SAN DIEGO’S SENIOR POPULATION WILL SKYROCKET TO NEARLY ONE MILLION BY THE YEAR 2030, A 130 PERCENT INCREASE FROM 2000, MARKING AN UNPRECEDENTED DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT.
REPORT IDENTIFIES CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE SAN DIEGO SENIOR CENTERS TO SERVE A MODERN GENERATION OF DYNAMIC OLDER ADULTS AND FOCUS ON THEIR TOTAL WELL-BEING
SAN DIEGO — Aug. 20, 2019 — The recently launched San Diego Seniors Community Foundation aims to support the health and welfare of San Diego County’s older population, and to ensure every senior has someone they can turn to and trust. In alignment with the organization’s mission, the Foundation has released the results of its assessment on San Diego senior centers with analyzed data from the county’s 28 senior centers. It is the first-ever report of this kind conducted in San Diego County.
Key findings of the newly released report include:
- • San Diego County senior centers serve less than 8 percent of the total senior populations in their areas.
- • The vast majority of local senior centers are understaffed, underfunded, and in need of repair.
- • Nearly a quarter of San Diego senior centers have no full-time employees, and 21 out of the county’s 28 centers were built more than 30 years ago.
- • The results highlight a much larger issue—that San Diego is seriously unprepared to deal with the dramatic increase of our senior population.
- • Nationally, only 2 percent of institutional philanthropy (Grantmakers in Aging) is provided to the aging network, and despite the current demographic shift, this percentage has not changed over the last 20 years. Philanthropic funding for this population should be a priority in all our communities.
The assessment was conducted in order to:
- 1. Identify the challenges and opportunities that exist in the current senior center environment.
- 2. Provide perspective on innovation in senior centers nationally as a standard to strive for.
- 3. Draw relevant conclusions and recommendations to improve the senior centers within our region.
- 4. Serve as a catalyst to spur investment (both municipal and philanthropic) in infrastructure that will prepare San Diego for the coming wave of seniors.
“The objective of this report is to call out and inspire community leaders, politicians, and philanthropists to take action now and create solutions to improve and enrich the lives of San Diego’s older adults,” says Bob Kelly, president and CEO of the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation.
THE FOUNDATION ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE NO SENIOR IS ALONE, AND EVERY OLDER ADULT HAS ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO THRIVE.
San Diego Seniors Community Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to improving the quality of life for local seniors. It is the only community foundation and the first-of-its-kind solely dedicated to seniors in the U.S. The mission of San Diego Seniors Community Foundation is to transition San Diego seniors from vulnerable to vibrant, through the power of philanthropy, so that every senior has someone they can turn to and trust.
Senior centers in San Diego County are underfunded, understaffed, under-utilized, and are unprepared to deal with this new wave of seniors. Several communities in San Diego even lack a center, including areas like City Heights, Eastlake, El Cajon, Lakeside, and Julian with significant senior populations. San Diego Seniors Community Foundation strives to be a catalyst for change and aims to be a vital resource and partner to local centers, helping develop innovative solutions to their most pressing challenges. The Foundation envisions a future where senior centers are viewed as necessary infrastructure to support seniors’ physical, mental, and financial health. Places that will help older adults remain active, socially connected, and engaged in their communities.
PLEASE READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE ON SDSCF.ORG
Articles related to the study:
‘Gray Wave’ May Overwhelm Senior Centers, San Diego Group Says Times of San Diego
Study Finds Senior Centers May Be Unprepared for Senior Population Boom KFI AM 640
Local centers may be unprepared for senior population boom, study finds Fox5
Senior Centers May Be Unprepared For Population Boom: Study Patch
SDSCF Announces Results of Inaugural San Diego Senior Centers Assessment. San Diego’s Senior Community Foundation