October 1, 2019
By Charles T. Clark
County supervisors adopted a comprehensive regional plan, dubbed the “Aging Roadmap,” intended to meet the needs of older adults in the region and keep seniors in their homes as long as possible.
The San Diego region’s older population is growing rapidly, and the county has a plan it hopes will bolster services for seniors.
County supervisors adopted a comprehensive regional plan, dubbed the “Aging Roadmap,” intended to meet the needs of older adults in the region and keep seniors in their homes as long as possible.
The plan, created by staff in the Health and Human Services Agency’s Aging and Independence Services, aims to build on the county’s Age Well initiative that began last year and focused on increasing affordable housing, creating inter-generational programs and making the community dementia-friendly.
The new plan, announced last week, focuses on other issues affecting aging adults, including providing resources and support for caregivers, expanding prevention efforts related to elder abuse, promoting work and volunteer opportunities for seniors and improving medical and social services.
Another key part of the road map involves every hospital in the region seeking Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation, designed to help hospitals deliver competent, coordinated medical services to seniors by focusing on appropriate equipment and supplies, staff training and medical protocols.
Two organizations in the region, UC San Diego Health and West Health, recently earned this accreditation for the Gary and Mary West Senior Emergency Care Unit at UC San Diego Health.
Alvarado Hospital’s emergency department also was awarded the accreditation in July.
“There are countless community-based organizations, there are hospital-based organizations, county departments that all have programs designed to keep older adults thriving and safe,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob, chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors last week.