their current residence and never move. Housing concerns for older adults range from being able to live independently in their own home to the affordability of living in their own home and community. Public Area Safety and Accessibility Other major concerns were the safety and accessibility of public areas. Many older residents found that their neighborhood lacked a neighbor- hood watch. About half of survey respondents rated the City unfavorably for safe and accessible sidewalks and benches in public areas. Though there are many inclusive programs for older adults in the City, and the City ranked high in activities for older adults and variety of cultural activities, many residents also found that activities could be too expensive and that there were not enough intergenerational activities. Pima Council on Aging’s Survey Findings Every three to four years since 1975, Pima Council on Aging has conducted a countywide Community Needs Assessment that affords the community a look at the current state of older adult residents, highlighting what the community collectively is doing well and where improvements are needed. Data was collected over a three-month period, obtaining input through four focus groups of professional service providers who work with older adults, 2,269 written survey responses from individuals 60 years of age and older, and twelve public comment meetings held throughout the county, with Spanish language interpreters available, in Tucson, GreenValley, Sahuarita, Marana,Tucson Estates, Catalina, Amado, and Ajo. Fear of FallingTops Concerns Fear of falling ranked as the top concern among
older adults, with 68% citing falls as a concern. Frequency in the ranking increased with age. Forty- six percent of respondents reported falling at least once in the last year. Living Independently The ability to live independently and aging in place ranked second and was expressed as a concern by 65% of the survey respondents. Concerns about memory loss, affordable dental care, and access to information about changes in Medicare were all among the top five concerns of survey respondents. Other significant concerns included maintaining and repairing their homes, access to transportation, sufficient income to meet their basic needs, utility costs, the cost of assistive devices (hearing aids, glasses), loneliness and isolation, and affordable housing. Emerging as a more prevalent concern was “getting information about senior services.” Both professionals and older residents noted that people are not aware of benefits and services and how to access them. Concerns About Resources andWorkforce Professional service providers voiced concerns with the growing population of those needing assistance and the lack of resources to serve them. The number of individuals with Alzheimer’s has continued to increase, as well as older adults needing assistance with behavioral health conditions. People are presenting with numerous chronic conditions and fewer families are able to afford home care or placement of family members in appropriate settings. The workforce required to meet the needs of this growing population was another concern:
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