Senior Adult Survey The Egyptian Area Agency on Aging utilized its Advisory Council, staff, and an SIUC graduate student to conduct a needs assessment of elderly people in the southern thirteen counties in Illinois prior to the development of its FY 1996-98 three year Area Plan. Over 400 seniors participated in the survey. Senior adults in eleven of the thirteen counties which the Egyptian Area Agency represents were surveyed. Scheduling problems prevented surveying in the other two counties. The purpose of the survey was to determine ways to increase the participation of elderly people in Older Americans Act programs and to determine current and future needs of elderly people in the area. Over the years, one of the concerns of the staff and Advisory Council has been that prior surveys that were conducted at senior centers may have left a biased survey result. The 1995 survey was conducted in places throughout Southern Illinois where seniors gather outside of funded senior centers; such as at AARP meetings, non-funded senior club meetings, VFW halls, and Retired Teacher meetings. By far, the surveys conducted at AARP and veteran organizations yielded the most successful results. Demographics of the respondents was recorded and included:
Seventy-eight percent (78%) of the respondents were aged 65-74. The majority of the respondents were white, with only 15 minorities responding. Most of the respondents who reported that they lived alone were age 75 or older. Respondents who lived alone expressed a strong need to interact with others. Most of the respondents indicated that they had attended a senior center within the last year, and for the most part attended on a daily or weekly basis. This measure of senior centers correlates with facts from the Illinois State Needs Assessment Survey conducted in 1991. Respondents unanimously reported that their housing situation is an important issue for them in the future. Renting from either public or private housing operators was not an important issue among the respondents. Without exception, the most common type of domicile for the respondents was a brick or wooden frame home. Mobile homes and prefabricated homes were not used by the respondents. The age of the respondents homes averaged about 43 years old. Brick or wooden frame homes were owned and occupied by a disproportionate number of respondents aged 75 or older. At least one-third of the respondents expressed a need to know about, or wanted to pursue in the future, alternative types of housing, such as assisted living and condos or apartments. Conclusively, respondents made it known that housing is a major concern and a need which falls under “gaps in services,” and that future housing options need to be available. Without exception, respondents felt that the following services should be available to all senior adults in the area. Service priorities ranked as follows:
The first three services identified above would seem typical for most senior populations. However, respondents requesting increased access and information on housing stepped outside of the expected response. Interesting enough, it is in direct relationship with the 1995 feasibility study conducted in this area by the “Coming Home Project,” an alternative and assisted living research group. In discussions with senior adults at senior centers, it became evident that congregate meals were valued highly not only for their nutritional value, but also for the other benefits one receives by attending senior centers such as socialization, recreational activities, contact with health professionals, etc. Also, seniors expressed a concern for long term care services, asked questions about the high cost for health care, and raised questions about the quality of the health care they currently receive. Medicare, Medicaid, and the soundness of Social Security were discussed. There was an indication from these discussions that the Area Agency should play a role in the emerging long term care field. Service Provider Survey The Egyptian Area Agency mailed a survey to non-funded and funded service providers. Service providers were asked for their responses on these and other questions:
Service provider responses were useful in supporting the Egyptian Area Agency’s current planning process and obtaining perceptions of the priority need for services of the older person in the area. Transportation continued to be identified as a service needing expansion by both senior respondents and aging service providers. Home delivered meals also ranked very high as a needed service. Agencies not funded by the Egyptian Area Agency identified three service priorities for elderly people; transportation, housing, and community health needs. Gaps in Service Examples of gaps in service identified by the service providers were:
### Note: Services & providers available in Southern Illinois are listed in our Resource Guide on Aging. Return to Surveys and Research |
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