AGING
WELL LIVING WELL Coalition
"Helping
older adults and those who care for them thrive."
The next meeting
will be: JANUARY 25 th at 2 p.m. in the Health Dept conf room.
** Subsequent mtgs
will then always be on the LAST Tuesday of the month,
2pm in the Health Department conference room
Coalition Minutes
Why is this an issue?
29.3% of all households
in Lafayette County include at least one-person age 65 or older.
The elderly is our fastest growing population. In
a recent interview with the director of the Commission on Aging,
transportation issues and accessibility to services were identified
as top priority needs. Lafayette County is very rural,
public transportation does not exist, and 6.59% of households
have no vehicle available. This creates the situation in
which many seniors become isolated. The director of the
Lafayette County Housing Authority, which provides housing units
for 105 senior citizens, identified the need for socialization
as her top priority. This lack of socialization leads to
a concern about Alzheimer's Disease. The Rural Outreach Specialist
of the Alzheimer's Association which serves this county, has stated
that 10 % of people over 65 years of age and 50% of people over
85 years of age have some form of dementia. Based on these
statistics, it is estimated that 400 people in Lafayette County
have dementia.
Return
to the program priorities page
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