At Last, Help for the Elderly

When the Orange County Area Agency on Aging held its conference recently in Anaheim, it must have reveled in what a difference a year made in its life and mission.

One year ago at a conference on aging hosted by the county, Supervisor Chuck Smith declared that the Board of Supervisors “was acutely aware” of the lack of funding it had given to the agency.

It would have been understandable if the 1,100 people in attendance and the community at large had been less than optimistic about getting the help the agency needed. The supervisors, in addition to their lack of financial support, had left the agency leaderless for 18 months. There the vehicle to help the county’s senior citizens sat, low on financial fuel and with no one to drive it.

Shortly after that conference, however, the board did act. First, it appointed a new director, Pamela Mokler. Now, with its budget allocation this month, the board added $1 million in local funds to the federal and state money the agency gets to help jump-start the ambitious program.

Mokler is consolidating all the information and resources available from the many senior community services and giving seniors access to an interactive Web site and one, toll-free phone number. The idea is to help them reach the sources of help they need more easily. The increased county financial support will enable the agency to add 10 employees and three consultants to its present 12-person staff.

The board must continue to give senior programs high priority. The county agency serves the eighth-largest population of elderly in the nation. But in its understaffed and underfunded condition, it was doing less than many other area agencies across the country that are serving far fewer people.

Given the growing need, that couldn’t continue. There are about 400,000 people older than 60 in the county. That’s roughly 1 of every 10 of the state’s older residents--and an increase of 25% or more in the last 10 years. But the county’s elderly population is projected to jump another 36% by 2010 as baby boomers start reaching retirement age. It could nearly double by 2020.

That’s why it was so important to see the supervisors follow through on last year’s conference rhetoric with action.