By Debra Parkhurst
The mission of the Council on Aging (CoA) is to identify interests and concerns of residents over 60, advocate for seniors, educate the community about needs and services available, and develop and implement new programs for this population. Toward that end, the COA proposes to hire the Center for Social and Demographic Research at the Gerontology Institute at UMASS Boston (UMB) to do a needs assessment at a cost of $35,000.
CoA Board Chairman Allan Morgan and Director Alison Cservenschi presented a request for the study at the Selectmen’s meeting on February 13. The assessment would help develop plans for the next 5, 10, and 15 years. According to the CoA, 1 in 4 residents are over the age of 60, and they anticipate that by 2030, 1 in 3 residents will be over 60. The needs assessment will include residents age 55 and over.
Morgan said that the Center at UMB has experience in conducting this research and has provided similar studies to several communities, including Littleton, Carlisle, Newton, Boston, and communities on the South Shore and Cape Cod. The CoA surveyed these communities and received positive reports on the quality and usefulness of the Center’s work.
The assessment encompasses several phases: preparation of a demographic profile; creation and administration of a written community survey, and conducting focus groups of town, business, clergy, and other interested parties. The final phase is an analysis of information and the preparation of a written report with recommendations. The fixed cost of $35,000 includes 475 hours of professional and graduate student work. The Selectmen added that they hope focus groups would reach out to the broader community.
The report would provide feedback on services and programs, as well as impacts to public safety and social services. This helps provide information for future planning and awareness of the senior population for the entire community.
CoA member Roberta Ennis said that the aging population needs housing and transportation, and not a survey to “sit on a shelf.” She advocates that the $35,000 cost should go directly for a CoA vehicle. The CoA does not own a van. They now borrow a van from Carlisle, and the Friends of the CoA assist in lowering the cost of hiring a van or bus for activities. The cost of hiring buses – either a school bus ($300, and inappropriate) or a coach ($1,000) – is expensive.
Rick Rosen, another CoA member, spoke in favor of the assessment. Noting a recent AARP report regarding hunger among the elderly, the survey would present useful information on what the town as a whole can do to address and prioritize needs. He did not “envision the report sitting on a shelf,” directly calling attention to the experience of Bedford’s very active CoA Director.
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