses
ü  2013 Housing Needs Assessment
ü 
•  Greater focus on rural and southern areas
Consider neighbor-to-neighbor approach in rural areas
ü  Enhance presence and outreach in Bedford
ü 
•  Millage increase
Huge support for renewal, but increase is needed
ü  69% growth in 60+ pop, 167% in 75+ pop
ü 
23
Thank you!
Questions or comments?
•  Contact information
ü  Tom
Jankowski: [email protected]
ü  Carrie Leach: [email protected]
ü  313-577-2297
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