HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/08/2023 - Senior Advisory Board - Agenda - Regular Meeting 1
City of Fort Collins
Senior Advisory Board Agenda
Wednesday March 8, 2023 at 11:30 a.m.
In-Person Meeting 1200 Raintree Drive
Fort Collins Senior Center
Mission: The Senior Advisory Board shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Fort Collins City Council
on programs and policies that help aging citizens live full and interesting lives and continue to
contribute, participate, and share in the life of the community.
I. Call to Order
II. Public Participation
III. Administrative Items
a. Attendance b. Approval of January Minutes
c. Correspondence: d. Six Month Calendar Update – Sarah Olear
IV. Today’s Guest Speakers:
Dr. Allyson Brothers, Associate Professor, CSU, Hum. Dev. & Family Studies
Rachel Washburn, President CSU Gerontology Club and Club Officers
V. New Business:
a. Speaking Invitation from CSU Gerontology Club March 22nd
b. Recent City Council Activity – Council Member Susan Gutowsky
c. Affordable housing information for older adults
d. March 13th environmental services meeting re. extreme heat and older adults
e. Board reference documents: Lifelong Colorado, 2022 Statewide CASOA,
and 2022 10th Annual Report on Senior Health Rankings
f. Future speakers at SAB meetings
g. SAB planning for April Meeting and potential SAB future retreat – Dave
h. SAB Officer Elections: candidate slate: Dave Kovach, Chair,
Alicia Durand, Vice Chair, and Myles Crane, Vice Chair
VI. Ongoing Initiatives
a. Community Outreach 2023 – Gabby
b. Housing Boards – Mary and/or Alan
c. Transportation – Ben and Dave
d. Safety & Wellness - Deanna
e. Office on Aging – Alan
f. Senior Center – Jeanne and Sarah
UPCOMING EVENTS and OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
1
City of Fort Collins
Senior Advisory Board Minutes
Wednesday February 8th 11:30 am
In Person meeting 1200 Raintree Drive
Fort Collins Senior Center
Mission: The Senior Advisory Board shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Fort Collins City Council
on programs and policies that help aging citizens live full and interesting lives and continue to
contribute, participate, and share in the life of the community.
I. Call to Order: 11:35am
II. Public Participation
None
III. Administrative Items
a. Attendance:
Alan Kress, Mary Roberts, Gabby Rivera, David Kovach, Alicia Durand, Jeanne Hoag, Bruce
Henderson, Deanna O’Connell
Excused: Myles Crane
Staff members: Sarah Olear, Lisa Hays.
b. Approval of January minutes Motion: Alan Kress. Second Jeanne Hoag. Unanimously approved.
IV. Guest Speakers
a. Teresa Roche – City of Fort Collins Human Resources Executive
b. Davina Lau, FC Public Engagement Specialist – B & C
• Super Issues Meetings - Quarterly
• Additional Ad Hoc committee
o Working on updating B & C processes; recruitment, application, term length, etc.
V. New Business
a. Recent City Council Activity – No Report
b. Debrief – State of the City Presentation January 31st
• Celebrating 150 years of city service
• See information at fcgov.com/stateofthecity
c. New member bio – Bruce Henderson
• Extensive career in the computer industry with HP, project manager of software
development
• Outside company consultation, strategic planning and team development
• Avid bicyclist - involved with FC moves, Bike Fort Collins, Safe routes to schools and
bike share programs. Enjoys educating and helping others get out riding.
d. SAB Retreat Discussion – Dave, Alicia and Sarah
• Continue discussion next month.
e. Proposal re: Affordable Housing for Older Adults Proposal
VI. Ongoing Initiatives
a. Community Outreach 2023 – Gabby
• Working on next steps. What to add to the survey and other ways to reach older
populations.
b. March 8th Officer Nomination Slate – Deanna and Alan
• David Kovach on the slate to become chairperson
c. Housing Boards – Mary and/or Alan no report
d. Transportation – Bruce and David
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• Transfort is conducting a survey regarding whether or not to charge fairs for public
transportation. www.fcgov.com/transfortsurvey.
e. Safety and Wellness – No report
f. Office on Aging – Alan
• Went to first site visit at the Wellington Senior Center. Learned a lot about their
operations and how state funding through Larimer county assists programming for
seniors.
g. Senior Center – Jeanne and Sarah
• Mary Roberts will be guest speaker at Jeanne’s “And then it is winter” program.
VII. Adjourn 1:25 pm
UPCOMING EVENTS and OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Date Meeting Agenda Item
Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Council Meeting Adopting the Vision Zero Action Plan
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Work Session Advancing Transit Initiative Update
Tuesday, April 11, 2023 Work Session Land Use Code Extended Discussion
Gerontology Club
Department of Human Development & Family Studies
Our Mission
Gerontology Club seeks to
volunteer with older adults and
local organizations, as well as
to learn about aging issues.
Rachel Washburn -President
●Major: Health & Exercise Science, Health
Promotion
●Gerontology Minor
●Career Goal: Occupational Therapist
●Volunteer Instructor at the Senior Center
○Tech Skills for Older Adults class series
●Care Provider at Columbine Health Systems
●Undergraduate Research Assistant
○Promoting Healthy Aging & Families
Research Laboratory
Brooke Zarecki -Vice President
●Major: Biomedical Sciences
●Concentration: Anatomy and
Physiology, Pre-Health
●Spanish Minor
●Career Goal: Anesthesiology Assistant
●Volunteer Instructor at the Senior
Center
○Tech Skills for Older Adults class
series
●From: Broomfield, Colorado
Madison Pankey -Secretary
●Major: Human Development and
Family Studies
●Concentration: Pre Health and
Prevention and Intervention Sciences
●Career Goal: Autism Spectrum
Disorder Specialist
●From: Crested Butte, CO
Dr. Ally Brothers, Faculty Advisor
●CSU Gerontology Club Advisor
●Associate Professor on the Teaching faculty in HDFS
●My degrees are in Psychology and HDFS
●My research & teaching focus on lifespan
development and healthy aging
●Excited to be a part of the first ever Gerontology Club
at CSU!
●I’m just here to support and guide students and their
goals for the club
●I can share opportunities such as events, jobs,
community needs, etc.
How We Started
●Recent HDFS graduate, Sarah Cromwell started the Gerontology
Club February 2022
●Main goals:
○Provide sensory activities for older adults living with dementia
○Learn about aging issues
○Support local organizations that serve older adults
●Founding officers: Sarah Cromwell, Samantha Dickson, Rachel
Washburn, Brooke Zarecki
Current Engagement
●Currently there are 56
students on our email list
●Many students are recruited
from HDFS 201:
Perspectives in Gerontology
●Growth:
○Spring 2022 -25
○Fall 2022 -40
○Spring 2023 -56
Past
Accomplishments
Learning From Others -Guest Speakers
Research
Local Organizations
Tim McLemore Angel Hoffman
Liz Spencer
Dr. Christine
Fruhauf, Ph.D.
Dr. Nicole
Ehrhart, Ph.D.
Crafts for Older Adults
Every semester, we try to incorporate
an arts and crafts meeting to make
activities for residents living with
dementia
Challenging Stereotypes about Older Adults
Followed the journey of single older adults
who attended a speed dating event,
exclusively for 70-90 years old.
Helping our Community
CSUnity Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Future Goals
Future Goals
●Expand recruitment to students outside of the HDFS department
●Coordinate volunteer visits with smaller assisted-living homes
●Create a fundraising team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s this fall
●Invite guest speakers that advocate for inclusivity
○Rainbow Club and Diverse Elders Coalition
Upcoming Volunteering Events
Rams for Change
Join us at our next meetings!
March 22, 2023: PAFC & SAB
April 19, 2023: Felt Mural Craft for
Residents in Long-Term Care
May 3, 2023: Pickleball -Learning from
Older Adults (Spring Canyon Park)
Wednesdays @ 6 pm
Behavioral Sciences Building Rm 105
Studying
Gerontology
at CSU
About the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Minor (GIM)
●The minor is based in Human Development
and Family Studies (HDFS)
●But available to any major at CSU
●21-23 credits (on-campus or online)
●Gain real-world experience through practicum,
Internship, and service-learning projects.
●Coursework in Nutrition, Health and Exercise
Science,
Social Work, Psychology, HDFS and more
Thank you!
Questions or ideas? Please reach
out:
CSUGerontologyClub@gmail.com
Allyson.Brothers@colostate.edu
Find Us Online:
CSU Gerontology Club website
HDFS Website
April 2021
Livable Communities for
All Coloradans
Prepared by Jarett Hughes, Policy Advisor, Governor’s Office
Lifelong Colorado
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Lifelong Colorado
Letter of Support 3
Acknowledgements 4
Executive Summary 5
Why Livable Communities and Why Now? 6
Vision and Goals 8
Voices from Our Livable Communities 10
Sustaining Livable Communities 14
The Path Forward 15
Appendix A – Lifelong Colorado Matrix and Timeline 16
Note: This is intended to be a living document and will be updated by the Lifelong Colorado
steering committee as needed.
We have a tremendous quality of life here and are lucky to call Colorado our home. Colorado
consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the country, with a life expectancy in
the top 10 nationally. This reality, when combined with our state’s shifting demographics,
means our communities will grow proportionately older as we look towards the future.
In fact, Colorado is the second fastest aging state in the nation and our state demography
office projects that Coloradans aged 60+ will outnumber those aged 18 and younger as soon
as 2023. This demographic reality is a first and will become our new normal as generations
of Coloradans continue to live long and productive lives. Now is not the time to balk at this
emerging reality, but it is a time to plan, prepare, and invest in our communities, so that
quality of life is retained across the entire lifespan.
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of individual and community resilience, and as
we build Colorado back stronger we must do so in a way that supports Coloradans of all
ages. Whether we look towards Larimer County, Boulder County, Colorado Springs, Las
Animas, the Roaring Fork Valley, or Fruita, we have wonderful community-specific examples
to build upon as we strive for livable, equitable, and healthy communities across our state.
Lifelong Colorado
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Current and future generations of older Coloradans will provide economic, social, and civic
value to our communities for decades to come. We have an opportunity to harness this value
through the Lifelong Colorado initiative and embrace the idea that a Colorado well adapted
for aging is one where all individuals can thrive – a Colorado for all.
Sincerely,
Governor Jared Polis Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the many individuals who directly or indirectly contributed to this work
product. The Lifelong Colorado plan focusing on health equity and livable communities is the
result of years of work and many individuals and organizations contributing towards the
common goal of communities being prepared to harness the potential and meet the demands
of Colorado’s growing aging population.
I want to acknowledge Wade Buchanan and Janice Blanchard for creating a pathway to move
this work forward. I would also like to acknowledge Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera
and former State Senator Larry Crowder for their foresight and legislative action resulting in
the passage of HB 15-1033, creating the Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging. These
current efforts rely heavily on the work laid out by the Colorado Commission on Aging and,
subsequently, the Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging.
While it is true that the many individuals, groups, and organizations who have dedicated
time to the intersections of population aging, public policy, and health and wellness have
taken various avenues, we have all approached this work with a similar intent – supporting
individuals, families, and communities as our demographics shift.
I sincerely appreciate the time of the Lifelong Colorado steering committee and their
willingness to lend their expertise and perspective in developing this content and providing
feedback in order to refine it:
- Bob Murphy, State Director, AARP Colorado
- Roberto Rey, Associate State Director, AARP Colorado
- Andy Hill, Director, Community Development Office, Department of Local Affairs
- Hayley Gleason, Director, Strategic Outcomes Division, Department of Health Care
Policy and Financing
- Kara Harvey, Director, Aging and Adult Services Division, Department of Human
Services
Lifelong Colorado
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- Jayla Sanchez Warren, Director, Area Agency on Aging, Denver Regional Council of
Governments
- Brad Calvert, Director, Regional Planning and Development, Denver Regional Council
of Governments
- Derrick Webb, Regional Planner, Denver Regional Council of Governments
- Jim Collins, Mayor of Las Animas and Director, Lower Arkansas Valley Area Agency on
Aging
- Gini Pingenot, Director, Legislative and External Affairs, Colorado Counties Inc.
- Claire Anderson, Executive Director, Innovations in Aging
- Lorye McLeod, Executive Director, Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities in
Larimer County
- Chad Federwitz, Senior Services Manager, Pitkin County
Executive Summary
“A growing aging population impacts every department in the State, from Transportation to
Natural Resources.” - Office of State Planning and Budgeting, FY 2020-2021 Budget Request0F
1
Colorado spends around $2 billion annually – including state and federal funds – on a wide
range of programs spread across seven departments to address aging issues and provide
services to older Coloradans. These aging services are provided through Medicaid, regional
Area Agencies on Aging, financial assistance through the old age pension, property tax relief,
and protections against fraud, exploitation, and mistreatment. Each of these programs
addresses a critical need and is administered by a skilled and dedicated workforce.
Taken together these programs and services do not reflect a clear strategy or set of
priorities. Instead, they have been developed over decades to address and react tactically to
specific challenges. Lifelong Colorado and the associated livable communities work
represent an intentional and coordinated strategy to Colorado’s shifting demographics.
It is important to note that the work through Lifelong Colorado represents more than the
focus on livable communities and local approaches. While fundamental, livable communities
work does not capture the entirety of the work nor is it only the responsibility of local
governments and communities to plan and prepare for Colorado’s aging population. The
state has an integral role to play in supporting community investments and advancing
broader policy goals. Lifelong Colorado is the logical continuation of the direction laid out by
the Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging and Colorado Commission on Aging that involve
both state and local strategies.
Livable community efforts are based on the idea that effective and sustainable solutions
must include local coordination and involvement. State-level involvement is a critical piece
of this puzzle, particularly in the role as a backbone organization providing direction,
1 Office of State Planning and Budgeting. FY 2020-2021 Budget Request, page 396.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L1vXTycC0e7iQv-JNaOtaY_s2mHzppbP/view
Lifelong Colorado
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technical assistance, and organizational support, but community-based efforts and
partnerships are equally critical. Local leaders and community-based organizations have an
excellent understanding of their community strengths and gaps, and existing, or potential,
regional partnerships. Ensuring local involvement in planning processes and implementation
must be a priority as our communities age. Without a bottom-up approach, local
acceptance, community resiliency, regional perspectives, and empowerment become
difficult to ensure. Lifelong Colorado adopts this perspective and puts it into action.
When communities lack the necessary resources, older Coloradans often leave their
communities of choice when barriers to remaining become too great – in many cases this
restricts mobility, accelerates isolation, and impacts health and wellness. Keeping older
Coloradans in their communities of choice is important. Coloradans aged 50+ contribute
roughly $10 billion in annual state and local tax revenue and community-based care is far
more preferable and affordable than residential care settings.1F
2
The challenges associated with keeping older Coloradans in their communities requires bold,
community-focused solutions. Lifelong Colorado embraces the diversity of communities
across the state, acknowledges their interrelated issues, and encourages decision-making
through a local and inclusive strategy.
Colorado’s livable community efforts date back to 2012, when the Denver Regional Council
of Governments first began their locally driven work. A few years later Larimer County and
Colorado Springs got involved, receiving their age-friendly designation in 2016. Since then,
state and local partners have continued to build connections and foster collaboration to
advance these efforts, ultimately leading to Colorado becoming the third state in the
country to become a member of AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities in
2018.
Why Livable Communities and Why Now?
“By creating age-friendly communities in Jefferson County people of all ages and abilities
will have the opportunity to reside in a safe and enriched environment from birth for their
entire lives.” - Donna Mullins, Age-Friendly Jefferson County, Colorado
Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the nation and a wonderful place for adults to
engage in encore careers, volunteerism, and various forms of value-driven engagement as
they age. Colorado’s success in supporting active, healthy lives coupled with advances in
public health and medical care mean that more Coloradans are living into later life than
ever before. This is good news - current and future generations of older Coloradans will
provide economic, social, and civic value to our communities for decades to come.
2 AARP and The Economist. Longevity Economy Outlook: Colorado.
https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/econ/2020/longevity-economy-outlook-colorado.doi.
10.26419-2Fint.00044.006.pdf
Lifelong Colorado
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At the same time, this dynamic demographic shift coupled with ongoing inequities requires
an assessment of how our state and communities address a multitude of issues associated
with later life. From 2020 to 2050, the Colorado State Demography Office estimates that
adults aged 65+ will nearly double in population from roughly 876,000 to more than 1.6
million.
Without livable communities characterized by equitable access to reliable transportation,
safe and affordable housing, economic opportunities in later life, social engagement, and
access to health care, reducing inequities, improving health outcomes, supporting wellbeing,
and reducing health care costs in later life are unattainable goals. Lifelong Colorado is the
community-based vehicle for moving forward the development of an age-friendly state made
up of livable communities.
Keeping Coloradans healthy, engaged, and active participants of their communities in the
hopes of preventing, or delaying, the onset of chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart
disease, lung cancer) is in the individuals and states best interests. Specifically targeting
subsets of the population with health-related social needs (i.e., addressing social
determinants of health) is critical to supporting healthy aging and reducing health
disparities. It is important to note that most individuals with complex health needs will be
able to effectively navigate their communities but increasing accessibility and minimizing
functional impairments are valuable goals to strive towards.
Chronic Conditions by the Numbers in the United States
80% of adults aged 65+ living with a chronic condition2F
3
68% of adults aged 65+ have two or more chronic conditions3F
4
86% of overall health care spending4F
5
95% of overall health care spending among adults aged 65+6
1% of overall health care spending on prevention and public health5F
6
Chronic conditions are the largest cost drivers for healthcare in the United States, as the
costs associated with long-term services and supports are remarkably expensive. This is not
an effort to overmedicalize livable community efforts, but it acknowledges the reality that
health limitations and financial burdens associated with chronic conditions often result in
individuals having to leave their community and, in some cases, signals the spending down of
resources resulting in reliance on local and state funded services. By focusing on community-
level social and economic conditions, we can proactively plan and intentionally develop
3 National Council on Aging. Chronic Disease Self-Management Facts. https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-
reporters/get-the-facts/chronic-disease-facts/
4 Ibid
5 National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. Chronic Disease Prevention: The Key to Improving Life and
Healthcare. https://chronicdisease.org/resource/resmgr/website-2020/wp_chronicdiseaseprevention_.pdf 6 National
Council on Aging. Chronic Disease Self-Management Facts. https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-
facts/chronic-disease-facts/
6 Ibid
Lifelong Colorado
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healthy, equitable, and livable communities. This approach also acknowledges the reality
that investing and empowering community-based organizations across Colorado is a critical
component to reducing health disparities and supporting healthy aging across the lifespan.
Social determinants of health – sometimes referred to as health-related social needs – are
described by the World Health Organization as the conditions in which people are born,
grow, work, live and age, and the set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily
life. Put simply, equity across the lifespan improves outcomes in later life. Once
considered secondary influences on health, social and environmental factors have been
found to initiate the onset of health problems and serve as a direct cause for a number of
chronic conditions.6F
7The eight domains of livability listed below are building blocks for a
livable community and are based on social determinants of health.
The Eight Domains of Livability
Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted all Coloradans and all
of our communities. At the same time, we know that the pandemic has been particularly
difficult on black, indigenous, people of color, low wage earners, persons with disabilities,
and older Coloradans. Social and economic inequities have been exacerbated over the past
year and these inequities have a compounding effect on health outcomes over an individual's
life. This compounding effect is most clear in later life where we see the gap between
health span and life span develop, and we see trends related to chronic disease prevalence
become clear.7F
8 Addressing health and social equity at the community-level was important
7 Cockerham, W., Hamby, B., and Oates, G. 2017. The Social Determinants of Chronic Disease. American Journal of
Preventive Medicine, 52(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5328595/
8 Dutchen, S. 2019. From Life Span to Health Span. Harvard Medical School. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/life-span-
health-span
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pre-pandemic, and it should be central to policy planning as we transition to the new normal
and retool our communities.
Lifelong Colorado embraces the idea that a Colorado well adapted for aging is one where all
individuals can thrive – a Colorado for all. With regards to public policy, this involves
supporting a high quality of life for Coloradans and their families by promoting health and
wellbeing, reducing health disparities, fostering self-sufficiency, creating livable
communities, and supporting Coloradans across the life course and into later life.
Vision and Goals
“A Livable Community is one that has affordable and appropriate housing; adequate
transportation and mobility options; accessible health and human services; and workforce,
volunteer and community engagement opportunities that enable citizens to thrive across
their lifespan. These amenities help to maximize individual independence and quality of life
while enhancing the economic, civic and social vitality of the community.” - National
Association of Area Agencies on Aging8F
9
Colorado is an expansive and diverse state with residents scattered across hundreds of cities
and towns, hundreds of unincorporated communities, and two tribal reservations of the Ute
Mountain Ute Tribe and Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Acknowledging the uniqueness of
Colorado’s communities is at Lifelong Colorado’s core. Accordingly, our vision is an inclusive
bottom-up approach. Local control is paramount in Colorado and there are few challenges
related to aging and older Coloradans that aren’t already being effectively addressed by
someone, somewhere in the state. Intentionally identifying these examples, optimizing
opportunities for advancement, scaling their successes with nuanced local implementation,
and building upon the state’s existing aging network is central to Lifelong Colorado’s
approach.
In order to achieve this vision, Lifelong Colorado adopts the eight guiding goals laid out in
2016 by the Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging:
Goal 1: Older Coloradans will be able to live and fully participate in their
communities of choice for as long as possible.
Goal 2: Older Coloradans will be able to stay engaged in the labor force and
volunteer sector for as long as they want or need.
9 National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Best Practices for Livable Communities.
https://www.n4a.org/content.asp?contentid=421
Lifelong Colorado
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Goal 3: Older Coloradans and their families will be more financially secure and
prepared to meet the challenges of aging.
Goal 4: Coloradans will be prepared for the challenges of caring for an aging loved-
one and will be able to do so without endangering their own health or well-being or
the health and well-being of the recipient of care.
Goal 5: There will be enough skilled, educated and trained workers, paid
commensurate with their abilities and training, to meet the needs of the employers
and industries serving Colorado’s growing older adult population.
Goal 6: Older Coloradans will stay healthier longer through access to quality and
affordable person-centered care that aligns with their preferences and values.
Goal 7: All levels of government will meet their commitments to support older
Coloradans and their families.
Goal 8: Colorado will empower and protect older adults from abuse, neglect, and
exploitation.
Led by the Lifelong Colorado committee, collaboration with a diverse set of partners will be
central to integrating livable community strategies around the state. Building upon existing
relationships is critical to success. Organizational capacity is a constant issue and this reality
indicates the necessity of coalition building to expand community and regional capacity to
identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for problem solving. Empowering and investing in
communities to take steps in-line with these goals will support all Coloradans.
Voices from our Livable Communities
Livable communities encourage active lives and healthy aging by optimizing opportunities for
intentional community development and coalition building. The built environment - our
buildings, transportation systems, and housing stock - contribute to mobility, healthy
behaviors, social participation, and independence, or conversely isolation, inactivity, and
loneliness. Opportunities for social participation and value-driven work, either paid or
unpaid, foster social connectedness and individual empowerment. Empowerment and self-
worth are then reinforced through community efforts focused on equity, inclusion, and
respect.
Whether we look towards Denver as the first community to embark on this work or to Las
Animas as one of the most recent, livable community efforts are applicable to our largest
and some of our smallest communities across the state. Below are the “voices” from a few
of the leaders of these grassroots efforts around Colorado.
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Boomer Bond Assessment - Denver Regional Council of Governments
In 2011, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) launched the Boomer Bond
initiative to help prepare local communities, and the Denver region, for the dramatic growth
in the older adult population anticipated over future decades. There are two components to
support this effort: the Boomer Bond assessment tool and the Boomer Bond resource
directory.
With support from AARP Colorado, Tri-County Health Department, and stakeholders from
around the Denver region, DRCOG developed the assessment tool to support local
governments in their efforts to conduct an evaluation of how their community serves older
adults in the areas of: housing, mobility and access, community living, and support services.
The assessment tool not only helps document existing conditions, strengths and deficiencies;
but also guides local governments as they identify short and long-term priorities and
implementation strategies.
DRCOG staff have collaborated with more than 20 communities across the Denver metro area
to complete community-wide assessments and identify policies and tools to further support
healthy and successful aging in the Denver region.
Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities in Larimer County
The Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities (PAFC) is a grassroots organization that
started in 2013. PAFC’s uniqueness is volunteerism with over 3300 volunteer hours logged in
2020. PAFC is an innovation hub that brings together stakeholders and community members
from throughout the community to determine gaps in services for older adults and
corresponding strategic sustainable solutions. As new issues affecting older adults are
identified, teams of mostly older adults address the issue in small, short term projects. This
takes advantage of the wisdom, time, and skills of these volunteers. At the same time, it
provides important social and intellectual opportunities for the members of the community.
By working with community members and stakeholders, we can leverage these efforts. Over
the past three years we have launched a Home-Share Program, contributed greatly to a One-
Call/One Click rural transportation system, and created Senior Access Points, a resource hub
for older adults and caregivers, just to name a few successes. An ongoing project to address
social isolation has already created an online Catalog of Virtual Opportunities, Zoom Project
to connect older adults to family and friends which included technical training, and an
action plan for long term methods to identify and prevent social isolation. PAFC continues to
leverage the expertise of older adults and those working in the aging arena to make Larimer
County a more livable community for all of us as we age.
Age-Friendly Colorado Springs
In 2015, Innovations in Aging Collaborative, along with Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers,
began the Age Friendly Colorado Springs initiative. Innovations in Aging Collaborative had
just released Aging in the Pikes Peak Region (Adams, 2015), which profiled the demographic
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changes predicted in our community, and spurred us on to become a more livable
community. From that report, we knew that the population of residents 65 and over was
projected to grow by 179% by 2040, and in that same time period, the population of
individuals 85 and over was projected to grow by 337%. We knew then it was the time to
prepare to ensure our city was prepared to serve all aging residents over the coming years.
With the support of over 100 community members, experts and professionals, we created
the Age Friendly Colorado Springs Report and Action Plan, which identified over 100 unique
action items to be completed by the end of our five year cycle (2015-2020). We released
the Age Friendly Colorado Springs Midway Report at the end of 2018, which detailed our
progress “halfway” through the initiative, and the Age Friendly Colorado Springs Final
Progress Report at the end of 2020. A few highlights from our first five years of work, were
the creation of the Age Friendly Business Certification program at the Better Business Bureau
of Southern Colorado, and the development of the Age Friendly Pikes Peak Portal with the
Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging - a comprehensive, user-friendly platform to assist older
adults and their caregivers in finding the resources and services they need to grow older
successfully in our community.
We know that we are not done, and more progress needs to be made, hence our final
“Progress” Report. Innovations in Aging Collaborative, along with the City of Colorado
Springs and El Paso County, will begin a second five-year cycle of age friendly work at the
end of 2021 (2021-2026). The Age Friendly Pikes Peak Initiative will extend into some of the
more rural and far reaching areas of our community, allowing us to broaden our work to a
larger scale, making the Pikes Peak Region a remarkable place to age!
Las Animas Age-Friendly Initiative
As a newly elected local official in 2015, I assumed the seat of the Mayor with all the vigor
and enthusiasm expected of a retired military leader and strategic thinker. The first thing I
did was to gather the entire team together and accomplish what I then thought was an
exceptional 4-year strategic plan. The plan was developed around 5 key focal points that
would assess, address, and improve upon the work of the outgoing team. Focal areas
included safety and security of citizens; infrastructure sustainment and improvement;
economic development; fiscal responsibility and transparency; and finally, citizen
engagement and involvement. In order to accomplish broad community support, we
included the youth of the community in the plan by appointing a Youth Advisor to the City
Council. We really thought we were about to change the dynamics of small town living in
Southeastern Colorado.
Fast forward to 2018. Now we were 2 years into this “great plan” and I was offered the
position as the Director of the Lower Arkansas Valley Area Agency on Aging. One of the first
things on the plate for this new job was completing a listening tour and development of a 4
year plan for the Aging in Place processes for the 6 county region. I devoured every previous
plan and study that had been completed and suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks how bad I
had missed the mark with my own City’s plan. While the youth engagement part of the plan
Lifelong Colorado
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was good, the reality was that I hadn’t even considered the fact that the majority of the
community was actually AARP eligible by being over 50 years of age. Even more shocking
was that a large majority of this demographic was actually over 60 years.
Immediately, after losing a lot of sleep over this significant miss, I decided that one of the
best partners I could have was AARP and the Age Friendly Community initiative. Why
reinvent the wheel when the wheel that AARP provided was very good and worked for our
community? I applied for and was welcomed into the Age Friendly City family and the first
step we took was to add a new Senior Advisor on Aging to our City Council. Additionally, I
have ensured that at every opportunity I have to speak with locally elected officials I have
invited them to become a member of the initiative. My goal is to have all 6 counties in
Southeast Colorado become Age Friendly Communities as well as the major cities in the
region to be Age Friendly Cities. By doing this, I will be assured that each team of Leaders
will take Aging in Place as one of the key focal areas in all policy and implementation
decisions they are considering. I am hoping to develop over the next year a cohort team of
regional Senior Advisors to Local Leaders through the use of my own AAA advisory council.
While this opportunity to work together may be challenging, I truly believe the work of
locally elected officials will be best served to all community members if we take the
inclusive route by involving advisors from all walks of life.
Roaring Fork Valley Age-Friendly Collaborative
For several years, Pitkin and Eagle Counties have worked together to provide robust
offerings to older adults in the Roaring Fork Valley, where the two counties meet. Soon after
each county became age-friendly communities, they connected with the town of
Carbondale, which had also joined the age-friendly network, each recognized by AARP and
the World Health Organization as an age-friendly community. This was done to foster
collaboration on our efforts. The thought behind creating such a collaborative was to help
generate ideas on new programs and policies and to help break down the silos of individual
communities or counties tackling the work on their own. The Roaring Fork Age-Friendly
Collaborative held its first meeting in January 2020. Thirty members make up the group and
come from a variety of organizations that either serve older adults, or have an interest in
furthering age-friendly work in their communities. Meetings are held every other month and
are focused on one of the Eight Domains of Livability.
Since 2013, Eagle County Public Health, through its Healthy Aging Department, has been
addressing the needs of the over-60 population by creating programs and improving systems
in areas such as nutrition, transportation, social inclusion and educational opportunities.
These programs assist residents in maintaining their health and independence and enable
them to thrive as they grow older. As a result of the county’s work and accomplishments, it
was designated as an age-friendly community in 2017. The county’s first Aging Well Plan
came out in 2017, with a refreshed plan making its debut in January 2021.
In 2013-2014, Pitkin County’s Senior Services Department and community partners undertook
an endeavor to create a guiding plan for what it means to "age well" in the county. These
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efforts manifested to greater heights in 2017, when Pitkin County was recognized as an age-
friendly community. In 2019/2020, Pitkin County reinvigorated the original plan so as to be
aligned with AARP’s Eight Domains of Livability. This plan will serve as a guide as the county
strives for inclusion and excellence in its age-friendly work.
Carbondale became an age-friendly community in June 2019. This effort was spearheaded by
the Carbondale Age-Friendly Community Initiative (CAFCI), an ad hoc caucus of Carbondale’s
older adults who work on their own and with other organizations to make Carbondale an
even better place to live for people of all ages.
Age-Friendly Work in Fruita and the Grand Valley
After receiving its Age-Friendly Community status in 2017, the City of Fruita created the
Livability Commission (an Advisory Board to City Council) to address and make
recommendations to City Council pertaining to the Eight Domains of Livability. The
commission currently consists of 13 members and a council liaison focused on improving and
supporting healthy aging, improved quality of life, economic health, and an active lifestyle.
Over the past several years, the City of Fruita has been undergoing several important
planning processes: updates to the Fruita Community Plan (Fruita in Motion) and the Parks,
Health, Recreation, Open Space and Trails (PHROST) Master Plan. The community is also
currently undergoing a code update. Throughout these important planning processes and
updates, the Fruita Livability Commission has performed a significant role by providing
public engagement and feedback on the plans and has also identified several key goals that
will not only supplement the Community’s goals but that incorporate the principles of the
Eight Domains of Livability.
Most recently, and based on the recent planning processes, the Livability Commission has
completed Fruita’s first Age-Friendly Action Plan and is focusing its future work on five of
the Eight Domains: Housing, Multi-Model Transportation, Communications, Diversity and
Inclusion and Health Services and Education.
While the City of Fruita takes the lead locally with new livability efforts, Mesa County has
several agencies that address many of the Eight Domains of Livability improving the well-
being, satisfaction, and quality of life of all community members. The Area Agency on Aging
(AAA) coordinates and offers services that help older adults in Mesa County remain in their
home, aided by services such as Meals-on-Wheels, homemaker assistance, and other
programs needed to make independent living a viable option. The AAA also contracts
services with Hilltop's Aging and Disability Resources program and their evidence-based
disease prevention and health promotion program. They also provide legal aid, ombudsman,
nutrition, transportation, and State Health Insurance / Medicaid counseling programs.
Mesa County, the Cities of Fruita and Grand Junction, and the Town of Palisade, along with
numerous other state and federal governments, and non-profits have been the backbone in
the creation of the Riverfront Trail System. This recreational outdoor trail for walking,
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running, and biking lines the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers to create a continuous thirty-mile
path between the City of Fruita, through the City of Grand Junction, to the Town of
Palisade. And bike paths abound within the Grand Valley to include the Lunch Loop Bike Park
(Grand Junction), Book Cliffs Mountain Biking Trails (Fruita), and the Kokopelli Trail (Loma)
making the entire area a recreation destination for all ages.
Sustaining Livable Community Initiatives
Sustaining livable community efforts requires more than financial support - it involves
establishing productive partnerships, building upon them, and regularly evaluating successes
and setbacks along the way. The following principles and strategies build on the basics of
organizational sustainability and draw on the experiences of hundreds of programs engaged
in livable community efforts.9F
10 There is no inherent order in which these activities should
occur, but they are intertwined.
Principle Strategies
Build Public Will 1) Identify and develop local organizations and individuals
as champions
2) Foster citizen commitment
3) Address misconceptions of aging and later life
4) Demonstrate early wins to highlight community benefits
5) Develop a robust communication plan engaging
traditional and non-traditional partners
6) Celebrate community accomplishments
Engage Across Sectors 1) Connect with stakeholders across sectors
2) Engage with organizations and initiatives that serve all
ages and demographics
3) Engage regional and metropolitan planning organizations
and councils of governments
4) Integrate age-friendly perspectives into local
organizations and programs
5) Be deliberately inclusive
10 Guiding Principles for the Sustainability of Age-Friendly Community Efforts. 2015. Grantmakers in Aging.
https://www.giaging.org/documents/160107__Sustainability_Principles.pdf
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Utilize Metrics 1) Identify reliable state metrics that capture regional and
local trends
2) Develop meaningful community metrics that
demonstrate progress, or lack thereof based on the eight
domains
3) Regularly share updates on progress and areas for
improvement
Secure Resources 1) Identify a “backbone” organization to drive efforts
2) Seek diverse funding sources for start-up and
demonstration projects
3) Leverage partnerships for capacity building and non-cash
resources
Advance Public Policies,
Practices, and Funding
Opportunities
1) Embed livable community goals and perspective into
municipal, regional, state, and federal planning
documents
2) Be alert to sustainable and creative funding streams
The Path Forward
This plan serves as a proactive guiding framework for Colorado’s livable community work
through the Lifelong Colorado initiative. It includes a robust set of values, goals, and
strategies aimed at addressing social determinants of health through the eight domains of
livability, bolstering community resiliency and personal independence, supporting health
equity, and keeping Coloradans in their communities of choice. It is important to note that
this is a fluid process, and the paths taken along this journey will ebb and flow.
As our state and country transition out of the COVID-19 crisis, our communities will require
intentional assessments and subsequent retooling in order to rebuild stronger and more
resilient - this is the perfect opportunity to empower and mobilize our communities through
Lifelong Colorado. This effort cannot survive in a silo. Livable communities rely on
partnerships and coalitions of leaders ranging from government agencies, local elected
officials, faith communities, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, local
businesses, and self-directed volunteers.
As the saying goes, it takes a village.
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Appendix A – Lifelong Colorado Matrix and Timeline
Note: Target measures will be added once stimulus and agency goals are established to ensure alignment and overlap where
appropriate.
Goals Strategies Action Steps Years to Initiate Accountability Key Indicators
1. Coloradans will be
able to live and fully
participate in their
communities of
choice as they age
1a. Implement community
planning and design practices
that support health equity,
wellness, and mobility by
addressing social
determinants of health
1b. Increase access to
community resources,
programs, and services
1c. Increase supply of
accessible and affordable
housing options
1d. Increase access to
reliable and affordable
broadband internet options
1a. Revise local planning and zoning to
foster greenspaces and parks, as well as
mixed-use and transit-oriented
development that support community
access, physical activity, and social
engagement
2a. Improve air quality, traffic
congestion, and safety standards
3a. Increase awareness of the mobility
needs of an aging population and
improve access to services and
supportive technologies associated with
mobility
4b. Increase service provider capacity
and outreach around services at the
community level
5b. Increase existing funding and develop
additional revenue streams for long-term
services and supports
6c. Expand efforts around affordable
housing development
7c. Increase access to options such as
1a. Two years
2a. Three years
3a. Two years
4b. Two years
5b. Two years
6c. One year
7c. Three years
8d. Three years
9d. One year
1a. CDOT, CDPHE,
DOLA, CCI, CCAT, and
CML
2a. CDPHE, CDOT, and
metropolitan planning
organizations
3a. CDOT, CASTA,
metropolitan planning
organizations, and
DRMAC
4b. CDHS, CDPHE, and
Colorado Association of
Area Agencies on Aging
5b. CDHS, HCPF, and
Colorado Association of
Area Agencies on Aging
6c. DOLA, Volunteers of
America, Habitat for
Humanity, and
Brother's
Redevelopment
7c. DOLA, A Little
1a. Track legislation, investments, and local
zoning efforts related to mixed-use and transit-
oriented development
2a. Track efforts related to Greenhouse Gas
Roadmap, Transportation Demand Management
Plan, and the CDOT Pedestrian Handbook
3a. Expand outreach for transportation services
and track integrated transit app efforts through
CDOT
4b. Track regional service provider through Area
Agency on Aging network and Health Services
Corps
5b. Track appropriations for Area Agency on
Aging network and investments through the
American Rescue Plan associated with home and
community based services
6c. Track affordable housing investments and
regional focus
7c. Track local zoning efforts and home sharing
rates through Sunshine Home Share and Silver
Nest
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co-housing, accessory dwelling units, and
village model concepts
8d. Explore opportunities related to
designating broadband as regulated
utility service
9d. Implement programs focused on
digital literacy, technology training, and
adoption of emerging broadband options
Help, Sunshine Home
Share, Silver Nest,
Volunteers of America,
Habitat for Humanity,
and Brother's
Redevelopment
8d. Colorado
Broadband Office,
OEDIT, DOLA, DORA,
and CDOT
9d. Office of the
Future of Work,
Colorado Broadband
Office, and
Older Adult Technology
Services
8d. Track broadband related legislation
9d. Track emerging technology and broadband
related training efforts
2. Coloradans will be
able to stay engaged
in the workforce and
volunteer sectors as
they age
2a. Increase workforce,
business development, and
volunteer opportunities for
older Coloradans
2b. Improve institutional
readiness and willingness to
leverage the skills, abilities,
and experiences of older
adults
2c. Increase workplace
protections for older workers
1a. Integrate population aging and
demographic shifts into state-level
workforce development planning
processes
2a. Develop and implement retraining
programs for adults shifting careers
(e.g., digital literacy/technology
training)
3b. Increase awareness across sectors of
the value of age-friendly workplace
strategies/intergenerational workplaces
and caregiver-friendly policies
4c. Strengthen age discrimination laws
1a. One year
2a. Two years
3b. One year
4c. Two years
1a. CDLE, OEDIT, and
Colorado Workforce
Development Council
2a. CDLE, Community
College system, and
Colorado workforce
centers
3b. CDLE, Colorado
Center for Aging, AARP,
and Changing the
Narrative
4c. DORA, Judicial
Department, and Bell
Policy Center
1a. Track Office of the Future of Work and CWDC
Talent Pipeline Report efforts
2a. Track Office of the Future of Work digital
literacy and inclusion efforts
3b. Collect information from Colorado Center for
Aging and Changing the Narrative around annual
educational sessions held
4c. Track workplace discrimination related
legislation
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3. Coloradans will be
financially prepared
to meet the
challenges of aging
3a. Increase access to and
use of retirement savings
plans for all Coloradans
3b. Address rising health
care costs
1a. Implement Secure Savings Plan and
increase awareness around the program
2a. Coordinate across sectors to increase
awareness around the importance of
saving for retirement and costs
associated with later life
3b. Implement policies that lower health
insurance and prescription drug costs
1a. Two years
2a. Two years
3b. One to three
years
1a. Treasury
Department, AARP, and
Bell Policy Center
2a. Treasury
Department
3b. HCPF, Office of
Saving People Money on
Health Care, and
Colorado Business
Group on Health
1a. Track Secure Savings program
implementation
2a. Track outreach efforts related to Secure
Savings program, retirement security, and
financial literacy
3b. Track efforts related to public option,
prescription drug affordability board, and health
care purchasing alliance
4. Coloradans will be
prepared for the
challenges of caring
for an aging loved
one without
endangering their
own health or
wellbeing
4a. Support ability of family
and friends to provide
adequate person-centered
care without harming earning
potential
4b. Increase access to respite
services and resources that
support family caregiving
1a. Increase awareness around the
importance of financial, health, and end-
of-life planning with family members
and/or friends, as well as among
employers
2a. Implement paid family leave benefit
3b. Expand funding to respite programs
and target at-risk caregivers
1a. One year
2a. Three years
3b. Two years
1a. CDHS, HCPF,
CDPHE, Treasury,
Center for Improving
Value in Health Care,
CU-Anschutz, and
Colorado
Gerontological Society
2a. Governor's Office
and CDLE
3b. CDHS, HCPF,
Colorado Respite
Coalition, and
Alzheimer's Association
1a. Track advance care planning and palliative
care efforts through CDPHE, Center for
Improving Value in Health Care, and CU-Anschutz
2a. Track implementation of paid family medical
leave state benefit
3b. Track funding and programs through
Colorado Respite Coalition and efforts
recommended by CDPHE through Alzheimer's
disease and dementia work
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5. Colorado will have
enough skilled,
educated and trained
workers to meet the
needs of employers
and industries to
meet the needs of
older adults
5a. Develop Colorado's
workforce to meet the
demands of population aging
across the continuum of non-
medical and medical service
providers
1a. Increase awareness of career
opportunities in industries related to
population aging
2a. Identify regional gaps in non-medical
and medical service provision
3a. Improve access to education and
training to support the readiness of
1a. Two years
2a. One year
3a. One year
1a. CDHE, CDE, CDLE,
and Colorado
Workforce
Development Council
2a. CDHS, HCPF, CDOT,
and Colorado
Association of Area
Agencies on Aging
1a. Track health care related top jobs as defined
by the Colorado Workforce Development Council
2a. Track CDHS service provider data for the
Area Agency on Aging network and
transportation provider data through CDOT
3a. Track direct care workforce collaborative
progress
direct care workers
3a. HCPF, CDLE, Home
Care Association of
Colorado, Colorado
Health Care
Association, and
Leading Age Colorado
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6. Coloradans will
stay healthier longer
through access to
reliable information,
affordable person-
centered care, and
healthy
environments
6a. Improve health equity
and access to non-medical
and medical services
6b. Develop and distribute
resources that support
informed health care
decision making
6c. Develop programs, built
environments, and behaviors
known to support wellness
and health outcomes
1a. Implement policies and programs
that proactively address social
determinants of health and resulting
disparities
2a. Increase access to geriatric health
care providers and non-medical service
providers
3a. Align medical care and end-of-life
care with patient preferences and values
4b. Increase use and evaluation of
evidence-based programs that support
aging in the community
5b. Develop built environments and
promote lifestyles that support physical
exercise, mental health, nutrition, oral
health, and social interaction
1a. Two years
2a. Two years
3a. Three years
4b. Three years
5b. Three years
1a. CDPHE, CDHS,
HCPF, CCI, CML, Area
Agencies on Aging, and
local public health
agencies
2a. CDPHE, CDLE,
CDHE, CDHS, hospital
systems, and Area
Agencies on Aging
3a. CDHPE, CDHS,
HCPF, Center for
Improving Value in
Health Care, Colorado
Gerontological Society,
and hospital systems
4b. CDHS, HCPF,
CDPHE, and Colorado
Coalition for Aging
Research and Education
5b. CDPHE, CDOT,
CDHS, HCPF, DOLA,
Area Agencies on Aging,
and AARP Colorado
1a. Track health equity and health disparity work
through CDPHE, CDHS, and HCPF
2a. Track regional service provider through Area
Agency on Aging network, advanced practice
providers through the Health Services Corps at
CDPHE, and health care Top Jobs as identified by
the Colorado Workforce Development Council
3a. Track implementation of advance directive
registry and palliative care roadmap work
through CDPHE
4b. Track pilot programs, demonstration
projects, and emerging technologies
implemented by CDHS, HCPF, and CDPHE
5b. Track affordable housing development
through DOLA and built environment public
health efforts through CDPHE
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7. All levels of
government will meet
their commitments to
support older
Coloradans and their
families
7a. Create and maintain
mechanisms for improved
coordination and
implementation of aging
efforts across all sectors and
levels of government
7b. Address structural
imbalances between state
revenues and expenditures in
a manner that acknowledges
Colorado's shifting
demographics without
undermining support for
other state priorities
7c. State and local
governments will coordinate
public resources through
collaborative, innovative,
and diverse revenue and
financing models, including
public-private partnerships
1a. Create a multi-agency leadership
team to share updates on aging efforts,
identify overlaps, and integrate work
when appropriate
2a. Ensure a population aging-lens is
applied across programs and services at
the state and local levels
3b. Support the use of evidence-based
programs and services and improve data
collections among state and local
agencies to assist in funding decision
making
4c. Support the pursuit of competitive
federal grant dollars at the state and
local levels
5c. Evaluate, and if appropriate, pursue
emerging financing mechanisms for long-
term services and supports
1a. One year
2a. One year
3b. Three years
4c. One year
5c. Five years
1a. Governor's Office,
CDPHE, CDHS, HCPF,
CDOT, DOLA, and CDLE
2a. Governor's Office,
CDPHE, CDHS, HCPF,
CDOT, DOLA, and CDLE
3b. Governor's Office,
CDHS, CDPHE, and
HCPF
4c. Governor's Office,
CDPHE, CDHS, HCPF,
CDOT, DOLA, and CDLE
5c. Governor's Office,
CDHS, HCPF, DOI, Area
Agencies on Aging, and
health care and
hospital systems
1a. Convene cross agency group consisting of
representatives from DOLA, CDOT, CDHS, HCPF,
and CDLE
2a. Track efforts across key state agencies and
integrate key stakeholders/perspectives as
appropriate
3b. Track pilot programs, demonstration
projects, and emerging technologies
implemented by CDHS, HCPF, and CDPHE, and
develop community profiles with key health-
related metrics
4c. Track relevant federal grants awarded to
state agencies
5c. Engage DOI, HCPF, and legislature on long-
term services and support trust actuarial analysis
8. Older Coloradans
will be empowered
and protected from
mistreatment and
exploitation
8a. Increase awareness of
elder abuse, neglect, and
mistreatment and reporting
processes
8b. Support proactive
planning and prevention
services for Adult Protective
Services
8c. Provide support for
family caregivers aimed at
reducing stress and
preventing neglect
1a. Support funding for outreach and
awareness campaign of Area Agency on
Aging and Adult Protective Services
2b. Develop tiered approach to Adult
Protective Services and explore
preventative services
3c. Expand respite services and target
caregivers based on need and caregiving
circumstances
1a. Three years
2b. One year
3c. Three years
1a. CDHS and Area
Agencies on Aging
2b. CDHS and local
governments
3c. CDHS, HCPF,
Colorado Respite
Coalition, and
Alzheimer's Association
1a. Track CDHS progress around Adult Protective
Services and explore public service
announcements around the Area Agency on Aging
network
2b. Track progress related to Adult Protective
Services differential response pilot program (if
passed into law)
3c. Track Colorado Respite Coalition and
Alzheimer's Association respite program
utilization
Lifelong Colorado
22
8001 Terrace Ave Middleton, WI 53562
info.polco.us • 608-709-8683
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Community Assessment Survey for
Older Adults
September 2022
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction 1
Section 2: Key Findings 6
Section 3: Understanding the Report 15
Section 4: Community Readiness 16
Section 5: Community Livability Topics 19
Section 6: Overall Community Quality
Section 6A: Place to Live and Retire 22
Section 6B: Recommend and Remain in Community 24
Section 7: Community Design
Section 7A: Housing 26
Section 7B: Land Use 29
Section 7C: Mobility 31
Section 8: Employment and Finances
Section 8A: Employment 34
Section 8B: Finances 37
Section 9: Equity and Inclusivity
Section 9A: Community Inclusivity 40
Section 9B: Equity 43
Section 10: Health and Wellness
Section 10A: Health Care 45
Section 10B: Independent Living 48
Section 10C: Mental Health 51
Section 10D: Physical Health 54
Section 10E: Safety 58
Section 11: Information and Assistance
Section 11A: Information on Available Older Adult Services 60
Section 11B: Quality of Older Adult Services 64
Section 12: Productive Activities
Section 12A: Caregiving 66
Section 12B: Civic Engagement 69
Section 12C: Social Engagement 73
Section 13: Economic Contribution 78
Section 14: Community Needs 81
Section 15: Full Results (with No Opinion)86
Section 16: Full Results (excluding No Opinion)112
Section 17: National Benchmark Comparisons 138
Section 18: Methods 154
Section 1: Introduction
About the Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults
The Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA)
provides a statistically valid survey of the strengths and needs of older
adults as reported by older adults themselves. This report is intended
to enable local governments, community-based organizations, the
private sector and other community members to understand more
thoroughly and predict more accurately the services and resources
required to serve an aging population. With this data, community
stakeholders can shape public policy, educate the public and assist
communities and organizations in their efforts to sustain a high quality
of life for older adults.
®
®
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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The results of this exploration will provide useful information for
planning and resource development as well as strengths advocacy
efforts and stakeholder engagement. The ultimate goal of the
assessment is to create empowered communities that support vibrant
older adult populations.
This report summarizes how older residents view their community and
its success in creating a thriving environment for older adults. Aspects
of livability are explored within six community dimensions: Community
Design, Employment and Finances, Equity and Inclusivity, Health and
Wellness, Information and Assistance, and Productive Activities. Overall
community quality also is assessed.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Survey Methods
The CASOA survey instrument and its administration are standardized
to assure high-quality survey methods and comparable results across
communities. Households with an adult member 60 years or older
were selected at random. Multiple mailed contacts gave each
household more than one prompt to participate. A total of 174,392
older adult households were randomly selected to receive the survey.
These households first received a half-page postcard inviting them to
complete the survey online, followed by a mailed hard copy survey
packet which included a cover letter, a copy of the questionnaire and a
postage-paid return envelope. A total of 23,322 completed surveys
was obtained, providing an overall response rate of 14.52% and a
margin of error plus or minus .64% around any given percent and one
point around any given average rating for the entire sample (e.g.,
average number of caregiving hours). Results were statistically
weighted to reflect the proper demographic composition of older adults
in the entire community.
In addition to the random sample "probability" survey, an open
participation survey was conducted, in which all older adults 60 years
or older were invited to participate. The open participation survey
instrument was identical to the probability sample survey. This survey
was conducted entirely online. A total of 134 surveys were completed
by open participation survey respondents. The open participation
survey results were combined with responses from the probability
sample survey, for a total of 23,456 completed surveys. With the
inclusion of the open participation survey participants, it is likely that
the precision of the responses would be even greater (and thus the
margin of error smaller).
Results were statistically weighted to reflect the proper demographic
composition of older adults in the entire community.
Since this was the third implementation of CASOA for the Colorado
Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the current results are
presented along with the prior results when available. Differences in
responses between the survey administrations were tested for
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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statistical significance, and statistically significant differences are
noted in the charts. Trend data represent important comparisons and
should be examined for improvements or declines.
For additional details on the survey methodology, see the Methods
section.
How the Results Are Reported
Don't Know Responses and Rounding
On many of the questions in the survey, respondents could provide an
answer of don't know. The proportion of residents giving this reply can
be seen in Responses. However, these responses have been removed
from the analyses presented in the body of the report, unless
otherwise indicated. In other words, the majority of the tables and
graphs in the body of the report display the responses from
respondents who had an opinion about a specific item.
For some questions, respondents were permitted to select multiple
responses. When the total exceeds 100% in a table for a multiple
response question, it is because some respondents are counted in
multiple categories. When a table for a question that only permitted a
single response does not total to exactly 100%, it is due to the
customary practice of rounding percentages to the nearest whole
number.
Benchmark Comparison Data
National Research Center at Polco has developed a database that
collates responses to CASOA and related surveys administered in other
communities, which allows the results from Colorado Association of
Area Agencies on Aging to be compared against a set of national
benchmarks. This benchmarking database includes responses from
more than 35,000 older adults (age 55 and over) in over 327
communities across the nation.
Ratings are compared when similar questions are included in Polco's
database and when there are at least five other communities in which
the question was asked. Where comparisons for ratings are available,
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging's results are shown as
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
4
more favorable than the benchmark, less favorable than the
benchmark or similar to the benchmark. In instances where ratings are
considerably more or less favorable than the benchmark, these ratings
have been further demarcated by the attribute of "much" (for example,
much more favorable or much less favorable).
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Section 2: Key Findings
Background
Most older adults desire to age in place. Communities that assist older
adults in remaining or becoming active community participants must
provide the requisite opportunities for recreation, transportation,
culture, education, communication, social connection, spiritual
enrichment and health care.
To better understand the strengths and challenges of Colorado
communities aging in place, the Colorado Association of Area Agencies
on Aging partnered with Polco to administer The Community
Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA ) across all Area Agencies
on Aging across the state. Data in this report focus specifically on older
residents in Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
Survey participants rated the overall quality of life in their community.
They also evaluated their communities as livable communities for older
adults within six domains:
· Community Design
· Employment and Finances
· Equity and Inclusivity
· Health and Wellness
· Information and Assistance
· Productive Activities.
The extent to which older adults experience challenges within these
domains is also described.
Overall Community Quality
Measuring community livability for older adults starts with assessing
the quality of life of those who live there, and ensuring that the
community is attractive, accessible, and welcoming to all. Exploring
how older residents view their community overall and how likely they
are to recommend and remain in their communities can provide a high-
level overview of the quality and livability of the community.
®
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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· About 78% of older residents living in the state rated their overall
quality of life as excellent or good. Most of the older respondents
scored their communities positively as a place to live and would
recommend their communities to others. About 78% residents
planned to stay in their community throughout their retirement.
· Positive scores were given to their communities as places to
retire by 66% of older residents.
Overall Scores of Community Livability
The Community Assessment Survey of Older Adults (CASOA) is
designed to examine the status of older adults and the community
around many (17) topics of livability within six domains: Community
Design, Employment and Finances, Equity and Inclusivity, Health and
Wellness, Information and Assistance, and Productive Activities.
Summary scores of community livability were created through the
aggregation of a series of resident ratings within each of these
different livability aspects and domains. Of the 17 aspects of livability
examined, the aspects found to be strongest in the state related to
areas of Safety (average positive score of 68%), Physical Health (64%),
and Mobility (62%). The areas showing the greatest need for
improvement related to Housing (20%), Employment (28%) and
Independent Living (29%). More detailed information about each
livability domain follows.
Community Design
Livable communities (which include those with mixed-use
neighborhoods, higher-density development, increased connections,
shared community spaces and more human-scale design) will become
a necessity for communities to age successfully. Communities that
have planned and been designed for older adults tend to emphasize
access, helping to facilitate movement and participation.
· About 51% of respondents rated the overall quality of the
transportation system (auto, bicycle, foot, bus) in their
community as excellent or good. In many communities, ease of
travel by walking or bicycling is given lower ratings than travel by
car. Here, ease of travel by car was considered excellent or good
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
7
by 79% of respondents, while ease of travel by walking and
bicycling was considered excellent or good by 67% and 64% of
respondents, respectively.
· When considering aspects of housing (affordability and variety)
and community features of new urbanism (where people can live
close to places where they can eat, shop, work, and receive
services), relatively lower scores were given by older adults
compared to many other items on the survey. Only 16% of
respondents gave a positive score to the availability of affordable
quality housing in their communities, and only about 30% older
adults gave excellent or good ratings to the availability of mixed-
use neighborhoods.
· About 41% of older residents in the state reported experiencing
housing needs and 23% reported mobility needs.
Employment and Finances
The life expectancy for those born between 1940 and 1960 has
increased dramatically due to advances in health care and lifestyle
changes. While this is a very positive trend overall, it also highlights
both the importance of communities providing employment
opportunities for older adults and the need for older adults to plan well
for their retirement years.
· About 67% of older residents rated the overall economic health
of their communities positively, although the cost of living was
rated as excellent or good by only 20%.
· Employment opportunities for older adults (quality and variety)
received low ratings (25% and 22% positive, respectively), and
the opportunity to build work skills also was found to be lacking
(22% excellent or good).
· About 28% older adults reported financial challenges and 20%
reported employment needs.
Equity and Inclusion
A community is often greater than the sum of its parts. Having a sense
of community entails not only a sense of membership and belonging,
but also feelings of equity and trust in the other members of the
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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community.
· About 57% of older residents rated the sense of community in
their towns as excellent or good, and neighborliness was rated
positively by 54% of residents.
· About 53% of the respondents positively rated their community’s
openness and acceptance toward older residents of diverse
backgrounds, and 46% indicated that their community valued
older residents.
· Inclusion challenges were reported by about 21% of older
residents and equity challenges by 8%.
Health and Wellness
Of all the attributes of aging, health poses the greatest risk and the
biggest opportunity for communities to ensure the independence and
contributions of their aging populations. Health and wellness, for the
purposes of this study, included not only physical and mental health,
but issues of safety, independent living and health care.
· About 80% older residents in the state rated their overall
physical health as excellent or good and 87% rated their mental
health as excellent or good.
· In most places, opportunities for health and wellness receive
higher ratings from older adults than do health care ratings.
Here, community opportunities for health and wellness were
scored positively by 67% residents, while the percent giving
ratings of excellent or good to the availability of physical health
care was 46%, to mental health care 32%, and to long term care
options 34%.
· Health-related problems were some of the most common
challenges listed by older adults in the survey, with 33%
reporting physical health challenges and 26% reporting mental
health challenges. Health care was also a challenge for about
41% of older residents.
Information and Assistance
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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The older adult service network, while strong, is under-resourced and
unable to single-handedly meet the needs of the continuously growing
population of older adults. Providing useful and well-designed
programs, as well as informing residents about other assistance
resources, is an important way that government agencies can help
residents age in place.
· The overall services provided to older adults in the state were
rated as excellent or good by 53% of survey respondents.
· About 62% of survey respondents reported being somewhat
informed or very informed about services and activities available
to older adults. The availability of information about resources for
older adults was rated positively by 33% of older residents and
the availability of financial or legal planning services was rated
positively by 34% of older residents.
· About 40% of older adults were found to have information access
challenges in the state.
Productive Activities
Productive activities outside of work (such as volunteerism and social
activity) promote quality of life and contribute to active aging. This
domain examines the extent of older adults’ participation in social and
leisure programs and their time spent attending or viewing civic
meetings, volunteering or providing help to others.
· About 65% of older adults surveyed felt they had excellent or
good opportunities to volunteer, and 49% participated in some
kind of volunteer work.
· The caregiving contribution of older adults was substantial in the
state. About 33% of older residents reported providing care to
individuals 55 and older, 15% to individuals 18-54 and 20% to
individuals under 18.
· Older adults in the state reported challenges with being civically
engaged 25%, being socially engaged 24% and caregiving 12%.
The Economic Contribution of Older Adults
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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The contribution older adults make through employment, volunteerism
and caregiving was calculated for all older adults living in the state. It
is estimated that older residents contribute $27,648,166,120 annually
to their community through paid and unpaid work.
Older Resident Needs
Through the survey, more than 40 challenges commonly facing older
adults were assessed by respondents. These challenges were grouped
into 15 larger categories of needs. In the state, the largest challenges
were in the areas of healthcare, housing, and information about older
adult services. At least 41% of older residents reported at least one
item in these categories was a major or moderate problem in the 12
months prior to taking the survey.
Comparison to National Benchmarks
Community Characteristics Benchmarks
To better provide context to the survey data, resident responses for the
state were compared to Polco’s national benchmark database or older
adult opinion. Of the 52 assessments of community livability that were
compared to the benchmark database, 51 were similar, 0 above, and 1
below the benchmark comparisons.
The areas in which the state ratings were lower than benchmark
comparisons were:
· Cost of living in your community
Older Adult Challenges Benchmarks
Comparisons to the benchmark database can also be made for the
proportion of residents experiencing a variety of challenges. In the
state, there was a lower proportion of older adults experiencing
challenges for 0 item(s), a greater proportion of older adults
experiencing challenges for 0 item(s), and a similar proportion
experiencing challenges for 42 item(s).
Comparison of Ratings Over Time
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Community Characteristics Trends
The COVID-19 pandemic was disruptive to many areas of community
livability and resulted in profound impacts on many older adults lives
around the world, nation and in communities throughout Colorado. It is
important to keep these disruptions in mind while comparing results
from 2018 with the present results.
Of the 33 assessments of community livability that could be compared
over time (questions that were asked on both the 2018 and current
survey instruments), the ratings were similar for 7 items.
The 11 areas where ratings improved since 2018 were:
· Sense of community in your community
· Your overall physical health
· Your overall quality of life
· Ease of travel by public transportation in your community
· Ease of travel by car in your community
· Ease of walking in your community
· Availability of long-term care options
· Availability of affordable quality physical health care
· Availability of affordable quality mental health care
· Availability of preventive health services (e.g., health screenings,
flu shots, educational workshops)
· Neighborliness of your community
The 15 areas of community livability that showed a decline in quality
ratings from 2018 were:
· Overall feeling of safety in your community
· Quality of employment opportunities for older adults
· Cost of living in your community
· Availability of affordable quality food
· Availability of information about resources for older adults
· Availability of financial or legal planning services
· Availability of daytime care options for older adults
· Recreation opportunities (including games, arts, library services,
etc.)
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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· Fitness opportunities (including exercise classes and paths or
trails, etc.)
· Opportunities to participate in community matters
· Opportunities to volunteer
· Opportunities to enroll in skill-building or personal enrichment
classes
· Opportunities to attend social events or activities
· Opportunities to attend religious or spiritual activities
· Valuing older residents in your community
Resident Challenges Trends
Of the 35 potential challenges facing older adults assessed through the
survey that were asked in both 2018 and 2022, there were 9 potential
challenges for which a similar proportion of residents reported each
were a problem in both survey time periods.
The 9 challenges where the proportion of older adults reporting a
problem decreased in 2022 compared to 2018 were:
· Your physical health
· Staying physically fit
· Maintaining a healthy diet
· Feeling depressed
· Feeling bored
· Feeling like your voice is heard in the community
· Feeling PHYSICALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
· Feeling EMOTIONALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
· Feeling FINANCIALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
The 17 challenges where the proportion of older adults reporting a
problem increased in 2022 were:
· Having enough money to meet daily expenses
· Having enough money to pay your property taxes
· Having housing to suit your needs
· Doing heavy or intense housework
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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· Maintaining your home
· Maintaining your yard
· Having safe and affordable transportation available
· Finding work in retirement
· Building skills for paid or unpaid work
· Having adequate information or dealing with public programs
such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
· Not knowing what services are available to older adults in your
community
· Falling or injuring yourself in your home
· Getting the oral health care you need
· Getting the vision care you need
· Having enough food to eat
· Being a victim of crime
· Being a victim of fraud or a scam
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Trends
Favorably
At least 7 percentage points more favorable than last measure
Similar
No statistically significant difference
Unfavorably
At least 7 percentage points less favorable than last measure
Benchmarks
Much more favorable
At least 20 points more favorable than benchmark
More favorable
10-20 points more favorable than benchmark
Similar
No statistically significant difference
Less favorable
10-20 points less favorable than benchmark
Much less favorable
At least 20 points less favorable than benchmark
Throughout this report, iconography is used to denote trends and benchmarks. While
some pages will show the legend, others won’t for the sake of space. Keep this page
handy for reference.
Section 3: Understanding the Report
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Section 4: Community Readiness
Communities that assist older adults to remain or become active
community participants must provide the requisite opportunities for
recreation, transportation, culture, education, communication, social
connection, spiritual enrichment and health care. Because every
community is different, each must identify what its older adults value
most and what the community offers its older residents. The
judgments of these residents provide the elements used to calculate
the overall community quality in Colorado Association of Area Agencies
on Aging.
Survey respondents were asked to rate a number of aspects of the
community. These ratings were converted to an average scale of 0 (the
lowest rating, such as poor) to 100 (the highest rating, such as
excellent) and then combined to provide one overall rating (index ) for
each of the six dimensions of Community Readiness, as well as an
overall rating of the Quality of the Community. If trend data prior to
2022 are shown, it should be noted that community readiness scores
have been updated from previous reports to improve these metrics.
Readiness scores for past surveys were recalculated using the new
dimensions to make them comparable to the current structure.
Community Readiness Chart
Dimension Community Livability Topics
Score
(out of
100)
Overall Community Quality • Place to Live and Retire
• Recommend and Remain in Community 66
Community Design
• Housing
• Mobility
• Land Use
41
Employment and Finances • Employment
• Finances 26
1
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Dimension Community Livability Topics
Score
(out of
100)
Equity and Inclusivity • Equity
• Community Inclusivity 45
Health and Wellness
• Safety
• Physical Health
• Mental Health
• Health Care
• Independent Living
42
Information and Assistance
• Quality of Older Adult Services
• Information on Available Older Adult
Services
30
Productive Activities
• Civic Engagement
• Social Engagement
• Caregiving
47
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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These ratings are not to be understood like ratings from school tests,
because they are summaries of several questions that range from 0 as
poor, 33 as fair, 67 as good and 100 as excellent. For example, a score
of 58 should be interpreted as closer to good than to fair (with the
midpoint of the scale, 50, representing equidista
1
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Section 5: Community livability topics
The Community Assessment Survey of Older Adults (CASOA) is designed to
examine the status of older adults and the community around many (17)
aspects of livability within six domains: Community Design, Employment and
Finances, Equity and Inclusivity, Health and Wellness, Information and
Assistance, and Productive Activities. Overall community quality also is
assessed with two topics. (See Introduction section About the Community
Assessment Survey for Older Adults for an overview of all the community
livability topics within these domains.) For each of these 19 community livability
topic areas, survey questions evaluated the community's ability to
accommodate the needs of older residents, as well as the actual experiences
and challenges of older adults.
To summarize the data, an index score was calculated for each aspect of
livability by averaging the ratings given to the questions related to the specific
community livability topic. (This index includes only the ratings of community
amenities, not those items related to the respondents' own status or the
challenges faced by the respondent.)
Overall Community Quality
Place to Live and
Retire
78 / 100
Recommend and
Remain in Community
75 / 100
Community Design
Housing
20 / 100
Land Use
52 / 100
Mobility
62 / 100
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have prior
measurements for certain topics, those topics don't have trend values. All topics will
have trends a er this survey has been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Employment and Finances
Employment
28 / 100
Finances
43 / 100
Equity and Inclusivity
Community Inclusivity
54 / 100
Equity
50 / 100
Health and Wellness
Health Care
52 / 100
Independent Living
29 / 100
Mental Health
32 / 100
Physical Health
64 / 100
Safety
68 / 100
Information and Assistance
Information on
Available Older Adult
Services
33 / 100
Quality of Older Adult
Services
53 / 100
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Productive Activities
Caregiving
Scoring not applicable
Civic Engagement
56 / 100
Social Engagement
62 / 100
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Section 6A: Place to Live and Retire
Successful aging communities are attractive and welcoming to older adults and
provide the support necessary for residents to age in place.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
78
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Your community as a place
to live 84%
Your neighborhood as a
place to live 84%N/A
The overall quality of life in
your community 78%N/A
Your community as a place
to retire 66%
Status Indicators - Personal Quality of Life
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Your overall quality of life 87%
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Section 6B: Recommend and Remain in Community
A strong testament to the quality of a community is the likelihood of residents
recommending and remaining in the community. Generally, residents will not
recommend a community to friends unless they believe that community is
offering the right amenities and services. Furthermore, communities that do a
good job supporting seniors allow their residents to remain throughout their
retirement years.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
* Only applies to last two measurements
75
Trending similar*
Livability score over time
2010 2018 20220
100
7574
83
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Quality of Community
Percent reporting very likely or somewhat likely.
Remain in your community
throughout your retirement 78%
Recommend living in your
community to older adults 71%
Characteristic % likely Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Section 7A: Housing
Most older adults want to age in place; however, many do not have homes that
feature universal design allowing access for walkers and wheelchairs and
providing safety for those who are frail or experiencing mobility impairments.
Ensuring the availability of housing stock that is both affordable and suitable
for seniors is necessary as a community’s population ages.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
20
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Doing heavy or intense
housework 59%
Maintaining your home 54%
Maintaining your yard 53%
Having housing to suit your
needs 28%
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Variety of housing options 24%
Availability of accessible
housing (e.g., homes with a
no step entry, single-floor
living, wide hallways and
doorways)
20%N/A
Availability of affordable
quality housing 16%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
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Section 7B: Land Use
The movement in America towards designing more livable communities (which
include mixed-use neighborhoods, higher-density development, increased
connections, shared community spaces and more human-scale design) will
become a necessity for communities to age successfully. Communities that
have planned and been designed for older adults tend to emphasize access,
helping to facilitate movement and participation.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
52
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Overall quality of the utility
infrastructure in your community
(water, sewer, storm water,
electric/gas, broadband)
67%
Overall design or layout of your
community's residential and
commercial areas (e.g., homes,
buildings, streets, parks, etc.)
62%
Public places where people want
to spend time 45%
Availability of mixed-use
neighborhoods where people
live close to places where they
can eat, shop, work, and receive
services
30%
Trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements, these trends aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey
has been conducted a second time.
Characteristic % positive National
Benchmark
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Section 7C: Mobility
The ease with which older residents can move about their communities,
whether for commuting, leisure, or recreation, plays a major role in the quality
of life for all who live, work, and play in the community. Those who reside in
livable communities where they can reach their destinations easily and
comfortably by auto, on foot or in public transportation are more likely to
remain engaged in their communities and to demonstrate signs of successful
aging. Residents that must give up driving are more likely to be able to age in
place if other modes of transportation are easily accessed in their
neighborhood and community.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
62
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Having safe and affordable
transportation available 37%
No longer being able to
drive 15%
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Ease of travel by car in
your community 79%
Ease of getting to the
places you usually have to
visit
77%N/A
Ease of walking in your
community 67%
Ease of bicycling in your
community 64%N/A
Overall quality of the
transportation system
(auto, bicycle, foot, bus) in
your community
51%N/A
Ease of travel by public
transportation in your
community
32%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
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Section 8A: Employment
People in the U.S. are working longer and retiring at an older age than they
have in the past. Older adults are postponing retirement for a variety of
reasons: improved health, the desire to accumulate additional wealth and/or
benefit from delayed pension plans, and because the information age–based
economy is less physically demanding than jobs from the industrial age. Older
workers are an untapped resource for many communities seeking economic
stability and growth.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
28
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
34
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Building skills for paid or
unpaid work 41%
Finding work in retirement 37%
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Certain benchmarks unavailable
Because this survey includes new characteristics, we can’t determine your benchmark
performance on the new characteristics until a sufficient number of communities have
completed surveying.
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
35
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Opportunities to build work
skills 37%N/A
Quality of employment
opportunities for older
adults
25%
Variety of employment
opportunities for older
adults
22%N/A
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
36
Section 8B: Finances
With longer life spans, the importance of financial well-being in old age has
increased dramatically. Financial independence and the ability to economically
contribute to a community have become critical factors in enhancing the quality
of life of older adults.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
43
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
37
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Having enough money to
meet daily expenses 43%
Having enough money to
pay your property taxes 33%
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Overall economic health of
your community 67%N/A
Cost of living in your
community 20%
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
38
Status Indicators - Household Financial Status
Percent reporting very positive or somewhat positive.
What impact, if any, do you
think the economy will
have on your family income
in the next 6 months? Do
you think the impact will
be:
13%N/A
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
39
Section 9A: Community Inclusivity
Inclusivity refers to a cultural and environmental feeling of belonging. Creating
places in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected,
supported, and valued increases the overall livability of communities.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
54
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
40
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Feeling lonely or isolated 34%
Having friends or family
you can rely on 31%
Feeling like you don't fit in
or belong 30%N/A
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Certain benchmarks unavailable
Because this survey includes new characteristics, we can’t determine your benchmark
performance on the new characteristics until a sufficient number of communities have
completed surveying.
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
41
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Sense of community in
your community 57%
Neighborliness of your
community 54%
Making all residents feel
welcome 51%N/A
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
42
Section 9B: Equity
Opportunities for health, income, housing and other life circumstances are
o en disproportionate. Strong communities work to decrease inequalities so
that all residents can successfully age in place.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
* Only applies to last two measurements
50
Trending unfavorably*
Livability score over time
2010 2018 20220
100
505358
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
43
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Being treated unfairly or
discriminated against
because of your age
25%N/A
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Openness and acceptance
of the community towards
older residents of diverse
backgrounds
53%
Valuing older residents in
your community 46%
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
44
Section 10A: Health Care
Poor health does not need to be an inevitable consequence of aging. Adoptions
of healthy lifestyles and the use of preventive services will reduce the risk of
morbidity and increase healthy longevity of older residents.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
* Only applies to last two measurements
52
Trending favorably*
Livability score over time
2010 2018 20220
100
5248
60
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
45
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Finding affordable health
insurance 39%
Getting the health care you
need 36%
Getting the oral health care
you need 34%
Affording the medications
you need 32%
Getting the vision care you
need 31%
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
46
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Availability of preventive
health services (e.g., health
screenings, flu shots,
educational workshops)
58%
Availability of affordable
quality physical health care 46%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
47
Section 10B: Independent Living
If the community cannot help maintain the independence of residents who
experience the decline in health that o en accompanies aging, the potential
contribution of older residents will be lost to hospitals and nursing homes.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
* Only applies to last two measurements
29
Trending similar*
Livability score over time
2018 20220
100
2930
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
48
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Average Number of Hours Providing Care
Average number of hours spent per respondent in a typical week
Receiving assistance, paid or
unpaid (e.g., with shopping,
cooking, etc.)
0.6
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Performing regular
activities, including
walking, eating and
preparing meals
24%N/A
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic Average # of
Hours
National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
49
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Availability of long-term
care options 34%
Availability of daytime care
options for older adults 22%
Status Indicators - Activities
Percent reporting 1 to 3 hours, 4 to 5 hours, 6 to 10 hours, 11 to 19 hours or 20
or more hours.
Receiving assistance, paid
or unpaid (e.g., with
shopping, cooking, etc.)
10%N/A
Status Indicators - Long-term Care Admissions
Percent reporting 1-2 days, 3-5 days or 6 or more days.
In a long-term care facility
(including nursing home or
in-patient rehabilitation
facility)
2%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic % of
respondents Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic % of
respondents Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
50
Section 10C: Mental Health
Mental health plays a vital role in the well-being of residents. Depression,
isolation, anxiety and memory loss can have a direct and profound effect on
older adults’ quality of life.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
* Only applies to last two measurements
32
Trending favorably*
Livability score over time
2010 2018 20220
100
3227
40
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
51
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Dealing with the loss of a
close family member or
friend
38%
Feeling depressed 37%
Experiencing confusion or
forgetfulness 31%
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Availability of affordable
quality mental health care 32%
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
52
Status Indicators - Personal Health Status
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Your overall mental
health/emotional wellbeing 87%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
53
Section 10D: Physical Health
Of all the attributes of aging, health poses the greatest risk and the biggest
opportunity. When good health can be sustained, the individuals benefit by
living a life of better quality, friends and family benefit from reduced caregiving
burdens, and the community benefits by harnessing the power of older adults’
contributions.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
64
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
54
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Your physical health 52%
Staying physically fit 50%
Maintaining a healthy diet 41%
Falling or injuring yourself
in your home 30%
Having enough food to eat 15%
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
55
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Overall quality of natural
environment in your
community
74%N/A
Overall health and wellness
opportunities in your
community
67%N/A
Fitness opportunities
(including exercise classes
and paths or trails, etc.)
67%
Availability of affordable
quality food 48%
Status Indicators - Falls
Percent reporting 1 to 2 times, 3 to 5 times or more than 5 times.
Thinking back over the
past 12 months, how many
times have you fallen and
injured yourself?
33%
Status Indicators - Hospitalizations
Percent reporting 1-2 days, 3-5 days or 6 or more days.
As a patient in a hospital 20%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic % of
respondents Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic % of
respondents Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
56
Status Indicators - Personal Health Status
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Your overall physical health 80%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
57
Section 10E: Safety
Safety is one of the most essential components of community livability. The
extent to which older residents feel safe from crime and other adverse events
can strengthen their feelings of comfort and trust and impact their ability to
live independently.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
* Only applies to last two measurements
68
Trending unfavorably*
Livability score over time
2010 2018 20220
100
687071
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
58
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Being a victim of fraud or a
scam 26%
Being a victim of crime 17%
Being physically or
emotionally abused 7%
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Overall feeling of safety in
your community 68%
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
59
Section 11A: Information on Available Older Adult Services
Sometimes residents of any age fail to take advantage of services offered by a
community solely because they are not aware of the opportunities that exist.
Educating a large community of older adults is not simple, but raising
awareness about attractive, useful and well-designed programs will lead more
residents to benefit from becoming participants.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
* Only applies to last two measurements
33
Trending unfavorably*
Livability score over time
2010 2018 20220
100
334047
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
60
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Not knowing what services
are available to older
adults in your community
70%
Having adequate
information or dealing with
public programs such as
Social Security, Medicare,
and Medicaid
54%
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Certain benchmarks unavailable
Because this survey includes new characteristics, we can’t determine your benchmark
performance on the new characteristics until a sufficient number of communities have
completed surveying.
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
61
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Availability of financial or
legal planning services 34%
Availability of information
about resources for older
adults
33%
Status Indicators - Informed about Services
Percent reporting very informed or somewhat informed.
In general, how informed
or uninformed do you feel
about services and
activities available to older
adults in your community?
62%N/A
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
informed Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
62
Status Indicators - Use of Technology
Percent reporting several times a day, once a day or a few times a week.
Use or check email 92%N/A
Access the internet from
your home using a
computer, laptop, or tablet
computer
89%N/A
Access the internet from
your cell phone 82%N/A
Visit social media sites
such as Facebook, Twitter,
Nextdoor, etc.
62%N/A
Shop online 34%N/A
Share your opinions online 22%N/A
Percent reporting yes.
I have high-speed
internet/broadband at
home
88%N/A
Characteristic % of
respondents Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic % yes Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
63
Section 11B: Quality of Older Adult Services
Strong local governments play a major role in producing communities that
meet the needs of older residents while making the best use of available
resources. Providing services that are responsive to the present and future
needs of the older community is an important responsibility and a vital
component of livable communities.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
* Only applies to last two measurements
53
Trending similar*
Livability score over time
2010 2018 20220
100
535462
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
64
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
How would you rate the
overall services provided
to older adults in your
community?
53%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
65
Section 12A: Caregiving
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 2 in 5 adults 65 years and
older have a disabling condition that affects their ability to live independently .
Those who provide care to a loved one or friend with such a condition o en
feel a sense of contribution and personal worth despite the physical, emotional
and financial burden such care can produce. While such caregiving is most
o en provided by family members and is unpaid, AARP researchers estimate
the value of the care as $470 billion annually. A caregiving crunch is predicted in
the future, where the average American will spend more years caring for their
parents than for their own children .
Prevalence of Disabilities and Health Care Access by Disability Status and
Type Among Adults — United States, 2016
AARP Family Caregiver Contribution study
1
2
1
2
Livability scoring is not applicable.
Because data for this topic are informational and not evaluative, no livability score is
calculated.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
66
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Average Number of Hours Providing Care
Average number of hours spent per respondent in a typical week
Providing care to
someone age 55+2.8 2.9
Providing care someone
under age 18 1.7 1.7
Providing care to
someone age 18 to 54 1 1.3
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Feeling EMOTIONALLY
burdened by providing
care for another person
22%
Feeling PHYSICALLY
burdened by providing
care for another person
18%
Feeling FINANCIALLY
burdened by providing
care for another person
17%
Characteristic Average #
of Hours
Previous
Measurement
National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
67
Status Indicators - Activities
Percent reporting 1 to 3 hours, 4 to 5 hours, 6 to 10 hours, 11 to 19 hours or 20
or more hours.
Providing care to someone
age 55+33%
Providing care someone
under age 18 20%
Providing care to someone
age 18 to 54 15%
Characteristic % of
respondents Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
68
Section 12B: Civic Engagement
In communities where residents care about local politics and social conditions,
where they feel engaged and effective, there tends to be greater social,
economic and cultural prosperity. Civic activity of any kind, such as
volunteering, participating in political groups or being active in community
decision-making, benefits both communities and seniors themselves.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
56
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
69
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Average Number of Hours Providing Care
Average number of hours spent per respondent in a typical week
Volunteering your time 2.3 1.6
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Feeling like your voice is
heard in the community 45%
Finding productive or
meaningful activities to do 32%N/A
Finding meaningful
volunteer work 25%N/A
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic Average #
of Hours
Previous
Measurement
National
Benchmark
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
70
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Opportunities to volunteer 65%
Opportunities to
participate in community
matters
55%
Residents' connection and
engagement with their
community
49%N/A
Status Indicators - Activities
Percent reporting 1 to 3 hours, 4 to 5 hours, 6 to 10 hours, 11 to 19 hours or 20
or more hours.
Volunteering your time 49%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic % of
respondents Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
71
Status Indicators - Participation
Percent reporting yes.
Voted in your most recent
local election 90%N/A
Watched (online or on
television) a local public
meeting
26%
Attended a local public
meeting (of local elected
officials like City Council or
County Commissioners,
advisory boards, town
halls, HOA, neighborhood
watch, etc.)
24%
Participated in a civic
group (including Elks,
Kiwanis, Masons, etc.)
12%
Characteristic % yes Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
72
Section 12C: Social Engagement
It is well documented that social support also has many mental and physical
health benefits. Extensive opportunities for recreation, the arts and social
interaction make a community more attractive, especially to older adults.
Livability score
Average of community quality items
62
Livability score trend unavailable.
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have a prior livability
score, trends for livability aren't available. Trends will be available a er this survey has
been conducted a second time.
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
73
Related survey results
Items on the survey related to this topic are shown below. These tables display
the ratings given by respondents, as well as a comparison to the national
benchmark (average ratings from communities across the nation) and, if
available, comparisons to ratings from the most recently implemented survey.
Average Number of Hours Providing Care
Average number of hours spent per respondent in a typical week
Talking or visiting with
friends/family 6.8 5.8
Assisting friends,
relatives, or neighbors 4 3.4
Certain trends unavailable
Because Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging doesn't have any prior
measurements for certain characteristics, those characteristics don't have trend
values. All characteristics will have trends a er this survey has been conducted a
second time.
Characteristic Average #
of Hours
Previous
Measurement
National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
74
Potential Problems
Percent reporting minor problem, moderate problem or major problem.
Having interesting social
events or activities to
attend
42%N/A
Feeling bored 38%
Having interesting
recreational or cultural
activities to attend
38%N/A
Characteristic %
problematic Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
75
Quality of Community
Percent reporting excellent or good.
Overall quality of parks
and recreation
opportunities
76%N/A
Opportunities to attend
religious or spiritual
activities
74%
Recreation opportunities
(including games, arts,
library services, etc.)
62%
Overall opportunities for
education, culture, and the
arts
60%N/A
Opportunities to attend
social events or activities 52%
Opportunities to enroll in
skill-building or personal
enrichment classes
43%
Status Indicators - Activities
Percent reporting 1 to 3 hours, 4 to 5 hours, 6 to 10 hours, 11 to 19 hours or 20
or more hours.
Talking or visiting with
friends/family 96%
Assisting friends, relatives,
or neighbors 81%
Characteristic %
positive Trend National
Benchmark
Characteristic % of
respondents Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
76
Status Indicators - Participation
Percent reporting yes.
Used a public library in
your community 54%
Participated in religious or
spiritual activities with
others
43%
Used a recreation center in
your community 35%
Participated in a recreation
program or group activity 32%
Participated in a club
(including book, dance,
game, and other social)
31%
Used a senior center in
your community 17%
Characteristic % yes Trend National
Benchmark
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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Section 13: Economic Contribution
Productive behavior is “any activity, paid or unpaid, that generates
goods or services of economic value.” Productive activities include
many types of paid and unpaid work, as well as services provided to
friends, family or neighbors. Older adults make significant
contributions (paid and unpaid) to the communities in which they live.
In addition to their paid work, older adults contribute to the economy
through volunteering, providing informal help to family and friends,
and caregiving.
Economic Contribution of Older Adults in Colorado Association
of Area Agencies on Aging
The calculations of the economic contributions of older adults in
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging were rough estimates
using data from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor
Statistics (Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational
Employment and Wage Estimates).
Economic Contribution of Older Adults
% of older
adults
# of older
adults
Average #
of hours
Average
hourly
rate
Annual total
1
***
***
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Providing
care to older
adult(s)
35%399,686 9.41 $14.59 $2,852,205,310
Providing
care to
adult(s)
16%188,941 7.38 $14.59 $1,058,129,759
Providing
care to
child(ren)
20%230,018 9.42 $15.19 $1,712,166,772
Providing
help to
family and
friends
82%942,086 5.12 $17.42 $4,365,766,726
Volunteering 54%621,400 4.92 $21.46 $3,410,646,328
Subtotal
unpaid $13,398,914,896
Working part
time 13%154,472 15 $29.25 $3,524,278,680
Working full
time 19%220,352 32 $29.25 $10,724,972,544
Subtotal
paid $14,249,251,224
Total
contribution $27,648,166,120
Rowe JW, Kahn RL. Successful Aging. New York: Pantheon Books;
1998.
* Based on U.S. Census Bureau - 2019 American Community Survey;
about 1,145,200 adults age 60 and over in the state.
** Respondents were asked to select a range of hours. The average
number of hours was calculated from the mid-point of the response
scale. For example, a response of 1 to 3 hours equated to 2 hours and
a response of never was assumed to be zero hours. In cases where the
respondent chose a response that indicated 11 or more hours or 20 or
more hours, the number of hours was calculated as 125% of 11 and
1
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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125% of 20 (i.e., 13.75 and 25 respectively). Working full time was
assumed to be 32 hours per week and working part time was assumed
to be 15 hours per week.
*** The economic value of an hour worked was assumed to be the
same as the average hourly wage as calculated by the Bureau of Labor
statistics for similar types of work in undefined. Providing care for older
adults and adults was assumed to be the equivalent of “Personal and
Home Care Aides.” Providing care for children was assumed to be the
equivalent of “Child Care Workers.” Providing help to family and friends
was assumed to be the equivalent of “Personal Care and Service
Occupations.” Volunteering was assumed to be the equivalent of
“Office Clerks, General.” Working full time and part time was assumed
to be the equivalent of “All Occupations.”
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Section 14: Community Needs
The individual survey questions about specific problems faced by older
community members were summarized into the 17 larger categories to
provide a broad picture of older resident needs in Colorado Association
of Area Agencies on Aging. The figure below shows the percent of
respondents who reported that one or more items within each of these
17 areas was a major or moderate problem. (See Methods for more
information on the items included in each area.)
Typically, it is understood that the self-reported needs of older adults
represent a minimum level, a conservative estimate attenuated by
respondents’ strong desire to feel and appear self-reliant and further
reduced by the silent voice of some older adults who, no matter how
sensitive the attempt, are too frail to participate in any survey
enterprise.
Percent and Estimated Number of Older Adults With a Need
Percent with need Number affected
(N=1,145,200)
Housing 41%468,571
Mobility 23%258,914
Employment 20%225,983
Finances 28%318,373
Equity 8%86,267
Community Inclusivity 21%238,382
Safety 13%150,979
Physical Health 33%383,258
Mental Health 26%292,389
Health Care 41%470,323
Independent Living 9%99,829
Information on Available
Older Adult Services 40%456,146
*
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Percent with need Number affected
(N=1,145,200)
Housing 41%468,571
Mobility 23%258,914
Civic Engagement 25%289,534
Social Engagement 24%276,080
Caregiving 12%133,657
Populations at Higher Risk
As people age, many learn to take better care of themselves, to plan
for retirement and, generally, to move more deliberately. Aging builds
wisdom but can sap resources — physical, emotional and financial.
Even those blessed by good luck or prescient enough to plan
comprehensively for the best future may find themselves with
unanticipated needs or with physical, emotional or financial strengths
that could endure only with help. Some people age better than others,
and aging well requires certain strengths that are inherent and others
that can be supported by assistance from the private sector and
government.
The tables below show the reported needs within each category of
livability of Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging's older
adult population, by demographic subgroup. This information can help
identify which groups are at higher risk in the community and account
for sociodemographic disparities when addressing these needs.
Percent Needs of Older Population by Sociodemographic
Characteristics, (1,145,200)
The sociodemographic characteristics examined included Gender, Age,
Race, Ethnicity, Annual Household Income, Housing Tenure (Rent or
Own), and Household Composition (Lives alone or Lives with others)
Housing Mobility Employment Finances Equity
Female 45%23%19%29%8%
Male 37%22%20%26%7%
*
*
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60 to 64
years 36%19%22%31%10%
65 to 74
years 39%22%20%27%7%
75 or over 50%28%18%25%6%
White 39%22%19%26%7%
Not white 54%31%30%45%15%
Hispanic 52%31%29%43%12%
Not
Hispanic 39%21%19%26%7%
Less than
$25,000 64%34%34%58%13%
$25,000 to
$74,999 44%24%22%30%8%
$75,000 or
more 50%28%18%25%6%
Rent 60%34%30%50%14%
Own 37%20%17%23%6%
Lives alone 51%26%23%35%10%
Lives with
others 36%21%18%24%7%
Overall 41%23%20%28%8%
Community
Inclusivity Safety Physical
Health
Mental
Health
Health
Care
Independent
Living
Female 21%13%35%27%40%10%
Male 20%13%32%24%42%8%
60 to 64
years 22%14%31%26%51%8%
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65 to 74
years 21%13%31%23%39%7%
75 or
over 20%13%40%29%34%13%
White 20%12%32%25%40%8%
Not white 30%22%46%35%53%15%
Hispanic 24%20%45%34%49%14%
Not
Hispanic 20%12%32%24%40%8%
Less than
$25,000 38%21%57%40%57%19%
$25,000
to
$74,999
21%14%36%26%44%9%
$75,000
or more 20%13%40%29%34%13%
Rent 32%21%51%36%51%17%
Own 18%11%30%23%39%7%
Lives
alone 29%16%41%33%41%12%
Lives
with
others
17%12%30%22%41%7%
Overall 21%13%33%26%41%9%
Information on
Available
Older Adult
Services
Civic
Engagement
Social
Engagement Caregiving
Female 40%24%24%12%
Male 39%26%24%11%
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Information on
Available
Older Adult
Services
Civic
Engagement
Social
Engagement Caregiving
60 to 64
years 45%29%25%14%
65 to 74
years 38%24%23%11%
75 or over 37%23%25%10%
White 39%24%23%11%
Not white 52%33%32%14%
Hispanic 50%31%30%15%
Not
Hispanic 39%25%23%11%
Less than
$25,000 53%35%38%14%
$25,000 to
$74,999 42%26%25%13%
$75,000 or
more 37%23%25%10%
Rent 49%33%34%14%
Own 38%24%22%11%
Lives alone 43%28%29%8%
Lives with
others 38%24%22%13%
Overall 40%25%24%12%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 American Community Survey 5-
Year Estimates
*
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Section 15: Full Results (with No Opinion)
These results include all questions. The results include the percentage that responded for each answer choice and the number of
responses. If the choices included a choice with no opinion (like don't know or not applicable), they will be shown in this section. The
following section shows the results with no opinion choices.
1. In which category is your age?
Answer Choice Percent
50-54 years 0% (0)
55-59 years 0% (0)
60-64 years 29% (6820)
65-69 years 23% (5299)
70-74 years 21% (4965)
75-79 years 13% (3071)
80-84 years 8% (1903)
85-89 years 4% (885)
90-94 years 1% (340)
95 years or older 0% (92)
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2. Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in your community.
Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know
Your community as a place to live 32% (7483)51% (11931)13% (3103)3% (593)0% (92)
Your neighborhood as a place to live 39% (9009)44% (10123)14% (3105)3% (635)0% (64)
Your community as a place to retire 24% (5456)40% (9243)24% (5534)9% (2150)2% (496)
Sense of community in your community 18% (4046)38% (8581)31% (7113)10% (2395)3% (734)
The overall quality of life in your community 25% (5802)52% (11981)18% (4234)3% (695)1% (209)
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3. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to your community as a whole.
Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't
know
Overall economic health of your community 14% (3322)49% (11311)26% (5912)6% (1273)6% (1289)
Overall quality of the transportation system (auto, bicycle,
foot, bus) in your community
12% (2848)37% (8590)32% (7289)15% (3501)4% (807)
Overall design or layout of your community's residential and
commercial areas (e.g., homes, buildings, streets, parks,
etc.)
15% (3419)46% (10603)30% (6851)8% (1858)1% (317)
Overall quality of the utility infrastructure in your community
(water, sewer, storm water, electric/gas, broadband)
18% (4186)47% (10874)24% (5421)8% (1916)3% (667)
Overall feeling of safety in your community 20% (4562)48% (11095)23% (5321)9% (1982)1% (117)
Overall quality of natural environment in your community 29% (6674)44% (10133)21% (4853)5% (1037)2% (357)
Overall quality of parks and recreation opportunities 32% (7320)42% (9721)18% (4107)6% (1380)2% (543)
Overall health and wellness opportunities in your community 21% (4795)43% (9835)23% (5406)8% (1771)5% (1261)
Overall opportunities for education, culture, and the arts 17% (4017)39% (9079)26% (6099)11% (2641)5% (1206)
Residents' connection and engagement with their
community
9% (2154)35% (8129)36% (8299)11% (2576)8% (1935)
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4. How would you rate the overall services provided to older adults in your community?
Answer Choice Percent
Excellent 7% (1724)
Good 34% (7961)
Fair 27% (6126)
Poor 10% (2412)
Don't know 21% (4866)
5. Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following.
Characteristic Very likely Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely
Very
unlikely
Don't
know
Recommend living in your community to older
adults
24% (5607)44% (10257)17% (3881)11% (2498)4% (918)
Remain in your community throughout your
retirement
44% (10161)31% (7188)11% (2509)11% (2456)3% (764)
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6. In general, how informed or uninformed do you feel about services and activities available to older adults in your community?
Answer Choice Percent
Very informed 14% (3328)
Somewhat informed 47% (10928)
Somewhat uninformed 25% (5763)
Very uninformed 14% (3149)
7. Please rate the quality of each of the following.
Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know
Your overall physical health 25% (5774)55% (12810)16% (3766)4% (934)0% (13)
Your overall mental health/emotional wellbeing 37% (8540)51% (11771)10% (2380)2% (532)0% (28)
Your overall quality of life 32% (7430)54% (12606)12% (2673)2% (424)0% (40)
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8. What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your family income in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact
will be:
Answer Choice Percent
Very positive 2% (565)
Somewhat positive 10% (2350)
Neutral 38% (8838)
Somewhat negative 37% (8622)
Very negative 12% (2892)
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9. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to older adults in your community.
Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know
Ease of travel by public transportation in your
community
5% (1227)21% (4864)26% (6077)31% (7042)17% (3856)
Ease of travel by car in your community 26% (6028)52% (12021)18% (4125)3% (635)1% (274)
Ease of walking in your community 24% (5453)42% (9670)23% (5336)9% (2156)2% (479)
Ease of bicycling in your community 18% (4227)36% (8368)22% (4985)10% (2237)14% (3193)
Ease of getting to the places you usually have to visit 23% (5368)53% (12192)19% (4426)4% (862)1% (178)
Opportunities to build work skills 3% (793)15% (3531)19% (4257)14% (3121)49% (11145)
Quality of employment opportunities for older adults 2% (492)11% (2452)18% (4158)20% (4539)49% (11266)
Variety of employment opportunities for older adults 2% (443)9% (2121)18% (4123)22% (5044)49% (11135)
Cost of living in your community 1% (307)18% (4154)46% (10524)32% (7242)3% (646)
Availability of affordable quality food 10% (2225)37% (8635)36% (8359)15% (3500)1% (340)
Availability of affordable quality housing 3% (603)12% (2708)28% (6450)47% (10849)11% (2426)
Variety of housing options 3% (769)17% (3993)32% (7226)34% (7679)14% (3248)
Availability of accessible housing (e.g., homes with a
no step entry, single-floor living, wide hallways and
doorways)
2% (539)10% (2273)21% (4841)29% (6761)37% (8626)
Availability of mixed-use neighborhoods where people
live close to places where they can eat, shop, work,
and receive services
5% (1083)21% (4933)34% (7914)27% (6155)13% (2951)
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Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know
Public places where people want to spend time 9% (2125)32% (7321)33% (7606)17% (3997)9% (1979)
Availability of information about resources for older
adults
5% (1094)21% (4855)30% (6971)22% (5041)22% (5017)
Availability of financial or legal planning services 3% (764)18% (4046)22% (4979)19% (4432)38% (8808)
Availability of long-term care options 3% (806)18% (4149)21% (4921)21% (4835)36% (8358)
Availability of daytime care options for older adults 2% (405)9% (2003)16% (3575)21% (4874)53% (12154)
Availability of affordable quality physical health care 7% (1690)30% (6971)27% (6281)17% (3900)18% (4094)
Availability of affordable quality mental health care 3% (709)15% (3507)19% (4440)20% (4623)42% (9675)
Availability of preventive health services (e.g., health
screenings, flu shots, educational workshops)
12% (2816)39% (8873)27% (6260)9% (2150)13% (2872)
Recreation opportunities (including games, arts, library
services, etc.)
17% (3882)39% (9007)25% (5672)10% (2314)9% (2136)
Fitness opportunities (including exercise classes and
paths or trails, etc.)
23% (5191)39% (9059)22% (5018)9% (2128)7% (1621)
Opportunities to participate in community matters 11% (2428)33% (7595)26% (5988)10% (2281)21% (4739)
Opportunities to volunteer 15% (3338)35% (8081)21% (4856)6% (1308)23% (5372)
Opportunities to enroll in skill-building or personal
enrichment classes
6% (1328)20% (4606)20% (4513)15% (3336)40% (9193)
Opportunities to attend social events or activities 9% (2153)32% (7317)26% (6010)11% (2594)21% (4843)
Opportunities to attend religious or spiritual activities 20% (4640)40% (9113)17% (3834)4% (919)19% (4461)
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Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know
Openness and acceptance of the community towards
older residents of diverse backgrounds
9% (2092)32% (7356)25% (5794)11% (2432)23% (5295)
Making all residents feel welcome 10% (2278)34% (7935)30% (6976)11% (2644)14% (3185)
Valuing older residents in your community 8% (1756)29% (6756)29% (6677)14% (3207)20% (4655)
Neighborliness of your community 13% (3034)38% (8795)31% (7236)13% (2974)4% (991)
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10. Older adults may or may not face a number of challenges. Thinking back over the last 12 months, how much of a problem, if at
all, have each of the following been for you?
Characteristic Not a
problem
Minor
problem
Moderate
problem
Major
problem
Don't know
Having enough money to meet daily expenses 57% (12851)18% (4111)17% (3740)8% (1854)0% (53)
Having enough money to pay your property taxes 61% (13645)13% (2911)11% (2358)6% (1302)9% (2080)
Having housing to suit your needs 71% (16119)12% (2716)9% (2046)6% (1455)1% (298)
Doing heavy or intense housework 41% (9255)30% (6881)18% (4057)10% (2206)1% (225)
Maintaining your home 45% (10135)29% (6601)17% (3917)7% (1549)2% (357)
Maintaining your yard 45% (9959)24% (5429)16% (3585)9% (2047)6% (1255)
Having safe and affordable transportation available 57% (12876)15% (3275)11% (2570)7% (1655)10% (2172)
No longer being able to drive 74% (16620)5% (1033)3% (714)5% (1118)13% (2883)
Finding work in retirement 37% (8302)7% (1567)8% (1739)7% (1608)40% (8961)
Building skills for paid or unpaid work 30% (6557)7% (1605)8% (1728)6% (1266)49% (10877)
Having adequate information or dealing with public
programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and
Medicaid
41% (9272)22% (5028)17% (3886)8% (1901)11% (2480)
Not knowing what services are available to older
adults in your community
26% (5810)25% (5651)22% (4857)13% (2940)15% (3284)
Your physical health 48% (10922)31% (6951)15% (3472)5% (1211)0% (52)
Falling or injuring yourself in your home 69% (15627)18% (4165)8% (1845)3% (629)2% (375)
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Characteristic Not a
problem
Minor
problem
Moderate
problem
Major
problem
Don't know
Finding affordable health insurance 59% (13404)16% (3633)11% (2583)11% (2438)3% (570)
Getting the health care you need 63% (14356)19% (4404)11% (2569)5% (1115)1% (231)
Getting the oral health care you need 64% (14630)16% (3621)10% (2325)8% (1734)2% (394)
Getting the vision care you need 68% (15343)16% (3682)10% (2225)5% (1100)2% (362)
Affording the medications you need 66% (15094)17% (3766)9% (2082)6% (1353)2% (412)
Staying physically fit 50% (11300)30% (6756)14% (3230)6% (1326)0% (76)
Maintaining a healthy diet 59% (13428)26% (5838)11% (2597)3% (756)0% (66)
Having enough food to eat 84% (19125)9% (2128)4% (972)2% (402)0% (38)
Experiencing confusion or forgetfulness 68% (15481)22% (5091)6% (1357)2% (552)1% (238)
Feeling depressed 62% (14176)24% (5535)9% (2021)4% (835)1% (160)
Feeling bored 62% (13989)26% (5868)9% (1945)3% (725)1% (186)
Having friends or family you can rely on 69% (15596)18% (4104)8% (1708)5% (1183)1% (114)
Feeling lonely or isolated 66% (14908)22% (4878)8% (1844)4% (876)1% (122)
Dealing with the loss of a close family member or
friend
60% (13587)20% (4564)11% (2501)6% (1325)3% (644)
Being a victim of crime 79% (17906)9% (2114)5% (1033)3% (615)4% (956)
Being a victim of fraud or a scam 72% (16272)14% (3169)6% (1443)4% (979)3% (730)
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Characteristic Not a
problem
Minor
problem
Moderate
problem
Major
problem
Don't know
Being physically or emotionally abused 91% (20590)4% (873)2% (372)1% (249)3% (583)
Being treated unfairly or discriminated against
because of your age
73% (16443)15% (3483)5% (1158)3% (762)4% (822)
Feeling like you don't fit in or belong 68% (15410)20% (4413)7% (1614)3% (684)2% (446)
Feeling like your voice is heard in the community 44% (9929)18% (4057)12% (2597)6% (1408)20% (4535)
Feeling PHYSICALLY burdened by providing care for
another person
77% (17343)10% (2337)5% (1077)2% (509)6% (1311)
Feeling EMOTIONALLY burdened by providing care
for another person
74% (16656)12% (2713)6% (1339)3% (654)5% (1241)
Feeling FINANCIALLY burdened by providing care
for another person
79% (17775)9% (2096)4% (982)2% (543)5% (1221)
Performing regular activities, including walking,
eating and preparing meals
75% (17042)16% (3570)6% (1371)3% (582)1% (155)
Finding meaningful volunteer work 53% (11960)10% (2249)5% (1150)3% (671)29% (6413)
Finding productive or meaningful activities to do 63% (14316)20% (4416)8% (1737)3% (739)6% (1373)
Having interesting recreational or cultural activities
to attend
56% (12672)20% (4470)11% (2384)4% (1010)9% (2115)
Having interesting social events or activities to
attend
52% (11803)22% (4895)12% (2693)5% (1130)9% (2125)
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11. Thinking back over the past 12 months, how much time did you spend in each of the following?
Characteristic 0 days 1-2 days 3-5 days 6 or more
days
As a patient in a hospital 80% (18005)11% (2394)5% (1227)4% (989)
In a long-term care facility (including nursing home or in-patient
rehabilitation facility)
98% (21915)0% (36)0% (57)2% (394)
12. Thinking back over the past 12 months, how many times have you fallen and injured yourself?
Answer Choice Percent
Never 67% (15496)
1 to 2 times 28% (6476)
3 to 5 times 4% (812)
More than 5 times 1% (323)
Don't know 0% (74)
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13. Please indicate whether or not you have done each of the following in the last 12 months.
Characteristic No Yes
Attended a local public meeting (of local elected officials like City Council or County Commissioners,
advisory boards, town halls, HOA, neighborhood watch, etc.)
76% (17569)24% (5594)
Watched (online or on television) a local public meeting 74% (17078)26% (6014)
Voted in your most recent local election 10% (2279)90% (20854)
Participated in a civic group (including Elks, Kiwanis, Masons, etc.)88% (20262)12% (2836)
Used a senior center in your community 83% (19143)17% (3962)
Used a public library in your community 46% (10754)54% (12383)
Used a recreation center in your community 65% (14932)35% (8146)
Participated in a recreation program or group activity 68% (15771)32% (7285)
Participated in religious or spiritual activities with others 57% (13276)43% (9847)
Participated in a club (including book, dance, game, and other social)69% (15998)31% (7135)
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14. During a typical week, how many hours do you spend:
Characteristic Never 1 to 3 hours 4 to 5
hours
6 to 10
hours
11 to 19
hours
20 or more
hours
Don't
know
Assisting friends, relatives, or
neighbors
19% (4246)50% (11363)14% (3173)8% (1766)3% (770)4% (1025)2% (536)
Volunteering your time 50% (11281)30% (6826)8% (1901)6% (1269)2% (434)2% (462)3% (601)
Talking or visiting with
friends/family
3% (800)34% (7737)26% (5965)19% (4446)7% (1709)9% (2082)1% (204)
Providing care to someone
age 55+
67% (15239)14% (3305)6% (1264)4% (830)2% (435)7% (1522)1% (293)
Providing care to someone
age 18 to 54
84% (19130)8% (1822)3% (620)2% (368)1% (198)2% (440)1% (326)
Providing care someone
under age 18
79% (18112)9% (1973)3% (795)3% (673)1% (339)4% (823)1% (232)
Receiving assistance, paid or
unpaid (e.g., with shopping,
cooking, etc.)
90% (20717)5% (1246)2% (364)1% (267)0% (93)1% (241)1% (164)
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15. Please answer the following, as they relate to Internet access at your home:
Characteristic No Yes
I have high-speed internet/broadband at home 12% (2693)88% (20321)
High speed internet is not available 88% (17117)12% (2289)
I can't afford high speed internet 86% (17120)14% (2719)
I'm not interested in high speed internet 87% (16993)13% (2490)
High speed internet is available, but is not reliable 79% (15304)21% (4144)
16. In general, how many times do you:
Characteristic Several times
a day
Once a day A few times a
week
Every few
weeks
Less often or
never
Don't
know
Access the internet from your home
using a computer, laptop, or tablet
computer
69% (15883)11% (2419)8% (1912)2% (541)9% (2008)1% (182)
Access the internet from your cell
phone
65% (14851)7% (1696)9% (1969)2% (440)16% (3756)1% (212)
Visit social media sites such as
Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor, etc.
37% (8417)15% (3417)10% (2352)4% (928)33% (7676)1% (186)
Use or check email 65% (15040)20% (4549)7% (1557)2% (454)6% (1327)0% (92)
Share your opinions online 10% (2253)4% (897)8% (1807)10% (2195)67% (15256)2% (534)
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Characteristic Several times
a day
Once a day A few times a
week
Every few
weeks
Less often or
never
Don't
know
Shop online 7% (1595)4% (836)23% (5347)38% (8663)27% (6186)1% (309)
17. How many years have you lived in your community?
Answer Choice Percent
Less than 2 years 6% (1416)
2-5 years 11% (2573)
6-10 years 11% (2612)
11-20 years 16% (3831)
More than 20 years 55% (12854)
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18. Which best describes the building you live in?
Answer Choice Percent
Single family home 76% (17663)
Townhouse, condominium, duplex, or apartment 19% (4491)
Mobile home 3% (614)
Assisted living residence 0% (98)
Nursing home 0% (3)
Other 2% (419)
19. Do you rent or own your home?
Answer Choice Percent
Rent 20% (4527)
Own (with a mortgage payment)37% (8516)
Own (free and clear; no mortgage)44% (10115)
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20. About how much is your monthly housing cost for the place you live (including rent, mortgage payment, property tax, property
insurance, and homeowners' association (HOA) fees)?
Answer Choice Percent
Less than $300 per month 12% (2606)
$300 to $599 per month 22% (4855)
$600 to $999 per month 18% (3990)
$1,000 to $1,499 per month 19% (4235)
$1,500 to $2,499 per month 21% (4648)
$2,500 or more per month 10% (2227)
21. How many people, including yourself, live in your household?
Answer Choice Percent
1 person (live alone)33% (7695)
2 people 53% (12367)
3 people 8% (1913)
4 or more people 5% (1262)
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22. How many of these people, including yourself, are 60 or older?
Answer Choice Percent
1 person 48% (10932)
2 people 50% (11547)
3 people 2% (398)
4 or more people 1% (134)
23. What is your employment status?
Answer Choice Percent
Fully retired 66% (15194)
Working full time for pay 19% (4438)
Working part time for pay 12% (2879)
Unemployed, looking for paid work 3% (591)
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24. At what age do you expect to retire completely and not work for pay at all?
Answer Choice Percent
60-64 8% (594)
65-67 24% (1812)
68-69 11% (872)
70-72 20% (1508)
73 or older 37% (2838)
25. How much do you anticipate your household's total income before taxes will be for the current year? (Please include in your
total income money from all sources for all persons living in your household.)
Answer Choice Percent
Less than $25,000 16% (3494)
$25,000 to $49,999 23% (5023)
$50,000 to $74,999 21% (4496)
$75,000 to $99,999 16% (3524)
$100,000 to $149,999 13% (2881)
$150,000 to $199,999 5% (1142)
$200,000 or more.5% (1195)
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26. Are you Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino?
Answer Choice Percent
No, not of Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or Spanish origin 90% (20566)
Yes, I consider myself to be of Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or Spanish origin 10% (2320)
27. What is your race? (Mark one or more races to indicate what race you consider yourself to be.)
Answer Choice Percent
American Indian or Alaska Native 2% (545)
Asian 2% (353)
Black or African American 3% (645)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 0% (59)
White 89% (20917)
A race not listed 4% (1038)
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28. What is your gender?
Answer Choice Percent
Woman 53% (12368)
Man 46% (10765)
Identify in another way 0% (90)
29. How do you identify?
Answer Choice Percent
Transgender man/trans man 1% (1)
Transgender woman/trans woman 1% (1)
Genderqueer/gender nonconforming 2% (2)
Prefer not to answer 93% (84)
Other 3% (2)
30. Please specify how you identify:
Answer Choice
Intersex
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31. What is your sexual orientation?
Answer Choice Percent
Heterosexual 90% (20214)
Lesbian 1% (177)
Gay 1% (208)
Bisexual 1% (156)
Identify in another way 7% (1634)
32. How do you identify?
Answer Choice Percent
Queer, pansexual, and/or questioning 1% (10)
Don't know 3% (45)
Prefer not to answer 92% (1510)
Other 4% (69)
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33. Please specify how you identify:
Answer Choice
A SEXUAL CELEBERT.A-Sexual.
All of the above.All of the above.
ambisexual: don't believe in sexual preference or sex roles asexual
Asexual Asexual
Asexual.Asexual.
Asexual.Asexual.
Asexual.Asexual.
ASEXUAL.Asexual...meaning none. Sex is ruining this country. I've got more
important things to do.
At my age none.Celebate.
Celebite.Celibacy.
celibate Celibate
Celibate.Depends on how I feel when I wake up each day.
Genderfluid I m not any of these at all.
No sex.non binary
None above.None of above.
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Answer Choice
NONE OF ABOVE.None of all.
None of the above.NONE OF THE ABOVE.
NONE!!NONE!!.
None.None.
None.None.
None.None.
NONE.NONE.
NONE.NONE.
Sexual orientation as an older individual has no meaning. Yes, I
am married to a female individual by body parts. But, you must
realize that body parts of older persons have no meaning in
sexual identifying, as you ARE ASKING. As a part of this survey
of 60+ individuals, that question is meaningless. I could live
comfortably with an individual of any orientation. I identify as
"old".
SingleCelebate
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Section 16: Full Results (excluding No Opinion)
These results include all questions. The results include the percentage that responded for each answer choice and the number of
responses. If the choices included a choice with no opinion (like don't know or not applicable), the tables in the prior section show the results
with those no opinion choices. This section shows the results without those choices.
1. In which category is your age?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
50-54 years 0% (0)
55-59 years 0% (0)
60-64 years 29% (6820)
65-69 years 23% (5299)
70-74 years 21% (4965)
75-79 years 13% (3071)
80-84 years 8% (1903)
85-89 years 4% (885)
90-94 years 1% (340)
95 years or older 0% (92)
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2. Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in your community.
Not including don't know
Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor
Your community as a place to live 32% (7483)52% (11931)13% (3103)3% (593)
Your neighborhood as a place to live 39% (9009)44% (10123)14% (3105)3% (635)
Your community as a place to retire 24% (5456)41% (9243)25% (5534)10% (2150)
Sense of community in your community 18% (4046)39% (8581)32% (7113)11% (2395)
The overall quality of life in your community 26% (5802)53% (11981)19% (4234)3% (695)
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3. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to your community as a whole.
Not including don't know
Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor
Overall economic health of your community 15% (3322)52% (11311)27% (5912)6% (1273)
Overall quality of the transportation system (auto, bicycle, foot, bus) in
your community
13% (2848)39% (8590)33% (7289)16% (3501)
Overall design or layout of your community's residential and commercial
areas (e.g., homes, buildings, streets, parks, etc.)
15% (3419)47% (10603)30% (6851)8% (1858)
Overall quality of the utility infrastructure in your community (water, sewer,
storm water, electric/gas, broadband)
19% (4186)49% (10874)24% (5421)9% (1916)
Overall feeling of safety in your community 20% (4562)48% (11095)23% (5321)9% (1982)
Overall quality of natural environment in your community 29% (6674)45% (10133)21% (4853)5% (1037)
Overall quality of parks and recreation opportunities 32% (7320)43% (9721)18% (4107)6% (1380)
Overall health and wellness opportunities in your community 22% (4795)45% (9835)25% (5406)8% (1771)
Overall opportunities for education, culture, and the arts 18% (4017)42% (9079)28% (6099)12% (2641)
Residents' connection and engagement with their community 10% (2154)38% (8129)39% (8299)12% (2576)
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4. How would you rate the overall services provided to older adults in your community?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Excellent 9% (1724)
Good 44% (7961)
Fair 34% (6126)
Poor 13% (2412)
5. Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following.
Not including don't know
Characteristic Very likely Somewhat likely Somewhat unlikely Very unlikely
Recommend living in your community to older adults 25% (5607)46% (10257)17% (3881)11% (2498)
Remain in your community throughout your retirement 46% (10161)32% (7188)11% (2509)11% (2456)
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6. In general, how informed or uninformed do you feel about services and activities available to older adults in your community?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Very informed 14% (3328)
Somewhat informed 47% (10928)
Somewhat uninformed 25% (5763)
Very uninformed 14% (3149)
7. Please rate the quality of each of the following.
Not including don't know
Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor
Your overall physical health 25% (5774)55% (12810)16% (3766)4% (934)
Your overall mental health/emotional wellbeing 37% (8540)51% (11771)10% (2380)2% (532)
Your overall quality of life 32% (7430)55% (12606)12% (2673)2% (424)
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8. What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your family income in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact
will be:
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Very positive 2% (565)
Somewhat positive 10% (2350)
Neutral 38% (8838)
Somewhat negative 37% (8622)
Very negative 12% (2892)
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9. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to older adults in your community.
Not including don't know
Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor
Ease of travel by public transportation in your community 6% (1227)25% (4864)32% (6077)37% (7042)
Ease of travel by car in your community 26% (6028)53% (12021)18% (4125)3% (635)
Ease of walking in your community 24% (5453)43% (9670)24% (5336)10% (2156)
Ease of bicycling in your community 21% (4227)42% (8368)25% (4985)11% (2237)
Ease of getting to the places you usually have to visit 23% (5368)53% (12192)19% (4426)4% (862)
Opportunities to build work skills 7% (793)30% (3531)36% (4257)27% (3121)
Quality of employment opportunities for older adults 4% (492)21% (2452)36% (4158)39% (4539)
Variety of employment opportunities for older adults 4% (443)18% (2121)35% (4123)43% (5044)
Cost of living in your community 1% (307)19% (4154)47% (10524)33% (7242)
Availability of affordable quality food 10% (2225)38% (8635)37% (8359)15% (3500)
Availability of affordable quality housing 3% (603)13% (2708)31% (6450)53% (10849)
Variety of housing options 4% (769)20% (3993)37% (7226)39% (7679)
Availability of accessible housing (e.g., homes with a no step entry,
single-floor living, wide hallways and doorways)
4% (539)16% (2273)34% (4841)47% (6761)
Availability of mixed-use neighborhoods where people live close to
places where they can eat, shop, work, and receive services
5% (1083)25% (4933)39% (7914)31% (6155)
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Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor
Public places where people want to spend time 10% (2125)35% (7321)36% (7606)19% (3997)
Availability of information about resources for older adults 6% (1094)27% (4855)39% (6971)28% (5041)
Availability of financial or legal planning services 5% (764)28% (4046)35% (4979)31% (4432)
Availability of long-term care options 5% (806)28% (4149)33% (4921)33% (4835)
Availability of daytime care options for older adults 4% (405)18% (2003)33% (3575)45% (4874)
Availability of affordable quality physical health care 9% (1690)37% (6971)33% (6281)21% (3900)
Availability of affordable quality mental health care 5% (709)26% (3507)33% (4440)35% (4623)
Availability of preventive health services (e.g., health screenings, flu
shots, educational workshops)
14% (2816)44% (8873)31% (6260)11% (2150)
Recreation opportunities (including games, arts, library services, etc.)19% (3882)43% (9007)27% (5672)11% (2314)
Fitness opportunities (including exercise classes and paths or trails,
etc.)
24% (5191)42% (9059)23% (5018)10% (2128)
Opportunities to participate in community matters 13% (2428)42% (7595)33% (5988)12% (2281)
Opportunities to volunteer 19% (3338)46% (8081)28% (4856)7% (1308)
Opportunities to enroll in skill-building or personal enrichment classes 10% (1328)33% (4606)33% (4513)24% (3336)
Opportunities to attend social events or activities 12% (2153)40% (7317)33% (6010)14% (2594)
Opportunities to attend religious or spiritual activities 25% (4640)49% (9113)21% (3834)5% (919)
Openness and acceptance of the community towards older residents of
diverse backgrounds
12% (2092)42% (7356)33% (5794)14% (2432)
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Characteristic Excellent Good Fair Poor
Making all residents feel welcome 11% (2278)40% (7935)35% (6976)13% (2644)
Valuing older residents in your community 10% (1756)37% (6756)36% (6677)17% (3207)
Neighborliness of your community 14% (3034)40% (8795)33% (7236)13% (2974)
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10. Older adults may or may not face a number of challenges. Thinking back over the last 12 months, how much of a problem, if at
all, have each of the following been for you?
Not including don't know
Characteristic Not a
problem
Minor
problem
Moderate
problem
Major
problem
Having enough money to meet daily expenses 57% (12851)18% (4111)17% (3740)8% (1854)
Having enough money to pay your property taxes 68% (13645)14% (2911)12% (2358)6% (1302)
Having housing to suit your needs 72% (16119)12% (2716)9% (2046)7% (1455)
Doing heavy or intense housework 41% (9255)31% (6881)18% (4057)10% (2206)
Maintaining your home 46% (10135)30% (6601)18% (3917)7% (1549)
Maintaining your yard 47% (9959)26% (5429)17% (3585)10% (2047)
Having safe and affordable transportation available 63% (12876)16% (3275)13% (2570)8% (1655)
No longer being able to drive 85% (16620)5% (1033)4% (714)6% (1118)
Finding work in retirement 63% (8302)12% (1567)13% (1739)12% (1608)
Building skills for paid or unpaid work 59% (6557)14% (1605)15% (1728)11% (1266)
Having adequate information or dealing with public programs such
as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
46% (9272)25% (5028)19% (3886)9% (1901)
Not knowing what services are available to older adults in your
community
30% (5810)29% (5651)25% (4857)15% (2940)
Your physical health 48% (10922)31% (6951)15% (3472)5% (1211)
Falling or injuring yourself in your home 70% (15627)19% (4165)8% (1845)3% (629)
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Characteristic Not a
problem
Minor
problem
Moderate
problem
Major
problem
Finding affordable health insurance 61% (13404)16% (3633)12% (2583)11% (2438)
Getting the health care you need 64% (14356)20% (4404)11% (2569)5% (1115)
Getting the oral health care you need 66% (14630)16% (3621)10% (2325)8% (1734)
Getting the vision care you need 69% (15343)16% (3682)10% (2225)5% (1100)
Affording the medications you need 68% (15094)17% (3766)9% (2082)6% (1353)
Staying physically fit 50% (11300)30% (6756)14% (3230)6% (1326)
Maintaining a healthy diet 59% (13428)26% (5838)11% (2597)3% (756)
Having enough food to eat 85% (19125)9% (2128)4% (972)2% (402)
Experiencing confusion or forgetfulness 69% (15481)23% (5091)6% (1357)2% (552)
Feeling depressed 63% (14176)25% (5535)9% (2021)4% (835)
Feeling bored 62% (13989)26% (5868)9% (1945)3% (725)
Having friends or family you can rely on 69% (15596)18% (4104)8% (1708)5% (1183)
Feeling lonely or isolated 66% (14908)22% (4878)8% (1844)4% (876)
Dealing with the loss of a close family member or friend 62% (13587)21% (4564)11% (2501)6% (1325)
Being a victim of crime 83% (17906)10% (2114)5% (1033)3% (615)
Being a victim of fraud or a scam 74% (16272)15% (3169)7% (1443)4% (979)
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Characteristic Not a
problem
Minor
problem
Moderate
problem
Major
problem
Being physically or emotionally abused 93% (20590)4% (873)2% (372)1% (249)
Being treated unfairly or discriminated against because of your
age
75% (16443)16% (3483)5% (1158)3% (762)
Feeling like you don't fit in or belong 70% (15410)20% (4413)7% (1614)3% (684)
Feeling like your voice is heard in the community 55% (9929)23% (4057)14% (2597)8% (1408)
Feeling PHYSICALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
82% (17343)11% (2337)5% (1077)2% (509)
Feeling EMOTIONALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
78% (16656)13% (2713)6% (1339)3% (654)
Feeling FINANCIALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
83% (17775)10% (2096)5% (982)3% (543)
Performing regular activities, including walking, eating and
preparing meals
76% (17042)16% (3570)6% (1371)3% (582)
Finding meaningful volunteer work 75% (11960)14% (2249)7% (1150)4% (671)
Finding productive or meaningful activities to do 68% (14316)21% (4416)8% (1737)3% (739)
Having interesting recreational or cultural activities to attend 62% (12672)22% (4470)12% (2384)5% (1010)
Having interesting social events or activities to attend 58% (11803)24% (4895)13% (2693)6% (1130)
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11. Thinking back over the past 12 months, how much time did you spend in each of the following?
Not including don't know
Characteristic 0 days 1-2 days 3-5 days 6 or more
days
As a patient in a hospital 80% (18005)11% (2394)5% (1227)4% (989)
In a long-term care facility (including nursing home or in-patient
rehabilitation facility)
98% (21915)0% (36)0% (57)2% (394)
12. Thinking back over the past 12 months, how many times have you fallen and injured yourself?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Never 67% (15496)
1 to 2 times 28% (6476)
3 to 5 times 4% (812)
More than 5 times 1% (323)
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13. Please indicate whether or not you have done each of the following in the last 12 months.
Not including don't know
Characteristic No Yes
Attended a local public meeting (of local elected officials like City Council or County Commissioners,
advisory boards, town halls, HOA, neighborhood watch, etc.)
76% (17569)24% (5594)
Watched (online or on television) a local public meeting 74% (17078)26% (6014)
Voted in your most recent local election 10% (2279)90% (20854)
Participated in a civic group (including Elks, Kiwanis, Masons, etc.)88% (20262)12% (2836)
Used a senior center in your community 83% (19143)17% (3962)
Used a public library in your community 46% (10754)54% (12383)
Used a recreation center in your community 65% (14932)35% (8146)
Participated in a recreation program or group activity 68% (15771)32% (7285)
Participated in religious or spiritual activities with others 57% (13276)43% (9847)
Participated in a club (including book, dance, game, and other social)69% (15998)31% (7135)
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14. During a typical week, how many hours do you spend:
Not including don't know
Characteristic Never 1 to 3 hours 4 to 5
hours
6 to 10
hours
11 to 19
hours
20 or more
hours
Assisting friends, relatives, or neighbors 19% (4246)51% (11363)14% (3173)8% (1766)3% (770)5% (1025)
Volunteering your time 51% (11281)31% (6826)9% (1901)6% (1269)2% (434)2% (462)
Talking or visiting with friends/family 4% (800)34% (7737)26% (5965)20% (4446)8% (1709)9% (2082)
Providing care to someone age 55+67% (15239)15% (3305)6% (1264)4% (830)2% (435)7% (1522)
Providing care to someone age 18 to
54
85% (19130)8% (1822)3% (620)2% (368)1% (198)2% (440)
Providing care someone under age 18 80% (18112)9% (1973)4% (795)3% (673)1% (339)4% (823)
Receiving assistance, paid or unpaid
(e.g., with shopping, cooking, etc.)
90% (20717)5% (1246)2% (364)1% (267)0% (93)1% (241)
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15. Please answer the following, as they relate to Internet access at your home:
Not including don't know
Characteristic No Yes
I have high-speed internet/broadband at home 12% (2693)88% (20321)
High speed internet is not available 88% (17117)12% (2289)
I can't afford high speed internet 86% (17120)14% (2719)
I'm not interested in high speed internet 87% (16993)13% (2490)
High speed internet is available, but is not reliable 79% (15304)21% (4144)
16. In general, how many times do you:
Not including don't know
Characteristic Several times a
day
Once a day A few times a
week
Every few
weeks
Less often or
never
Access the internet from your home using a
computer, laptop, or tablet computer
70% (15883)11% (2419)8% (1912)2% (541)9% (2008)
Access the internet from your cell phone 65% (14851)7% (1696)9% (1969)2% (440)17% (3756)
Visit social media sites such as Facebook,
Twitter, Nextdoor, etc.
37% (8417)15% (3417)10% (2352)4% (928)34% (7676)
Use or check email 66% (15040)20% (4549)7% (1557)2% (454)6% (1327)
Share your opinions online 10% (2253)4% (897)8% (1807)10% (2195)68% (15256)
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Characteristic Several times a
day
Once a day A few times a
week
Every few
weeks
Less often or
never
Shop online 7% (1595)4% (836)24% (5347)38% (8663)27% (6186)
17. How many years have you lived in your community?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Less than 2 years 6% (1416)
2-5 years 11% (2573)
6-10 years 11% (2612)
11-20 years 16% (3831)
More than 20 years 55% (12854)
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18. Which best describes the building you live in?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Single family home 76% (17663)
Townhouse, condominium, duplex, or apartment 19% (4491)
Mobile home 3% (614)
Assisted living residence 0% (98)
Nursing home 0% (3)
Other 2% (419)
19. Do you rent or own your home?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Rent 20% (4527)
Own (with a mortgage payment)37% (8516)
Own (free and clear; no mortgage)44% (10115)
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20. About how much is your monthly housing cost for the place you live (including rent, mortgage payment, property tax, property
insurance, and homeowners' association (HOA) fees)?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Less than $300 per month 12% (2606)
$300 to $599 per month 22% (4855)
$600 to $999 per month 18% (3990)
$1,000 to $1,499 per month 19% (4235)
$1,500 to $2,499 per month 21% (4648)
$2,500 or more per month 10% (2227)
21. How many people, including yourself, live in your household?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
1 person (live alone)33% (7695)
2 people 53% (12367)
3 people 8% (1913)
4 or more people 5% (1262)
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22. How many of these people, including yourself, are 60 or older?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
1 person 48% (10932)
2 people 50% (11547)
3 people 2% (398)
4 or more people 1% (134)
23. What is your employment status?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Fully retired 66% (15194)
Working full time for pay 19% (4438)
Working part time for pay 12% (2879)
Unemployed, looking for paid work 3% (591)
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24. At what age do you expect to retire completely and not work for pay at all?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
60-64 8% (594)
65-67 24% (1812)
68-69 11% (872)
70-72 20% (1508)
73 or older 37% (2838)
25. How much do you anticipate your household's total income before taxes will be for the current year? (Please include in your
total income money from all sources for all persons living in your household.)
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Less than $25,000 16% (3494)
$25,000 to $49,999 23% (5023)
$50,000 to $74,999 21% (4496)
$75,000 to $99,999 16% (3524)
$100,000 to $149,999 13% (2881)
$150,000 to $199,999 5% (1142)
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Answer Choice Percent
$200,000 or more.5% (1195)
26. Are you Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
No, not of Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or Spanish origin 90% (20566)
Yes, I consider myself to be of Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or Spanish origin 10% (2320)
27. What is your race? (Mark one or more races to indicate what race you consider yourself to be.)
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
American Indian or Alaska Native 2% (545)
Asian 2% (353)
Black or African American 3% (645)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 0% (59)
White 89% (20917)
A race not listed 4% (1038)
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28. What is your gender?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Woman 53% (12368)
Man 46% (10765)
Identify in another way 0% (90)
29. How do you identify?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Transgender man/trans man 1% (1)
Transgender woman/trans woman 1% (1)
Genderqueer/gender nonconforming 2% (2)
Prefer not to answer 93% (84)
Other 3% (2)
30. Please specify how you identify:
Not including don't know
Answer Choice
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Answer Choice
Intersex
31. What is your sexual orientation?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Heterosexual 90% (20214)
Lesbian 1% (177)
Gay 1% (208)
Bisexual 1% (156)
Identify in another way 7% (1634)
32. How do you identify?
Not including don't know
Answer Choice Percent
Queer, pansexual, and/or questioning 1% (10)
Don't know 3% (45)
Prefer not to answer 92% (1510)
Other 4% (69)
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33. Please specify how you identify:
Not including don't know
Answer Choice
A SEXUAL CELEBERT.A-Sexual.
All of the above.All of the above.
ambisexual: don't believe in sexual preference or sex roles asexual
Asexual Asexual
Asexual.Asexual.
Asexual.Asexual.
Asexual.Asexual.
ASEXUAL.Asexual...meaning none. Sex is ruining this country. I've got more
important things to do.
At my age none.Celebate.
Celebite.Celibacy.
celibate Celibate
Celibate.Depends on how I feel when I wake up each day.
Genderfluid I m not any of these at all.
No sex.non binary
None above.None of above.
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Answer Choice
NONE OF ABOVE.None of all.
None of the above.NONE OF THE ABOVE.
NONE!!NONE!!.
None.None.
None.None.
None.None.
NONE.NONE.
NONE.NONE.
Sexual orientation as an older individual has no meaning. Yes, I
am married to a female individual by body parts. But, you must
realize that body parts of older persons have no meaning in
sexual identifying, as you ARE ASKING. As a part of this survey
of 60+ individuals, that question is meaningless. I could live
comfortably with an individual of any orientation. I identify as
"old".
SingleCelebate
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Section 17: National Benchmark Comparisons
e=>`Rated characteristics are eligible for trend and benchmark comparisons. For trends, the characteristic must have been asked in a prior
survey, and to be statistically significant the difference between the last measurement and current measurements must be at least ${Le(e)}
percentage points. All characteristics should have benchmarks, and to be statistically significant (more/less favorable), the difference must
be at least 10 points. To be much more favorable/unfavorable, difference must be at least 20 points.\n \n Demographic questions aren't
eligible for trend and benchmark comparisons. Though all survey questions are listed in this section, demographic questions are noted as
not having trends or benchmarks.`
1. In which category is your age?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
2. Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in your community.
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Excellent" or "Good"
Characteristic % positive National Benchmark Rank # of Compared Communities
Your community as a place to live 84 203 347
Your neighborhood as a place to live 84 208 344
Your community as a place to retire 66 199 347
Sense of community in your community 57 228 347
The overall quality of life in your community 78 188 344
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3. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to your community as a whole.
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Excellent" or "Good"
Characteristic %
positive
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Overall economic health of your community 67 154 344
Overall quality of the transportation system (auto, bicycle, foot, bus) in
your community
51 197 344
Overall design or layout of your community's residential and
commercial areas (e.g., homes, buildings, streets, parks, etc.)
62 134 344
Overall quality of the utility infrastructure in your community (water,
sewer, storm water, electric/gas, broadband)
67 103 250
Overall feeling of safety in your community 68 252 347
Overall quality of natural environment in your community 74 187 344
Overall quality of parks and recreation opportunities 76 122 250
Overall health and wellness opportunities in your community 67 184 344
Overall opportunities for education, culture, and the arts 60 180 344
Residents' connection and engagement with their community 49 141 250
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4. How would you rate the overall services provided to older adults in your community?
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Excellent" or "Good"
Characteristic %
positive
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
How would you rate the overall services provided to older adults
in your community?
53 56 149
5. Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following.
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Very likely" or "Somewhat likely"
Characteristic % likely National Benchmark Rank # of Compared Communities
Recommend living in your community to older adults 71 243 347
Remain in your community throughout your retirement 78 96 149
6. In general, how informed or uninformed do you feel about services and activities available to older adults in your community?
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Very informed" or "Somewhat informed"
Characteristic %
informed
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
In general, how informed or uninformed do you feel about services
and activities available to older adults in your community?
62
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7. Please rate the quality of each of the following.
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Excellent" or "Good"
Characteristic % positive National Benchmark Rank # of Compared Communities
Your overall physical health 80 175 346
Your overall mental health/emotional wellbeing 87 43 149
Your overall quality of life 87 43 149
8. What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your family income in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact
will be:
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Very positive" or "Somewhat positive"
Characteristic %
positive
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your family
income in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact will be:
13 267 344
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9. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to older adults in your community.
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Excellent" or "Good"
Characteristic %
positive
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Ease of travel by public transportation in your community 32 159 330
Ease of travel by car in your community 79 102 347
Ease of walking in your community 67 148 347
Ease of bicycling in your community 64 44 108
Ease of getting to the places you usually have to visit 77 53 147
Opportunities to build work skills 37 47 146
Quality of employment opportunities for older adults 25 239 346
Variety of employment opportunities for older adults 22 64 146
Cost of living in your community 20 285 347
Availability of affordable quality food 48 226 339
Availability of affordable quality housing 16 246 346
Variety of housing options 24 247 347
Availability of accessible housing (e.g., homes with a no step entry,
single-floor living, wide hallways and doorways)
20 58 146
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Characteristic %
positive
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Availability of mixed-use neighborhoods where people live close to
places where they can eat, shop, work, and receive services
30 33 146
Public places where people want to spend time 45 216 343
Availability of information about resources for older adults 33 44 149
Availability of financial or legal planning services 34 58 149
Availability of long-term care options 34 69 147
Availability of daytime care options for older adults 22 53 149
Availability of affordable quality physical health care 46 227 338
Availability of affordable quality mental health care 32 198 336
Availability of preventive health services (e.g., health screenings, flu
shots, educational workshops)
58 192 336
Recreation opportunities (including games, arts, library services, etc.)62 184 345
Fitness opportunities (including exercise classes and paths or trails,
etc.)
67 167 344
Opportunities to participate in community matters 55 227 344
Opportunities to volunteer 65 133 253
Opportunities to enroll in skill-building or personal enrichment classes 43 41 149
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Characteristic %
positive
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Opportunities to attend social events or activities 52 209 344
Opportunities to attend religious or spiritual activities 74 81 149
Openness and acceptance of the community towards older residents
of diverse backgrounds
53 223 347
Making all residents feel welcome 51 155 250
Valuing older residents in your community 46 73 149
Neighborliness of your community 54 153 252
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10. Older adults may or may not face a number of challenges. Thinking back over the last 12 months, how much of a problem, if at
all, have each of the following been for you?
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Minor problem", "Moderate problem", or "Major problem"
Characteristic %
problematic
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Having enough money to meet daily expenses 57 63 149
Having enough money to pay your property taxes 67 70 149
Having housing to suit your needs 72 68 149
Doing heavy or intense housework 41 62 149
Maintaining your home 46 41 149
Maintaining your yard 47 68 149
Having safe and affordable transportation available 63 65 149
No longer being able to drive 85 65 149
Finding work in retirement 63 77 149
Building skills for paid or unpaid work 59 57 149
Having adequate information or dealing with public programs
such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
46 53 149
Not knowing what services are available to older adults in your
community
30 57 149
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Characteristic %
problematic
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Your physical health 48 53 149
Falling or injuring yourself in your home 70 57 149
Finding affordable health insurance 61 39 149
Getting the health care you need 64 51 149
Getting the oral health care you need 66 42 149
Getting the vision care you need 69 47 149
Affording the medications you need 68 51 149
Staying physically fit 50 43 149
Maintaining a healthy diet 59 51 149
Having enough food to eat 85 65 149
Experiencing confusion or forgetfulness 69 46 149
Feeling depressed 63 48 149
Feeling bored 62 55 149
Having friends or family you can rely on 69 62 149
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Characteristic %
problematic
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Feeling lonely or isolated 66 57 149
Dealing with the loss of a close family member or friend 62 50 149
Being a victim of crime 83 106 149
Being a victim of fraud or a scam 74 96 149
Being physically or emotionally abused 93 64 147
Being treated unfairly or discriminated against because of your
age
75 119 146
Feeling like you don't fit in or belong 70 52 146
Feeling like your voice is heard in the community 55 80 149
Feeling PHYSICALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
82 54 149
Feeling EMOTIONALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
78 49 149
Feeling FINANCIALLY burdened by providing care for another
person
83 61 149
Performing regular activities, including walking, eating and
preparing meals
76 46 108
Finding meaningful volunteer work 75 55 108
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Characteristic %
problematic
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Finding productive or meaningful activities to do 68 51 108
Having interesting recreational or cultural activities to attend 62 38 108
Having interesting social events or activities to attend 58 40 108
11. Thinking back over the past 12 months, how much time did you spend in each of the following?
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "1-2 days", "3-5 days", or "6 or more days"
Characteristic % of
respondents
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
As a patient in a hospital 20 81 149
In a long-term care facility (including nursing home or in-
patient rehabilitation facility)
2 63 130
12. Thinking back over the past 12 months, how many times have you fallen and injured yourself?
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "1 to 2 times", "3 to 5 times", or "More than 5 times"
Characteristic % of
respondents
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Thinking back over the past 12 months, how many times have
you fallen and injured yourself?
33 95 149
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13. Please indicate whether or not you have done each of the following in the last 12 months.
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Yes"
Characteristic %
yes
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Attended a local public meeting (of local elected officials like City Council or
County Commissioners, advisory boards, town halls, HOA, neighborhood
watch, etc.)
24 147 346
Watched (online or on television) a local public meeting 26 55 149
Voted in your most recent local election 90 70 248
Participated in a civic group (including Elks, Kiwanis, Masons, etc.)12 103 149
Used a senior center in your community 17 63 149
Used a public library in your community 54 45 149
Used a recreation center in your community 35 38 149
Participated in a recreation program or group activity 32 47 149
Participated in religious or spiritual activities with others 43 96 149
Participated in a club (including book, dance, game, and other social)31 54 149
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14. During a typical week, how many hours do you spend:
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "1 to 3 hours", "4 to 5 hours", "6 to 10 hours", "11 to 19
hours", or "20 or more hours"
Characteristic % of
respondents
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Assisting friends, relatives, or neighbors 81 60 149
Volunteering your time 49 96 149
Talking or visiting with friends/family 96 70 149
Providing care to someone age 55+33 77 149
Providing care to someone age 18 to 54 15 79 149
Providing care someone under age 18 20 51 149
Receiving assistance, paid or unpaid (e.g., with
shopping, cooking, etc.)
10 49 108
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15. Please answer the following, as they relate to Internet access at your home:
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Yes"
Characteristic % yes National Benchmark Rank # of Compared Communities
I have high-speed internet/broadband at home 88 27 88
High speed internet is not available 12
I can't afford high speed internet 14
I'm not interested in high speed internet 13
High speed internet is available, but is not reliable 21
16. In general, how many times do you:
Percent positive is the percentage of responses that rated the characteristic as: "Several times a day", "Once a day", or "A few times a week"
Characteristic % of
respondents
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Access the internet from your home using a computer,
laptop, or tablet computer
89 108 249
Access the internet from your cell phone 82 91 249
Visit social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter,
Nextdoor, etc.
62 136 248
Use or check email 92 107 249
Share your opinions online 22 153 249
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Characteristic % of
respondents
National
Benchmark
Rank # of Compared
Communities
Shop online 34 122 249
17. How many years have you lived in your community?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
18. Which best describes the building you live in?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
19. Do you rent or own your home?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
20. About how much is your monthly housing cost for the place you live (including rent, mortgage payment, property tax, property
insurance, and homeowners' association (HOA) fees)?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
21. How many people, including yourself, live in your household?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
22. How many of these people, including yourself, are 60 or older?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
23. What is your employment status?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
24. At what age do you expect to retire completely and not work for pay at all?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
25. How much do you anticipate your household's total income before taxes will be for the current year? (Please include in your
total income money from all sources for all persons living in your household.)
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
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26. Are you Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
27. What is your race? (Mark one or more races to indicate what race you consider yourself to be.)
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
28. What is your gender?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
29. How do you identify?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
31. What is your sexual orientation?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
32. How do you identify?
Percent positive, trends, and benchmarks do not apply to this question
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Section 18: Methods
About the Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults
(CASOA)
The Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA) was
developed by National Research Center at Polco (NRC) to provide an
accurate, affordable and easy way to assess and interpret the
experience of older adults in the community. The CASOA survey
instrument and its administration are standardized to assure high-
quality survey methods and comparable results across CASOA
communities. The CASOA was customized for Colorado Association of
Area Agencies on Aging to reflect the correct local age definition of
older adults and to use official Colorado Association of Area Agencies
on Aging graphics, contact information and signatures on survey
invitation mailing materials. The Colorado Association of Area Agencies
on Aging sponsored and funded this research. Please contact Erin
Fisher and Christine Vogel of the Colorado Association of Area Agencies
on Aging at efisher@nwccog.org, cvogel@bouldercounty.org if you
have any questions about the survey.
Questionnaire Development
The CASOA questionnaire contains many questions related to the life of
older residents in the community. The instrument includes questions
related to overall quality of life, characteristics of the community,
perceptions of safety, and many different needs common to older
adults.
The questionnaire grew from a synthesis of numerous data collection
processes, including a national search of needs assessments
conducted by communities across the United States, a review of the
literature on aging, and numerous surveys and large-scale needs
assessments conducted by NRC. A blue-ribbon panel of national
experts contributed to the concept and content of CASOA.
®
®
®
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The items in the questionnaire were pilot tested on older adult
residents using a “think-aloud” method in which older adults were
asked to complete the survey and describe their thought processes
related to specific questions and question sets. The results of the pilot
test were used to alter the questionnaire for better understanding by
senior participants. The final questionnaire was tested in a set of
diverse U.S. communities and modifications again were made as
necessary.
Random (Probability) Sample Survey
Selecting Survey Recipients
One of the first steps taken to ensure survey results are representative
of the target population is to use a source from which survey recipients
are selected that provides adequate to good coverage of the target
population. This source is referred to as the sampling frame.
The target population for this survey was residents age 60 years or
older in households within the Colorado Association of Area Agencies
on Aging boundaries.
Since it would be cost prohibitive to survey every person age 60 years
or older in Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging, a random
selection of records from the sampling frame was made. This process
can be illustrated using an example that may be familiar from a math
or statistics class of a jar of marbles of various colors. If the jar has
two-thirds red marbles and one-third blue marbles, a random selection
of marbles from that jar should result in a similar proportion (although
perhaps not identical) of red and blue marbles as in the original jar.
The sampling frame used for this survey was a list of households with a
high likelihood of having a resident age 60 years or older within the
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging boundaries from
Marketing Systems Group. These lists, compiled by sampling and
marketing firms based on data from multiple sources (such as warranty
information, voting lists, and more), provide fairly complete coverage
of all members of the target population.
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Data Collection
Each randomly selected household received two mailings, about one
week apart, beginning on August, 5, 2022. The first mailing was a
prenotification postcard announcing the upcoming survey. This half-
sheet postcard included a URL so that recipients could immediately go
online to complete the survey if they wished. The second mailing
contained a letter from the Area Agency on Aging Director inviting the
household to participate, a printed questionnaire and a postage-paid
return envelope. The survey was available in English, Spanish,
Vietnamese, Korean, and Arabic. Completed surveys were collected
over the following 7 weeks.
About 13,718 (8%) of the 174,392 surveys mailed were returned
because the housing unit was vacant or the postal service was unable
to deliver the survey as addressed. Of the remaining 160,674
households that received the survey, 23,322 completed the survey,
providing an overall response rate of 14.52%. Of the total surveys
received, 15,227 were completed using the hard copy surveys while
8,095 were submitted online. Response rates are calculated using
AAPOR’s response rate #2 for mailed surveys of unnamed persons.
Open Participation Survey
In addition to the random sample “probability” survey described
above, an open participation survey was conducted, in which all older
adults age 60 years or older were invited to participate. The open
participation survey instrument was identical to the probability sample
survey. This survey was conducted entirely online. For the open
participation survey a single URL was provided to contacts from each
AAA to share with constituents through email lists, social media
accounts, service settings and community partners. The URL directed
community members to a short survey where they indicated their
geographic location and were directed to the survey for their
appropriate county and AAA. Each Area Agency on Aging conducted all
outreach, after receiving guidance on best practices for conducting
such outreach from Polco. This guidance suggested the use of social
1
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media, press releases, newsletters and e-newsletters, existing resident
email lists, printed materials, and invitations publicized at local and
virtual meetings. This survey became available to all residents on
8/29/2022 and remained open until 9/26/2022. A total of 134 surveys
were completed by open participation survey respondents.
Analysis and Reporting
Confidence Intervals
It is customary to describe the precision of estimates made from
probability surveys by a “level of confidence” and accompanying
“confidence interval” (or margin of error). A traditional level of
confidence, and the one used here, is 95%. The 95% confidence
interval can be any size and quantifies the sampling error or
imprecision of the survey results because some residents’ opinions are
relied on to estimate all residents’ opinions.
The margin of error for the Colorado Association of Area Agencies on
Aging survey is no greater than plus or minus .64 percentage points
around any given percent reported for all probability survey
respondents (23,322). For subgroups of responses, the margin of error
increases because the number of respondents for each subgroup is
smaller. For subgroups of approximately 100 respondents, the margin
of error is plus or minus 10 percentage points.
The open participation survey results were combined with responses
from the probability sample survey, for a total of 23,456 completed
surveys. With the inclusion of the open participation survey
participants, it is likely that the precision of the responses would be
even greater (and thus the margin of error smaller).
Survey Processing (Data Entry)
Upon receipt, completed hard copy surveys were assigned a unique
identification number. Additionally, each survey was reviewed and
“cleaned” as necessary. An example of cleaning would be if a question
asked a respondent to pick two items out of a list of five, but the
2
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respondent checked three; in this case, NRC would use protocols to
randomly choose two of the three selected items for inclusion in the
dataset.
All surveys then were entered twice into an electronic dataset; any
discrepancies were resolved in comparison to the original survey form.
Range checks as well as other forms of quality control were also
performed.
The online survey data was collected on Polco, an online civic
engagement platform. Use of Polco means all collected data are
entered into the dataset immediately when the respondents submit
the surveys. Skip patterns are programmed into the system so
respondents are automatically directed to the appropriate question
(skipping irrelevant questions, when applicable) based on the
individual responses given.
A series of quality control checks were also performed in order to
ensure the integrity of the web data. Steps may include (and are not
limited to) reviewing the data for clusters of repeat IP addresses and
time stamps (indicating duplicate responses) and removing empty
submissions (questionnaires submitted with no questions answered).
Survey Data Weighting
The primary objective of weighting survey data is to make the survey
sample reflective of the larger population of Colorado Association of
Area Agencies on Aging. This is done by reviewing the demographic
profile of respondents and comparing it to the demographic profile of
older adults based on the most recent Census data. Those respondent
subgroups that were less likely to respond are statistically adjusted to
be given more weight, while those subgroups that were more likely to
respond are given less weight. The characteristics used for weighting
were age, gender, race, Hispanic origin, housing type, rent or own
home, and area. No adjustments were made for design effects.
Weights were calculated using an iterative, multiplicative raking model
known as the ANES Weighting Algorithm (see
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https://surveyinsights.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Full-anesrake-
paper.pdf for more details). The results of the weighting scheme are
presented in the following table.
Weighting Scheme for the 2022 Colorado Association of Area
Agencies on Aging CASOA
Demographic Group Unweighted Weighted Population Target
Rent or Own Home
Rent 8.9 %19.5 %19.8 %
Own 91.1 %80.5 %80.2 %
Housing Type
Detached 82.2 %77.2 %76.9 %
Attached 17.8 %22.8 %23.1 %
Race
White 92.9 %89.5 %89.7 %
Not white 7.1 %10.5 %10.3 %
Ethnicity
Hispanic 6.6 %10.1 %10.4 %
Not Hispanic 93.4 %89.9 %89.6 %
Gender
Female 58.7 %53.5 %53.5 %
Male 41.3 %46.5 %46.5 %
Age
Age 60 to 64 18.2 %29.2 %29.4 %
Age 65 to 74 48.2 %43.9 %43.7 %
Age 75 and over 33.6 %26.9 %26.8 %
Gender and Age
Female 60 to 64 11 %15.1 %15.2 %
Female 65 to 74 28.2 %22.9 %22.9 %
Female 75 and over 19.5 %15.5 %15.4 %
*
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Male 60 to 64 7.2 %14.1 %14.2 %
Male 65 to 74 19.9 %20.9 %20.9 %
Male 75 and over 14.2 %11.5 %11.4 %
Reporting
For the most part, the percentages presented in the reports represent
the “percent positive.” The percent positive is the combination of the
top two most positive response options (i.e., excellent and good, very
safe and somewhat safe, essential and very important, etc.), or, in the
case of resident behaviors/participation, the percent positive
represents the proportion of respondents indicating yes or participating
in an activity at least once a month.
On many of the questions in the survey respondents may answer don’t
know. The proportion of respondents giving this reply is shown in the
full set of responses included in the Responses tab. However, these
responses have been removed from the analyses presented in the
main body of the report. In other words, the tables and graphs display
the responses from respondents who had an opinion about a specific
item.
Multiple Response Questions
For some questions, respondents were permitted to select multiple
responses. When the total exceeds 100% in a table for a multiple
response question, it is because some respondents are counted in
multiple categories.
Rounding
Excluding the Participants tab, percentages shown are rounded to the
nearest whole number. This can sometimes mean that the percent of
responses across all the possible response categories may sum to
something other than exactly 100%. It also means that in some
instances, the “percent positive,” “percent problem,” or other
summaries of data may not equal the rounded percentages of the two
categories. For example, if 30.4% of respondents rated quality of life as
excellent, and 20.4% of respondents rated it as good, a display of all
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging | Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults November 2022
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the responses will show 30% excellent and 20% good. However, a
display of the percent rating quality of life as excellent or good will
show 51% (as 30.4% + 20.4% equals 50.8%, which rounds to 51%).
Making Comparisons to Benchmarks
National Research Center at Polco has developed a database that
collates responses to CASOA and related surveys administered in other
communities, which allows the results from Colorado Association of
Area Agencies on Aging to be compared against a set of national
benchmarks. This benchmarking database includes responses from
more than 35,000 older adults (age 55 and over) in over 327
communities across the nation.
Ratings are compared when similar questions are included in Polco’s
database, and there are at least five other communities in which the
question was asked. Where comparisons for ratings were available,
Colorado Association of Area Agencies on Aging’s results are shown as
being more favorable than the benchmark, less favorable than the
benchmark or similar to the benchmark. In instances where ratings are
considerably more or less favorable than the benchmark, these ratings
have been further demarcated by the attribute of “much,” (for
example, much more favorable or much less favorable).
Reporting Statistical Significance
For the crosstabs of survey results by selected respondent
characteristic, chi-square or ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) tests of
significance were applied to these breakdowns of selected survey
questions. A p-value of 0.05 or less indicates that there is less than a
5% probability that differences observed between groups are due to
chance; or in other words, a greater than 95% probability that the
differences observed in the selected categories of the sample
represent “real” differences among those populations. However, it
should be noted that while these tests of statistical significance were
used to help guide readers and policy makers to differences that are
likely not due to chance alone, these types of probabilistic inferences
were designed for use when results come from random sampling alone
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Dimension of Community
Readiness
Items Included in Community Readiness
Score
Overall Community Quality
• Your community as a place to live
• Your neighborhood as a place to live
• Your community as a place to retire
• The overall quality of life in your community
• Recommend living in your community to older
adults
• Remain in your community throughout your
retirement
(for more information, see Hirschauer, N., Gruner, S., Mußhoff, O.,
Becker, C., & Jantsch, A. (2020). Can p-values be meaningfully
interpreted without random sampling? Statistics Surveys, 14, 71-91).
Community Readiness Scores
The community readiness scores presented in Community Readiness
represents the average of the questions included in the index.
Although the evaluative or frequency questions were made on 4- or 5-
point scales, with 1 representing the best rating, the scales had
different labels (e.g., excellent, very likely). To calculate these average
scores, the questions used in the index were converted to a common
scale where 0 is the worst possible rating and 100 is the best possible
rating. If everyone answered excellent, then the result would be 100 on
the 0-100 scale. If the average rating for quality of life was right in the
middle of the scale (halfway between good and fair), then the result
would be 50. This scale can be thought of like the thermometer that is
often used to illustrate total donations received by charitable
organizations—the higher the thermometer reading, the closer to the
goal. In this case, 100 (the top of the thermometer) would represent
the most positive response possible. The table below shows the
individual questions comprising each summary score for the six
dimensions of community readiness, as well as the overall rating for
the Quality of the Community.
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Dimension of Community
Readiness
Items Included in Community Readiness
Score
Community Design
• Housing
• Mobility
• Land Use
Employment and Finances • Employment
• Finances
Equity and Inclusivity • Equity
• Community Inclusivity
Health and Wellness
• Overall feeling of safety in your community
• Overall quality of natural environment in your
community
• Overall health and wellness opportunities in
your community
• Availability of affordable quality food
• Availability of long-term care options
• Availability of daytime care options for older
adults
• Availability of affordable quality physical health
care
• Availability of affordable quality mental health
care
• Availability of preventive health services (e.g.,
health screenings, flu shots, educational
workshops)
• Fitness opportunities (including exercise classes
and paths or trails, etc.)
Information and Assistance
• How would you rate the overall services
provided to older adults in your community?
• Availability of information about resources for
older adults
• Availability of financial or legal planning services
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Dimension of Community
Readiness
Items Included in Community Readiness
Score
Productive Activities
• Overall quality of parks and recreation
opportunities
• Overall opportunities for education, culture, and
the arts
• Residents' connection and engagement with
their community
• Recreation opportunities (including games, arts,
library services, etc.)
• Opportunities participate in community matters
Needs Score Items Included in the Score
Caregiving
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Feeling PHYSICALLY burdened by providing care
for another person
• Feeling EMOTIONALLY burdened by providing
care for another person
• Feeling FINANCIALLY burdened by providing care
for another person
Civic Engagement
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Feeling like your voice is heard in the
community
Needs Summary
Each livability topic covered in the survey includes a summary of
needs identified by respondents. For almost all of these needs
summaries, a respondent was counted as having a need if they had a
major problem or moderate problem with any of the items examined in
each score area. The one exception is for the independent living topic;
for this needs score, a respondent was counted as having a need if
they reported spending any time in a hospital or in a long-term care
facility in the last year.
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Needs Score Items Included in the Score
Community Inclusivity
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Having friends or family you can rely on
• Feeling lonely or isolated
• Feeling like you don't fit in or belong
Employment
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Finding work in retirement
• Building skills for paid or unpaid work
Equity
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Being treated unfairly or discriminated against
because of your age
Finances
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Having enough money to meet daily expenses
• Having enough money to pay your property
taxes
Health Care
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Finding affordable health insurance
• Getting the health care you need
• Getting the oral health care you need
• Getting the vision care you need
• Affording the medications you need
Housing
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Having housing to suit your needs
• Doing heavy or intense housework
• Maintaining your home
• Maintaining your yard
Independent Living
• Spent one or more days:
• In a long-term care facility (including nursing
home or in-patient rehabilitation facility)
• As a patient in a hospital
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Needs Score Items Included in the Score
Information and Assistance
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Having adequate information or dealing with
public programs such as Social Security,
Medicare, and Medicaid
• Not knowing what services are available to
older adults in your community
Mental Health
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Experiencing confusion or forgetfulness
• Feeling depressed
• Dealing with the loss of a close family member
or friend
Mobility
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Having safe and affordable transportation
available
• No longer being able to drive
Physical Health
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Your physical health
• Falling or injuring yourself in your home
• Staying physically fit
• Maintaining a healthy diet
• Having enough food to eat
Safety
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Being a victim of crime
• Being a victim of fraud or a scam
• Being physically or emotionally abused
Social Engagement
• Any of the following were a major or moderate
problem:
• Feeling bored
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See AAPOR’s Standard Definitions here:
http://www.aapor.org/Standards-Ethics/Standard-Definitions-(1).aspx
for more information
A 95% confidence interval indicates that for every 100 random
samples of this many residents, 95 of the confidence intervals created
will include the “true” population response. This theory is applied in
practice to mean that the “true” perspective of the target population
lies within the confidence interval created for a single survey. For
example, if 75% of residents rate a service as excellent or good, then a
4% margin of error (for the 95% confidence interval) indicates that the
range of likely responses for the entire community is between 71% and
79%. This source of uncertainty is called sampling error. In addition to
sampling error, other sources of error may affect any survey, including
the non-response of residents with opinions different from survey
responders. Though standardized on CASOA, on other surveys,
differences in question wording, order, translation and data entry (as
examples) can lead to somewhat varying results.
*Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2020 American Community Survey 5-
year estimates Age, rent or own home, and gender estimates are for
those age 60+, while type of housing unit, race and ethnicity are for
those age 65+.
1
2
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Executive Brief
Senior Report 2022
A decade of data shows encouraging progress in the health and well-being of
older adults — but challenges and disparities remain. While self-reported health
status and use of some preventive services improved, behavioral health challenges
rose. Further, a decade of progress in reducing early mortality was upended by the
COVID-19 pandemic — disproportionately impacting older Americans of color.
Adults ages 65 and older make up approximately
16.9% of the United States population, or just over
55.6 million adults, and are estimated to comprise
21% of the population (73.1 million) by 2030, according
to the U.S. Census Bureau.1 At that point, more than
1 in 5 people in the U.S. will be of retirement age as
the last of the baby boomer generation enters older
adulthood — making it essential to our nation’s continued
well-being that we understand the short- and long-term
trends affecting the health of this growing population
to inform actions we can take to improve health and
reduce disparities.
This year, in its 10th edition, the Senior Report examines
62 measures from 21 unique sources to provide a
comprehensive look at the health and well-being
of older Americans. The data demonstrate:
• Trends that reflect the changing health of our nation’s
65 and older population over the past decade.
• The impact that social, economic, environmental and
other factors have on the health of older Americans.
• Disparities in health among older Americans by
geography, education level, income level, gender,
age and race and ethnicity.
The data in the 10th annual America’s Health Rankings®
Senior Report show promising improvements in flu
vaccination, self-reported health status and oral health.
However, these signs of tangible progress were tempered
1 Vespa, Jonathan, Lauren Medina, and David M. Armstrong, “Demographic Turning Points for the United States: Population Projections for 2020 to
2060,” Current Population Reports, P25-1144, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 2020.
by decade-long challenges and wide disparities in
mortality and behavioral health. Most notably, the drug
death rate among Americans ages 65 and older doubled
over the last decade.
Meanwhile, the report finds that a decade of continuous
progress in reducing mortality among those ages
65-74 was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic,
resulting in a dramatic spike in the early death rate that
disproportionately affected older Americans of color.
While public health efforts have made great strides
in combating the pandemic — 88.9% of adults ages
65 and older were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as
of mid-March, 2022 — there remains work to be done, as
only 66.8% of fully vaccinated adults ages 65 and older
have received a booster dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
The majority of the measures included in the report
feature data from 2020 or later, providing some insight
into the preliminary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
on seniors’ health and well-being — although further
analysis in future Senior Reports will be necessary
to more clearly understand the impact of the public
health crisis on this population. Readers are encouraged
to visit AmericasHealthRankings.org, where the full
suite of report data and resources are available, along
with updated COVID-19 Report data covering topics
like COVID-19 case, death, hospitalization and
vaccination rates.
10th annual Senior Report
highlights decade-long successes
and challenges in senior health.
2EXECUTIVE BRIEF SENIOR REPORT AmericasHealthRankings.org
Flu Vaccination Rates in Adults 65+
Early Death Rate Up
After a decade of decline, early deaths
among adults ages 65-74 showed a
sudden and signiicant increase during
the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
10-Year Highlights
Long-Term Progress in High Health Status and Flu Vaccination Rates
Long-Term Challenges in Drug Death and Early Death Rates
Deaths per 100,000 adults ages 65–74 Years
2100
2000
1900
1800
2011 2020
1700
17%
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011, 2020.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011, 2020.
43.5%
2020
increase from
2011 to 2020 in
adults 65+ who
reported
very good or
excellent health.
High Health
Status13%
38.4%
2011
Flu vaccination rates increased from
60.6% to 67.3% in adults ages 65+, the
highest rate in Senior Report history —
although under the Healthy People 2030
(HP2030) goal.
70.0%
HP2030
goal
60.6%
in 2011
67.3%
in 2020
Source: CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death Files,
2008-2010, 2018-2020.
Source: CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death Files, 2011-2020.
Drug Death Rate Increase
Over the past decade, among
adults ages 65-74, drug deaths
increased 147% — the largest
percent increase compared
with all other age groups.
147%
3EXECUTIVE BRIEF SENIOR REPORT AmericasHealthRankings.org
Increases in Mortality, Behavioral Health Challenges and Obesity
2 National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Substance Abuse in Older Adults DrugFacts.” July 9, 2020.
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/substance-use-in-older-adults-drugfacts
3 National Center for Health Statistics, “Prescription Drug Use in the United States, 2015–2016.” NCHS Data Brief No. 334, May 2019.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db334.htm
4 Kuerbis, Alexis, et al., “Substance Abuse Among Older Adults,” Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 30, no. 3 (August 1, 2014): 629-654.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cger.2014.04.008
5 McLachlan, Andrew and Lisa Pont, “Drug Metabolism in Older People—A Key Consideration in Achieving Optimal Outcomes With Medicines,”
The Journals of Gerontology: Series A 67A, no. 2 (February 2012): 175–180. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glr118
Drug Death Rate Doubled Among Older
Americans Over the Past Decade
America’s older adults faced concerning decade-long
trends and wide disparities in mortality, behavioral health
and several other measures. Most notably, the rate of drug
deaths among Americans ages 65 and older doubled over
the last decade from 4.2 to 8.4 deaths per 100,000 since
2008-2010; this equates to 8,620 additional deaths. While
this change is generally consistent with trends across all
age groups, the most notable increase was 147%, from
4.7 to 11.6, among those ages 65-74 — the largest percent
increase compared with all other age groups during that
time period.
The drug death rate among adults ages 65 and older
significantly increased in 35 states between 2008-2010
and 2018-2020, led by 352% in Connecticut (2.3 to 10.4
deaths per 100,000 adults ages 65 and older), 323% in
Maryland (3.5 to 14.8) and 222% in New Jersey (2.7 to 8.7).
Drug deaths were not experienced equally by all racial
and ethnic groups. The drug death rate in 2018-2020
was 10.4 times higher among Black adults ages 65 and
older (19.8 deaths per 100,000) compared with older
Asian adults (1.9), the groups with the highest and lowest
rates, respectively.
There are a variety of reasons why older adults are
particularly at risk for drug overdoses. They may
unintentionally misuse prescription medications like
opioids,2 are more likely to be taking multiple prescription
medications than other populations3 and face other
risk factors including social isolation.4 Drug abuse is
particularly dangerous for this population: older adults
face a reduced ability to metabolize medications due to
age-related changes in the liver.5
A Decade of Worsening Mental and
Behavioral Health Challenges Among
Older Adults
The large increase in drug deaths parallels several other
long-term negative trends in mental and behavioral
health among older adults. For example, the suicide rate
increased 13%, from 15.0 to 16.9 deaths per 100,000
adults ages 65 and older between 2009-2011 and
2018-2020 — an increase of 9,239 deaths due to
4EXECUTIVE BRIEF SENIOR REPORT AmericasHealthRankings.org
increase in suicide rates among
those ages 65 and older since
2009-2011.
increase in drug death rates
among those ages 65 and older,
doubling from 4.2 to 8.4 deaths
per 100,000 since 2008-2010.
Source: CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause
of Death Files, 2009-2011, 2018-2020.
Source: CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause
of Death Files, 2008-2010, 2018-2020.
100%13%
In the past decade, many seniors experienced higher rates of mortality and increased
behavioral health challenges.
increase in the prevalence of
depression among those ages
65 and older since 2011.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System, 2011, 2020.
9%
intentional self-harm. Additionally, the prevalence of
depression increased 9% between 2011 and 2020,
from 13.0% to 14.2% of adults ages 65 and older who
reported being told by a health provider that they have a
depressive disorder. The prevalence of frequent mental
distress — the percentage of adults ages 65 and older
who reported their mental health was not good 14 or
more days in the past 30 days — also rose 8%, from
7.5% in 2011 to 8.1% in 2020.
Steady Rise in Obesity, Stagnation in
Smoking Rate Since 2011
Consistent with trends across all age groups, the
prevalence of obesity among adults 65 and older
increased 16% between 2011 and 2020, from 25.3% to
29.3%. Disparities have persisted by race and ethnicity
since the first Senior Report, with older Hispanic (36.2%),
Black (36.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (35.7%)
adults experiencing obesity in 2020 at a prevalence
nearly 6 times higher compared with older Asian adults
(6.4%), the group with the lowest prevalence.
Despite ongoing smoking cessation initiatives, the
prevalence of smoking among adults 65 and older
did not change over the past decade, remaining at
8.9% even as smoking rates declined across all other
age groups.
6 WISQARS™ Produced By: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Data Source: National Center
for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Vital Statistics System.
Decade of Progress in Reducing Early
Death Upended by COVID-19
Between 2011 and 2019, the death rate among adults
ages 65-74 (considered an early death) decreased 4%
from 1,846 to 1,765 per 100,000. However, a sharp
increase in mortality during the pandemic reversed a
decade of progress. The early death rate increased 17%
from 1,765 to 2,072 from 2019 to 2020 — an additional
118,948 early deaths in 2020. Much of this increase was
attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic; COVID-19 became
the third-leading cause of death among older adults in
2020, contributing to 76,277 deaths.6 Deaths from various
acute and chronic conditions were also higher in 2020
than in 2019 among older adults.6
This stark increase in the early death rate profoundly
affected older Americans of color. Between 2019 and
2020, the early death rate rose more sharply than
the national average among Hispanic (48% increase),
American Indian/Alaska Native (32%), Asian (31%), Black
(29%) and multiracial (19%) adults. Meanwhile, it rose
14% among Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults and 12%
among white adults. This disproportionate increase
widened existing gaps by race and ethnicity; the early
death rate in 2020 was 3.2 times higher among Black
adults ages 65-74 than multiracial adults, the groups
with the highest and lowest rates, respectively.
5EXECUTIVE BRIEF SENIOR REPORT AmericasHealthRankings.org
Source: CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of
Death Files, 2019, 2020.
Racial disparities were
relected in the early death
rate during the irst year of
the pandemic.
Between 2019 and 2020,
the early death rate for
Americans of color rose
more sharply than the
national average of 17%.
Hispanic American Indian/
Alaska Native
Asian Black Multiracial National
Average
48%
32%31%29%
19%17%
Decade-Long Improvements in Vaccination and Health Status
7 Emami, Elham, Raphael Freitas de Souza, Marla Kabawat and Jocelyne S. Feine. “The Impact of Edentulism on Oral and General Health.” International
Journal of Dentistry 2013, Article ID 498305, 7 pages, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/498305
8 Holm-Pederson, Poul, Kirsten Schultz-Larsen, Niels Christiansen and Kirsten Avlund. “Tooth Loss and Subsequent Disability and Mortality in Old Age.”
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 56, no. 3 (January 7, 2008): 429-435. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01602.x
9 Rouxel, Patrick, Anja Heilmann, Panayotes Demakakos, et al. “Oral health-related quality of life and loneliness among older adults.” European Journal of
Ageing 14 (July 18, 2016): 101-109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-016-0392-1
11% Increase in Flu Vaccination
The report found several promising improvements in
seniors’ health over the past decade. Notably, the flu
vaccination rate increased 11% between 2011 and 2020.
In 2020, 67.3% of adults ages 65 and older reported
receiving a seasonal flu vaccine in the past 12 months.
This is the highest rate since America’s Health Rankings
began tracking it in the first Senior Report. The rate rose
significantly in 26 states and the District of Columbia
between 2011 and 2020, led by 32% in Illinois, 28% in
Rhode Island and 24% in both New Hampshire and
Michigan. In 2020, an estimated 35 million older adults
reported receiving a flu vaccine.
This improvement represents noteworthy progress
among older adults toward the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2030
target of 70% flu vaccination among all persons ages
6 months and older — although continued improvement
across the broader population is needed.
Improvement in Self-Reported
Health Status
The percentage of adults ages 65 and older who reported
their health was very good or excellent increased 13%
between 2011 and 2020, from 38.4% to 43.5%. Much
of this improvement occurred in the past year, as it
increased 6% from 41.0% in 2019 to 43.5% in 2020 —
reaching the highest prevalence in Senior Report
history, with nearly 25 million older adults reporting
high health status.
Improvements in Oral Health Since 2012,
but Notable Disparities Remain
The percentage of adults ages 65 and older who reported
having all their teeth removed due to decay or gum
disease decreased 17%, from 16.1% to 13.4%, between
2012 and 2020. Despite this success, older adults with
lower socioeconomic status had higher prevalences of
full-mouth teeth extractions. For example, the prevalence
was 8.1 times higher among adults with less than a
high school education (29.8%) than among college
graduates (3.7%).
Missing teeth or having dentures can impair older
adults’ ability to speak and eat, is associated with poor
nutrition7 and can increase risk for disability, mortality
and decreased daily function and quality of life,8 as
well as loneliness.9
6EXECUTIVE BRIEF SENIOR REPORT AmericasHealthRankings.org
Flu Vaccination Rate High Health Status
increase in adults
ages 65 and older who
reported their health was
very good or excellent
between 2019 and 2020.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral
Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011, 2020.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System, 2019, 2020.
increase between 2011 and
2020 in adults ages 65 and
older who reported receiving
a seasonal lu vaccine in the
past 12 months.
2019
41.0%
43.5%
2020
6%11%
Many Social Isolation Risk
Factors Improved
Between 2011-2015 and 2016-2020, there were significant
improvements in four of six risk factors for social isolation
among adults ages 65 and older: independent living
difficulty, disability, being divorced, separated or widowed,
and poverty. These improvements suggest it’s possible
that fewer seniors were at risk for isolation in 2016-2020
than in 2011-2015. Despite this progress, continued
monitoring of social isolation risk in future Senior Reports
will be necessary to assess the impact of the pandemic.
Rankings Shaped by Unique Pre-Pandemic
Circumstances in Each State
Each state has experienced unique challenges amid the
public health crisis of COVID-19. Meanwhile, the specific
circumstances of each state’s older adult population
in the years leading up to the pandemic also shaped
its impact. The rankings in this report reflect a holistic
model that emphasizes the influence of social, economic
and environmental factors on overall health, identifying
key short- and long-term trends that state leaders can use
to tailor and target their efforts.
As the nation continues to address the pandemic’s effects,
we must also prioritize long-standing challenges and
disparities in senior health — especially behavioral
health — that emerged over the last decade and were
potentially exacerbated by COVID-19. The United
Health Foundation encourages leaders to utilize this
report’s findings and the full array of data available at
AmericasHealthRankings.org to guide discussions about
solutions and urges everyone to help seniors re-engage
with their communities after this recent period of isolation.
To make progress in improving
senior health, we must recognize
that older adults are a resource to be
tapped, not a problem to be solved.
Our communities are healthiest
when everyone is a full member with
the voice, power and opportunity to
contribute to their fullest potential.
“
”– Lisa Marsh Ryerson, President AARP Foundation
7EXECUTIVE BRIEF SENIOR REPORT AmericasHealthRankings.org
Louisiana
1
Utah
2
Vermont
3
Minnesota
4
Connecticut
5
Colorado
West Virginia
47
48
49
50
Oklahoma
Kentucky
Mississippi
Healthiest Least Healthy
State Health Rankings
Healthiest and least healthy states ranked across
social and economic factors, physical environment,
clinical care, behaviors and health outcomes.
46
Source: America's Health Rankings composite measure, 2022.
For more information, contact:
The United Health Foundation
Jenifer McCormick
jenifer_mccormick@uhg.com
(952) 936-1917
AmericasHealthRankings.org
About the United Health Foundation
Through collaboration with community partners, grants
and outreach efforts, the United Health Foundation works
to improve our health system, build a diverse and dynamic
health workforce and enhance the well-being of local
communities. The United Health Foundation was established
by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit,
private foundation dedicated to improving health and health
care. To date, the United Health Foundation has committed
more than $500 million to programs and communities around
the world. To learn more, visit UnitedHealthFoundation.org.
Community Name Address Phone Contact
Legacy Senior Residence 413 N Linden St, Fort Collins CO
The Villages on Bryan 114 S. Bryan Ave, Fort Collins
Woodbridge Senior Apartments 1508 W. Elizabeth Street, Fort Collins
Mountain View 2155 W Plum Street, Fort Collins
Windtrail Park 2120 Bridgefield Ln, Fort Collins
Northern Hotel 172 N College Ave, Fort Collins
DMA Plaza (The Remington)300 Remington Street, Fort Collins
The Sanctuary 3732 Kunz Ct, Fort Collins
Oakbrook Manor 3200 Standord Rd, Fort Collins
Oakbrook II 3300 Standord Rd, Fort Collins
Reflections Senior Apartments 321 Troutman Pkwy, Fort Collins
Cadence VOA Northern Colorado 2555 Joseph Allen Drive, Fort Collins
Oakridge Crossing 4786 McMurry Ave, Fort Collins
ILF Name Address Phone Contact
Good Samaritan 508 W Trilby Rd, Fort Collins
The Worthington 900 Worthington Circle, Fort Collins
The Winslow 909 Centre Ave, Fort Collins
Parkwood Estates 2201 South Lemay Ave, Fort Collins
Rigden Farm 2350 Limon Drive, Fort Collins
Affinity at Fort Collins 4201 Corbett Drive, Fort Collins
MacKenzie Place 4750 Pleasant Oak Drive, Fort Collins
ALF Name Address Phone Contact
Good Samaritan 508 W Trilby Rd, Fort Collins
New Mercer Commons 900 Centre Ave, Fort Collins
Live to Assist 2914 W. Prospect Rd, Fort Collins
Creekside Gardens 1000 E Stuart St. Fort Collins
Seneca House 4406 Seneca St, Fort Collins
Terry Lake 3629 Woodridge Rd, Fort Collins
Morning Star 3509 Lochwood Dr, Fort Collins
Monarch Greens 1725 Lakeview Drive, Fort Collins
Turnberry Place 2401 Turnberry Rd, Fort Collins
Brookdale 1002 Rule Drive, Fort Collins
The Residence at Oakridge 4750 Wheaton Drive, Fort Collins
Collinwood 5055 S Lemay, Fort Collins
MacKenzie Place 4750 Pleasant Oak Drive, Fort Collins
Prestige 700 Greenbriar Dr, Fort Collins
Lighthouse 700 Greenbriar Dr, Fort Collins
The Center at Rock Creek 4880 Zeigler Rd, Fort Collins
The Aspens 3150 Rock Creek Dr, Fort Collins
Eagles Nest 1026 Salmon Run, Fort Collins
SNF Name Address Phone Contact
Good Samaritan 508 W Trilby Rd, Fort Collins
Columbine West Health & Rehab 940 Worthington Circle, Fort Collins
Centre Ave Health & Rehab 815 Centre Ave, Fort Collins
Lemay Ave Health & Rehab 4824 S Lemay Ave, Fort Collins
Golden Peaks Center 1005 E Elizabeth, Fort Collins
Poudre Canyon Health & Rehab 1000 S Lemay Ave, Fort Collins
Creekside Village Health & Rehab 1000 E Stuart, Fort Collins
Rehab & Nursing Center of the Rockies 1020 Patton St, Fort Collins
The Center at Rock Creek 4880 Ziegler Rd, Fort Collins
Older American’s Month Awards
May is Older Americans Month, a perfect opportunity to show our
appreciation for the older adults and caregivers in our community. Since
1963, communities across the nation have come together to celebrate Older
Americans Month—a proud tradition that shows our nation’s commitment to
recognizing the contributions and achievements of older Americans.
The Larimer County Office on Aging will host an awards ceremony, Thursday,
May 11, 2023 honoring one outstanding senior volunteer and one
outstanding family caregiver in our community.
Due Date: All nomination forms must be turned in or postmarked by
April 1, 2023.
Winners will be notified in advance as well as the nominator. Winners are
encouraged to bring family and friends to the celebration on May 11 at 2573
Midpoint Ave, Fort Collins.
Please mail or email nomination information to:
Nicole Limoges
Larimer County Office on Aging
1501 Blue Spruce Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80524
nlimoges@larimer.org
Please take a moment to complete the following nomination form in honor of
the senior volunteer and/or family caregiver for an older adult that you would
like to recognize.
This form can also be found and completed on our website:
www.larimer.org/humanservices/aging
LARIMER COUNTY | Human Services, Office on Aging, Area Agency on Aging
1501 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524, 970.498.7750, Larimer.org/seniors
All nomination forms must be turned in or postmarked by April 1, 2023
Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award
(Stan Ulrich Senior Volunteer Award)
Criteria:
• Age: The nominee is 60 years of age or older.
• Advocacy: They advocate on behalf of seniors and/or senior issues.
• Volunteerism: The nominee graciously volunteers their time in the
community.
• Positive Attitude: The nominee has a positive attitude and is genuinely
warm and generous of spirit.
• Knowledge: They share their wisdom and knowledge with others.
NOMINEE INFORMATION:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Age:
YOUR INFORMATION:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Narrative to describe the nominee’s qualifications (in 500 words
or less). Use back of form or attach a separate sheet.
All nomination forms must be turned in or postmarked by April 1, 2023
Outstanding Family Caregiver Award
Criteria:
• Age: The family caregiver is caring for someone who is 60 years of age or
older in the community.
• Positive Attitude: They have a positive attitude and are genuinely warm
and generous of spirit.
• Willing to receive help and support: They recognize their limits and are
able to graciously receive help from others.
• Positive impact of care: The care given provides the highest quality of life
possible for the person receiving care.
NOMINEE INFORMATION:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Age:
YOUR INFORMATION:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Narrative to describe the nominee’s qualifications (in 500 words
or less). Use back of form or attach a separate sheet.