By John Zabawa, President & CEO of Seniors’ Resource Center
Colorado residents age 60 and older are a growing proportion of the population, while the costs associated with aging are rising. The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) projects that one-fourth of the state’s population will be age 60 or older by 2040. At the same time, costs for essentials like housing and health care have risen rapidly.
One solution is to increase the affordable resources that make it possible to age at home. From our experience, there are thousands of local seniors who lack support and struggle to access needed services.
Most seniors prefer to age at home. An AARP survey found that 87% of adults age 65+ want to stay in their current home and community as they age. The resources needed to make this possible, while far less expensive than assisted living, are still not always affordable to those on a fixed income.
Seniors’ Resource Center (SRC) makes it possible for more people to age at home or with loved ones. SRC provides a range of programs and connects people to resources in the community.
SRC provided services directly to over 24,000 people in 2015, including adult day care, in-home care, deep cleaning, minor home repair, care management, mental health support and transportation.
Care Managers assess complicated situations, sometimes meeting with clients in their homes if necessary. Seniors call with issues ranging from inability to pay for heat to needing minor home repairs or mental health support.
Most of SRC services are covered by grants and donations, making them accessible to those with fixed incomes.
In many cases, people just need a little help to manage their household. For more information about Seniors’ Resource Center visit www.srcaging.org or call 303-238-8151.
Photo credit: www.srcaging.org