County Programs and Partnerships Building a Stronger Environment for Older Adults

The County's Board of Supervisors received an update on the Aging Roadmap today, a comprehensive plan to make sure our region has the programs and resources needed to support the growing number of older adults.

By 2029, the region's older adult population is expected to grow to 820,000, making up a quarter of the County's population of 3.3 million residents.

Originally released in 2019, the Aging Roadmap is updated annually. It was created using input from community members, surveys and those who work with or serve the aging population.

"Our goal with the Aging Roadmap is to create supportive and inclusive communities where people of all ages and abilities have the equitable opportunity to thrive," said Jennifer Bransford-Koons, County Aging & Independence Services (AIS) Director. "It is thanks to the feedback we get from the community that we're able to align our programs and resources to make sure we're reaching people with the services they need and that the contributions of older adults are harnessed."

The 2025 Aging Roadmap Annual Update covers program highlights for fiscal year 2024 to 2025, including:

• More than 3,500 residents participated in health promotion programs including exercise classes like Tai Chi and Feeling Fit Club in fiscal year 2024-2025. These fitness programs have been able to expand to rural communities thanks to live streaming and collaborations with County partners.

• The Tech2Connect programserved 941 In-Home Supportive Services participants in fiscal year 2024-2025. The program helped participants find connection with others and provided mental health resources. It offered internet-connected tablets to participants along with training. Since it started in 2023, Tech2Connect has served 1,775 people.

• Aging & independence Services partnered to create nine intergenerational gardens throughout the County and hosted 65 intergenerational gardening and nutrition activities for 590 participants.

• The San Diego County No-Cost Transportation Program for Older Adultsprovided more than 28,400 one-way trips to older adults last fiscal year. Access to safe, affordable and reliable transportation is crucial for older adults to maintain independence, be able to get to the services they need and stay socially connected. Additionally, 65 older adults received training on how to navigate public transportation independently.

• Members of the Age Well Dementia & Brain Health Team provided Dementia Friends sessions for more than 280 people. The sessions covered dementia and its impact and how to create environments that are welcoming to those living with dementia.

• The Caregiver Support Program helps people who care for a family member or loved one. It provided resources to 2,943 family caregivers that included 14,683 hours of respite care.

• To promote the safety of older adults and people with disabilities, Adult Protective Services(APS) did more than 22,880 investigations while the Elder Justice Task Force focused on reducing scams and fraud.

• The San Diego Fall Prevention Task Force provided educational opportunities to more than 200 community members on how to prevent falls.

People with questions or those who want to learn more about the programs and services available for older adults can call the AIS Call Center at 1-800-339-4661 or visit the AIS website.