FAIRFIELD — The first Master Plan for Aging and Disability in Solano County has been released.
“The aging of our population is not a distant future – it’s our present reality,” Emery Cowan, director of the county’s Department of Health and Social Services, said in a statement.
“Now is the time to honor the generations who came before us by investing in services, infrastructure and policies that reflect the realities of our rapidly changing community," Cowan added. "This master plan is more than a roadmap, it’s a call to uphold the dignity and well-being of our elders and to prepare for a future that values every age.”
The 51-page plan, which was two years in development, was released Thursday by the county and the Napa/Solano Area Agency on Aging and was prepared by Innovative Health Solutions.
Seeded among the pages are direct statements from residents who participated in the outreach meetings. They note the challenges they face as the age, such as money.
However, in the chapter on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, the plan addresses a number of other issues.
"... significant inequalities continue to affect the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, along with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, or Agender, and TwoSpirit+ (LGBTQIA2S+) individuals," the plan states.
"This also includes those who are aging or have disabilities, as well as the rural communities we serve. As older adults and adults with disabilities live longer lives, more of them will require long-term health care and services."
The report states that 26% of adults, 65 to 74, and 46% of adults 75 or older are living with a disability.
The county plan follows the release of a state plan in 2021 that had five goals for 2030.
Similar to the state plan, the local plan sets out focus areas: Awareness of and Accessing Services and Supports; Healthcare & Physical Health; Mental Health; Housing; Safety; and Transportation. It outlines action plans for each of those focus area.
"We anticipate that leveraging the Solano MPAD to initiate a ripple effect and rally the community in collaborative endeavors to achieve a collective impact will present a multifaceted and sustained challenge. All stakeholders involved are cognizant of the complexities and are firmly dedicated to working in unison to bring this vision to fruition," the plan states.
• Housing for All Ages and Stages – Target: Millions of new housing options to age well.
• Health Reimagined – Target: Close the equity gap and increase life expectancy.
• Inclusion and Equity, Not Isolation – Target: Keep increasing life satisfaction as we age.
• Caregiving That Works – Target: 1 million high-quality caregiving jobs.
• Affording Aging – Target: Close the equity gap and increase elder economic sufficiency.
Solano County's population of 115,287 older adults is expected to increase 15% by 2040 and nearly 30% by 2060, "straining already-limited housing, healthcare, and caregiving systems," the statement said.
"In Solano County, older adults ages 60 and older represent 26% of the population, and by 2044, they are estimated to represent 28% of the population. Older adults already outnumber children in Solano. This gap will continue to widen in the coming decades," the report states.
The report states that Solano residents live longer than ever, "with an average life expectancy of 80 years."
"Solano residents live longer lives than ever before and wish to remain in their homes and connected to their communities. However, life expectancy in Solano County is not the same across racial and ethnic groups. Besides the Asian population, Hispanics have the highest life expectancy, and the Hispanic population is expected to grow substantially over the next several decades," the report states.
"At the same time, the face of aging is changing. Vallejo and Fairfield rank among the six most diverse cities in the U.S., and by 2060, people of color will make up most of the county’s older adult population."
Currently, 46% of the senior population is White non-Hispanic; 20% is Asian; 17% is Hispanic; 14% is Black; 2% is multi-race non-Hispanic; 1% is Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; and less than 1% is American Indian/Alaskan Native, the report states.
By 2060, those percentages will shift to show White non-Hispanic numbers will be below 40% of the population, and the Hispanic population will represent 25% or more of the total.
As the population ages, the issue of income becomes more relevant.
"Females live longer compared to males (55.6% to 44.4%); this impacts the socioeconomic status of older adults, as females are more likely to experience poverty," the report states.
But women tend to have less wealth, and studies show similar disparities in populations of color.
"Aging populations often have an increased need for healthcare, which comes at a cost, and those unable to afford that increased cost may suffer poor health outcomes," the report states.
"Health outcomes vary within Solano County based on demographics. In Solano County, 5% of the population does not have health insurance. Solano County residents are enrolled in reduced-cost health plans such as Medi-Cal at a lower rate than the state average. Only 80% of Latino residents have access to routine healthcare, compared to 88% of non-Hispanic White residents. In rural towns in Solano County, such as Rio Vista and Dixon, residents have transportation barriers and limited resource access," the report states.
The plan also tells readers that the county has joined the AARP Age-Friendly Community Networks.
Source: Article written by Todd R. Hansen, Daily Republic
Photo provided by Aaron Rosenblatt, Daily Republic