Seminar Addresses Seniors’ Concerns

Recognizing their strong numbers as well as the need to become better organized, Orange County senior citizens united Friday at Chapman University for a “call to action.”

About 250 senior citizens were joined by elected leaders, police, health care managers and housing experts for the first Orange County Senior Summit. Supervisor Jim Silva and the Area Agency on Aging organized the three-hour seminar, covering issues from health care to financial abuse.

“It says, ‘Seniors must unite,’ ” said Anna T. Boyce, 68, of Mission Viejo. “It was very informative and was very well put together and gave us a lot of information.”

About 9% of the county’s population is older than 65. The percentage is expected to climb in the near future because another 7% of the population is 55 to 64.

The largest number of seniors lives in Anaheim, with 10% of the population, followed by 8% in unincorporated communities, 8% in Huntington Beach, 6% in Santa Ana and 5% in Newport Beach.

Silva said he organized the event to fulfill a campaign promise. He plans to propose a countywide toll-free number that refers elderly callers to experts who can answer questions about crime, legal matters, in-home care, transportation and other aging-related matters.

“The purpose was to get community leaders and seniors together with state and local agencies that can set up a line of communication so the needs of seniors can be met,” Silva said.