Tackling social isolation in our community takes all of us reaching out to our friends, family, and neighbors and building healthy and long-standing relationships. Some of the ways we will contribute in this space in the coming years include: • Deepening our network of community providers and partners to ensure that more people have easy access to PCOA. • Continuing to provide evidence-based health promotion programming under Title IIID of the Older Americans Act to give older adults access to socialization opportunities that they indicate they enjoy. • Continuing to implement a work plan to ensure that services and socialization is available to all older adults in Pima County. • Expanding our Community Lunch program to more communities throughout Pima County. Access to Health Care and Social Services
On average, one-third of those who responded to our survey reported their health as being fair or poor, regardless of age. On the other hand, 68% of respondents rated their health as good or excellent. Though these are self-reported numbers, and we understand that some accuracy is lost through bias, we know that many older adults in Pima County struggle to remain in good health. According to the National Center for Health Statistics through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23.5% of older adults are in poor to fair health, aligning well with our self-reported data. Additionally, 9.4% of older
adults struggle to maintain their self care. 17 We know that health-related social needs (previously known as social determinants or social drivers of health) are a major factor in changing health outcomes for people. Safe housing, affordable transportation, a walkable environment, access to affordable and nutritious food, and other important social factors of health can play a large role in one’s ability to prevent and manage chronic and major disease. Since 2017, we have worked hard to align the activities of health care to social services, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Older Adults Reporting Issues of Affordability with Health Care
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
we launched the award-winning Take YOUR Shot Campaign, which helped homebound older adults get transportation to vaccination sites early in the vaccine efforts. Getting vaccinated is key to ensuring that our community remains safe and healthy.
Never
Rarely
Sometimes Vision Care
Often
Medical Care
Dental Care
Prescription Medications
17 (FastStats - Older Persons Health, n.d.)
A Report to the Community
18
Pima Council on Aging
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