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Maui
County Is No Exception
The 2005
White House Conference on Aging reveals that Maui must better serve
the needs of an older population.
John
A.H. Tomoso,
MSW, ACSW, LSW
A major event
in the history of our federal government – the 2005 White
House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) – took place December 10–14
in Washington, D.C..
This conference, the fifth in a series dating back to the early
'60's, has more than likely set the course for the next 10 years
and beyond in U.S. aging policy.
The prior WHCoA's have altered the landscape of national aging programs
over the years, significantly impacting such programs as Medicare,
Medicaid, Social Security to meet the needs of older adults and
their caregivers in every community of this nation.
Maui County is no exception.
With 77 million "Baby Boomers" in the U.S., the time is
right to take the long view in our nation's aging programs and bring
attention to what has been called a "quiet crisis".
Yet, there's really nothing quiet about it: the aging of our population
is having and will have a tremendous impact on every community in
our country, no matter how big or small and, again, Maui County
is no exception.
Demographics paint a clear picture. It is projected that by 2030
the national population aged 65 and over will more than double to
over 71million, or 20 percent of the total U.S. population. In this
same time period, the population aged 85 and older is projected
to increase from 4.6 million to 9.6 million.
Maui County will have more than its share of this population. Current
demographics tell us that the longevity of Hawaii's people, in terms
of how long we live, is within the top
five "longest living states" in the country.
Thus, Maui County joins the rest of the country in the "aging
of America."
With this growth in our aging population comes a dramatic increase
in the need for local support services that allow older adults to
stay in their homes and neighborhoods, in other words, to "age
in place."
2005 marked the the 40th anniversary of the Older Americans Act
of 1965. This Act, developed as a direct result of the 1961 WHCoA,
established programs that have become the foundation of services
for older adults, including congregate and home-delivered meals,
assisted transportation, adult day care, home health and personal
care visits. Maui County is no exception.
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John
Tomoso (second from the right) with other Hawai`i’s
delegates
to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. |
These services
– and a range of others administered by the nation's network
of nearly 900 Area Agencies on Aging and Native American aging or
Title VI Programs, and locally by the Maui County Office on Aging
– play a critical role in allowing seniors to age in place,
but they must be enhanced as part of a broad continuum of services
and supports that allow older adults to remain in their homes and
community.
Here in Maui County, the aging network is working hard to assure
this continuum.
Doing so, however, means much more than building infrastructure.
It means focusing on every major facet of community life, from public
safety, affordable housing, accessible transportation, health, "wellness"
and human services, education, employment and social and cultural
opportunities. Practically speaking, every sector of our community
will
need to meet the challenge of increased aging and longevity.
The year 2011 is when the early Baby Boomers turn 65. As the Baby
Boom generation reaches retirement age, our community will need
to develop supports that meet the rather unique social and economic
needs of an increasing aging and long-living population.
The vast majority of Baby Boomers have said that that they want
to "age in place." Yet many communities are currently
ill-equipped to make this a true possibility.
Maui County is no exception.
Those who professionally and voluntarily serve Maui County's older
adults and increasingly aged population cannot meet the challenge
alone. They need the kokua and serious support of elected officials,
planners, civic groups, foundations, partnerships, students, employees
and employers, caregivers and families to join together
to develop an “action plan" addressing local issues that
will make "aging in place"
possible.
As the 2005 WHCoA completed its business, an "aging agenda"
was sent to Congress and the Governor of each state, and a picture
of needed policy changes and new funding levels for the Older Americans
Act emerged.
It is vital that federal, state and local policymakers do whatever
it takes to increase our nation's and Maui County's investment in
older adults and in aging programs and services. The time is ripe,
the needs are perfectly clear, and the opportunities are in place
to make Maui County a good place to age, thus ensuring that all
our increasing numbers of older adults have the means to live productive,
safe, healthy and fulfilling lives. To not cease this opportunity,
based on demographic certainties, will be a disservice to us all.
Maui County is no exception, Maui County is no exception.
John A.
H. Tomoso, MSW, ACSW, LSW, is Maui County Executive on Aging at
the Maui County Office on Aging. He can be reached at 270-7350 or
e-mail him at John.Tomoso@co.maui.hi.us.
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