Older Adults’ Community Assessment

By Ros Lederman

Ros Lederman, a freelance writer and fact checker, has been writing since she could put a pen to paper, back when that was what “writing” meant. She pursued all forms of writing through graduate school, finding her home writing about all things medical and healthcare. She also branched out into the world of digital accessibility, driven by passion and personal experience living with disabilities.

Fact checked by Shannon Sparks

The U.S. Congress passed the Older Americans Act in 1965 to address “community social services for older persons.” The act created more than 600 area agencies on aging and tasked them with conducting community needs assessments every two to four years.

Sixty years later, AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois — an area agency on aging that represents eight counties — is gathering data for its latest report. Other area agencies on aging include AgeOptions, which serves suburban Cook County, and Chicago Senior Services.

Gretchen Knowlton, manager of advocacy, planning, and program development at AgeGuide, says the agency gathers data in three phases: a stakeholder survey of social workers and others who work with older adults; direct surveys of older adults and caregivers; and listening sessions with older adults and community stakeholders.

Transportation and housing consistently come up, Knowlton says. “In addition,” she adds, “we hear about how much older adults rely on Older Americans Act-funded programs for things like social connection, community dining, and health promotion.”

AgeGuide expects to complete the final report by March 2026.