Priority Initiative 2: Public Information & Resource Campaign

“To create an older adult and caregiver public information and resource campaign with a focus on expanding awareness and connection to available programs, services and resources in OC in an accessible way.”

Priority Initiative 2 Public Information & Resource Campaign

Priority Scope

The long-term intent of this public information and resource campaign will be to address older adults and their caregiver’s concerns around not knowing what type of programs and services related to health (i.e., mental, behavioral, and physical health prevention and treatment efforts), public safety (e.g., fraud and scam prevention, legal planning, abuse and neglect reporting, etc.), and inclusion (e.g., transportation accessibility, work and volunteer opportunities, fire safety and evacuation routes, etc.) are available to them. This priority will also enhance coordination and collaboration efforts amongst the County, OC’s older adult service providers, community-based organizations, and outside stakeholders by promoting a more accessible way to access information in multiple languages, including print and digital media, for OC’s older adults.

Background & Supporting Data

Identified Need for Older Adult Resources

Health

Overall, in 2023, OC older adults have higher rates (79%) of perceived good, very good and excellent health compared to all older adults in California (75%) according to the California MPA-DD. Although many older adults are in good health, most top-rated concerns for OC’s older adults were health related conditions including Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia followed by arthritis and cancer as determined by the OC Older Adult Assessment findings. Ease of access to preventative and treatment health resources is important to help address these health concerns. While 8 out of 10 older adults reported they were comfortable navigating healthcare resources on their own, participants also reported challenges in accessing medical and behavioral health care in the past year because they “did not know where to get help”. This suggests that streamlining and simplifying the process of finding health information and resources could improve healthcare access for older adults, especially for those aged 80 years old and above, since not all older adults reported being comfortable with using technology and the internet.

Public Safety and Inclusion

Although nearly one-third of OC older adult participants in the OC Older Adult Needs Assessment identified socialization groups as being an important service for older adults, there were discrepancies among the cities with favorable ratings for having public places for older adult residents to spend time and/or having employment opportunities. In addition, unemployment or lack of job opportunities contributed to 8.5% of participant’s medical issues and 7.7% of participant’s behavioral health issues. Even more so, heath issues were reported as being affected by fraud and scams, which was endorsed by 19% of the participants. These findings suggest the need for improving access for resources to older adults within different services, as these services affect many aspects of older adult lives.

Identified Need for Caregiver Resources

According to the California MPA-DD, 13% of OC adults were providing care to a family member with a long- term illness or disability in 2023. Within the OC Caregiver Survey, caregivers - unpaid friends or family members caring for an older adult who resided in OC - acknowledged the interest in more information regarding senior services and programs, health services and knowledge of local and community programs and services. In addition, for caregivers, it was evident that caregiving takes a negative emotional, financial and sometimes physical toll on those who provide care. Many revealed that balancing caregiving responsibilities and having time for oneself was challenging. This highlighted the potential benefits of accessing more adult day-care drop-in opportunities and how to find temporary in-home care, as well as self-care and wellness resources to increase caregivers’ quality of life, options and capacity for caregiving. In addition, given their time restraints, it was not surprising that caregivers preferred online support over in-person support.

Resources & Potential Considerations

OC Cares

OC Cares is a countywide initiative addressing the needs of OC residents and accessibility to services and programs through the County’s five Systems of Care: behavioral health, healthcare, housing, or benefits and support services and community corrections. This care includes coordinated care management, linkages to programs and services, and assistance with job readiness and employment.

OC Navigator

Since 2022, the County began the development of OC Navigator, a digital navigation tool that also offers print resources, to guide OC residents to resources that support their behavioral health and wellbeing. Core features include an optional wellness check-in survey, curated lists of resources across various categories of health and wellbeing, the ability to update resources in real-time and translation in the County’s threshold languages.

Community Partners & Key Stakeholders

The County commits to maintaining and expanding its network of partners. Development of this initiative may lead to the identification of vital outside County stakeholders, contracted providers, community-based organizations including faith- based organizations, managed health care plans, private healthcare providers and other community stakeholders.

Advisory Committees

OC Older Adult Advisory Commission (OAAC) and the OC Behavioral Health Advisory Board (BHAB).

Objective Overview Public Information & Resource Campaign

Objective 1 \| Short-Term
Create two information campaigns utilizing OC Navigator specific for older adults and their caregivers.

Item Number & Description	Key Stakeholders - Implementors
FY 2025-2026 Action Items
1.1 Create a Resource Guide Initiative Action Team to develop resource guides, one for older adults and one for caregivers, consisting of key stakeholders with representatives from County agencies and advisory committees to oversee this initiative and provide relevant recommendations. Note: The Resource Guide Initiative Action Team will work directly with the OC Navigator administrator.	County / Community
1.2 Determine scope of Resource Guides, including definition of the older adult audience/populations and caregiver populations, and the identification of any specific areas for population considerations.	County / Community
1.3 Write a draft of Resource Guides, ensuring consistency in tone and readability with an emphasis on cultural relevancy, accessibility, language translation, and considerations for print guides (e.g., font size, color choices, etc.).	County / Community
1.4 Review and pick images that support content, ensuring they align with branding and messaging and include an accurate representation of the diversity of the population.	County / Community
1.5 Launch a strategic communications plan tapping into existing networks, including media channels and use of advisory committee networks, to promote the resource guides.	County / Community
FY 2026-2027 & Ongoing Action Items
1.6 Establish an ongoing review process, assign team members to revisit content every six months to update as needed.	County
1.7 Ensure the active directory of resources is accurate and updated on an ongoing basis and no less than every six months.	County / Community

Objective 2 \| Short-Term
Enhance coordination and collaboration of efforts to provide and/or expand resource fairs specific for older adults and their caregivers within all five supervisorial districts across the County.

Item Number & Description	Key Stakeholders - Implementors
FY 2025-2026 Action Items
2.1 Utilize data such as heat maps and service utilization reports to identify gaps in services/resources including accessibility to determine locations and resources to incorporate and provide data driven recommendations for outreach efforts.	County / Community
2.2 Identify partnerships with existing resource fairs for older adults and their caregivers throughout the county and coordinate additional events, as needed, with a focus on difficult to access services specific to those communities (i.e., optometry, other services not covered by MediCal, legal services, employment and financial security, physical safety).	County / Community
2.3 Ensure ongoing support, determine needed resources and monitor potential donations, partnerships and other funding opportunities to support increase in capacity or expansion of services available at resource fairs and/or operational costs.	County / Community
FY 2026-2027 & Ongoing Action Items
2.4 Establish an ongoing review process, assign team members to review involvement in resource fairs and locations to determine effectiveness every six months and update as needed.	County / Community
2.5 Continue collaboration with necessary partnerships and create new ones, when applicable, to ensure needed services and resources are part of resource fairs. Revisit on an ongoing basis, no less than every six months.	County
2.6 Report recommendations for next steps and sustainability of this initiative.	County