Introduction & Methodology

In June 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-14-19 calling for the development of the California Master Plan for Aging (MPA) to serve as a blueprint for local governments and communities to build a “California for All Ages” by 2030. Part of Orange County’s process in developing its local Master Plan for Aging was to conduct a needs assessment, consisting of three surveys organized around the California priorities and accompanying strategies laid out in the State’s five bold goals: Goal 1 - Housing for All Ages & Stages; Goal 2 - Health Reimagined; Goal 3 - Inclusion & Equity, Not Isolation; Goal 4 - Caregiving that Works; and Goal 5 - Affordable Aging. The needs assessment surveyed Orange County older adults, their friends and family caregivers and paid providers to hear in which areas they believed Orange County was doing well and those that may warrant further exploration or attention.

“California’s Master Plan for Aging is a 10-year blueprint for State and local governments, the private sector and philanthropy that prioritizes preparing the state for the demographic changes and continuing California’s leadership in aging, disability and equity.”

The County of Orange is prioritizing the Orange County Master Plan for Aging and these survey findings will be integrated with other sources of information to inform its initial development. As community-based organizations, health plans and local government evaluate the capacity and types of services they currently provide for Orange County’s older adults, they can also draw from the community voices reflected in this report to help identify areas of need.

It is important to note that while some of the identified needs may already be known, they may also reflect deeply impacted issues that cannot be solved on a short-term basis. Nevertheless, within the structure of Orange County’s resources and partnerships, Orange County is dedicated to creating improvement plans that will continue to reflect community voices and diverse perspectives.

Methodology & Limitations

Community input was gathered via survey from individuals 60 years and older who resided in Orange County, and those who care for elder adults, both paid and unpaid, between September 5, 2023 and January 5, 2024. Three surveys were used to gather input – Older Adults Community Survey; Caregiving Survey; and the Paid Provider Survey. Surveys were collected using various various communication methods including online, telephone and paper in seven different languages to minimize barriers to involvement and encourage participation. The survey was available online through an Advance OC project website page and through a dedicated phone line. All participation was based on a volunteer or “opt-in” approach.

Due to the use of outreach efforts at community events and through community-based organizations and collectives, the resulting sample was a targeted convenience sample. The survey was promoted through flyers distributed at locations typically frequented by the intended population including senior centers, public libraries, faith-based organizations, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, outreach and survey administration was available for target populations at the following locations:

• Community events and community-based organizations to reach diverse populations (e.g., Alzheimer’s Association Orange County, Asian American Senior Citizen Services Center, Latino Health Access, United American Indian Involvement, etc.)
• Meals on Wheels and AgeWell to reach homebound residents
• Homeless shelters to reach the unhoused population
• The County Jail to reach the incarcerated population
• Dayle McIntosh Center to reach chronically disabled residents

Depending on the type of survey completed and/or outreach method used, participants may have received an incentive for survey completion. For example, at select in-person events, gift cards were provided and/ or staff members were available to assist with filling out the survey. In other cases, such as online, participants did not receive incentives and it is unknown whether assistance was provided while completing the survey.

Data was validated (e.g., age, location of resident, etc.) and the number of available surveys was:

• 5,657 Aging Adult Community Surveys (results included in all goals)
• 923 Caregiver Surveys (results included in Goal 4: Caregiving that Works)
• 942 Paid Provider Surveys (results included in Goal 4: Caregiving that Works)

As participants were given the choice to not answer a question, there are different response rates by item. In addition, subgroup findings were limited to those who chose to include their demographic information on the survey.

Efforts were made to survey smaller populations and historically under-represented groups. Percentages for these subgroups are reported where there at least 100 available item responses, with the stipulation that the findings are not necessarily generalizable to the overall subpopulation within Orange County due to the convenience sampling method used. To facilitate appropriate use, interpretation and comparison of the survey findings, additional resources for each goal are included at the end of this report.