In our 2022-2023 Community Needs Assessment, we found that 72% of all caregivers surveyed reported they need more support than what they currently have. Our Family Caregiver Support program provides family caregiver support groups, caregiver training, respite services, one-on-one consultation for family caregivers, and resources. Since our 2016 Community Needs Assessment, we have implemented a new program designed to give informal caregivers the appropriate compensation for the care they provide to their loved ones. Our Friends and Neighbor program began offering respite care to family caregivers by providing a stipend to qualifying older adults who could then pay a friend or family member to provide their care. This program’s success has also led to our implementation of the Friends and Neighbor program for our home and community-based services clients, ensuring that more community members are compensated for at least some of the work and care they give to older adults in our community. We still have a long way to go. Though we have worked hard to enhance our caregiving services and provide significant support to family caregivers, it’s evident that many of our community members still need additional support. In the coming years, we will do the following to provide these continued supportive services to our community: • Using evidence-based programs and practices, train informal-family caregivers in practices they can implement in their day-to-day lives to better care for both themselves and others. • Address the direct care workforce shortage through collaborative and innovative training and recruitment efforts. • Advocate for increased funding for family caregiver supportive services through the Older Americans Act of 1965. Transportation Transportation Options
In our 2022-2023 Community Needs Assessment, 70% of people surveyed responded that they rely on their own vehicle as their primary source of transportation, with 11% counting on family, friends, or neighbors. These numbers were a significant increase from our 2016 Community Needs Assessment survey.
Drive my own car Family, friends, or neighbors Public transit Volunteer or other ride service Taxi or service like Lyft or Uber Walking or Biking NA, I don’t have transportation Electric scooter or wheelchair NA, I don’t leave the house
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
In a county spanning over 9,000 square miles, transportation to and from vital services and supports can be difficult for anyone–especially for older adults–to access the services they need. 22 The Center for the Future of Arizona ranks the city of Tucson as the 39 th most accessible transit city in the country out of 75 cities assessed, putting it in the bottom 50 th percentile of cities. 23 Tucson’s urban core has various transportation options, including walking, biking, SunVan, SunTran, and SunLink. This mixture of services makes central Tucson fairly accessible to older adults and people with disabilities. However, because Tucson is such a geographically large city, areas outside of the urban core can be difficult to easily get to without a personal vehicle.
22 (Pima County, Arizona - Census Bureau Profile, n.d.) 23 (Public Transportation, n.d.)
A Report to the Community
Pima Council on Aging
21
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online