White Papers - Institute for Gerontology

Feedback from Interviews with Advisory Board Members

In a series of personal interviews between August 2013 and December 2013, 14 members of the newly-formed Felician College Gerontology Advisory Board responded to the same seven questions related to the needs of the aging population.

A summary of the responses to these questions is listed below in descending order of response frequency. The percentages provided show how many board members answered the question in the same way. Please note that most people gave multiple responses to each question, so the percentages reported do not add to 100%.

Because Advisory Board members represent a wide range of professional experiences, there were many responses that were not duplicated by other individuals interviewed. These perspectives are as valuable as the more common responses and are listed as “also mentioned.”

1. What are the major gaps you see regarding serving the needs of the aging population?
   • 67% - Services related to aging in place and transitional housing
   • 50% - Managing depression and dementia
   • 36% - Lack of specialized medical care
   • 29% - Transportation
   • 29% - Isolation
     
     Also mentioned: lack of consumer information, lack of support for families.
      
2. Why do these gaps exist?
   • 71% - Resources and lack of funding
   • 29% - Lack of education
   • 21% - Lack of specialized healthcare providers
     
     Also mentioned: attitudes of young about the elderly, decreasing reimbursement, transportation, lack of good healthcare infrastructure.
      
3. How are these gaps currently being addressed, and by which providers of care and services?
   • 29% - Family caregivers and volunteers
   • 14% - Financial planning professionals
     
     Also mentioned: planners and case managers, elder care attorneys, geriatricians, counties, community pharmacy programs, programs through insurance companies, nursing homes and churches.
      
4. What do you think the critical needs of the elderly are now compared to what you believe we will see in the future?
   • 36% - More dementia
   • 36% - Greater need for financial planning
   • 36% - Greater need for licensed home care administrators
     
     Also mentioned: shortage of healthcare providers, system drain on resources, need for education for care providers, need for coordinated care and “one stop shopping,” need for patient advocates, need for residential housing that provides stimuli, need for transportation, need for resources for the homebound.
      
5. Other than housing, what are the major non-health related challenges of the elderly in the local community?
   • 64% - Isolation/lack of socialization
   • 36% - Lack of support for aging in place
   • 36% - Transportation
   • 29% - Lack of education about how to access available services
   • 29% - Lack of specialized health care workers
     
     Also mentioned: insufficient daycare, expansion of regulatory environment, family support, behavioral health, finances, abuse, long term care insurance.
      
6. What kind of workforce is needed to respond to the emerging needs of the aging population?
   • 57% - Social workers/care coordinators
   • 36% - Geriatricians
   • 29% - Geriatric advanced practice nurses
   • 29% - Case workers and managers
     
     Also mentioned:  home health aides, business professionals, homemakers/caregivers, certified nurse aides, specialists in accounting and finance, occupational therapists, psychologists/mental health specialists, LPNs for nursing homes.
      
7. What kind of academic programs are needed to prepare these individuals?  Is there, and will there be a market demand to hire these individuals?
   • 29% - General Education: Everyone should have some education about addressing needs of elderly
   • 21% - Sub-specialties in social work or psychology
     
     Also mentioned: preparation for case managers, advance practice nursing, certificate programs for non-licensed personnel, certificate programs for dementia, healthcare administration.

Feedback from Consumer Interviews about Senior Services

Three consumer focus groups were interviewed about senior services in various stages of life.  As such their opinions varied based on their current living situation. Yet, there were still themes in their concerns: transportation, expenses, lack of support, lack of information cohesiveness, and the need for intellectually stimulating activities.

A summary of the responses to these questions is listed below. The various focus groups can be described as:

Focus Group A - Younger seniors and more active older seniors
Focus Group B - Older seniors
Focus Group C - Seniors living in a assisted living facility

1. What are the major gaps you see regarding serving the needs of the aging population?

2. Why do these gaps exist?

3. How are these gaps currently being addressed, and by which providers of care and services?

4. What do you think the critical needs of the elderly are now compared to what you believe we will see in the future?

5. Other than housing, what are the major non-health related challenges of the elderly in the local community?

6. What kind of workforce is needed to respond to the emerging needs of the aging population?

7. What kind of academic programs are needed to prepare these individuals? Is there, and will there be a market demand to hire these individuals?