The Clark County Commission on Aging released a survey this week that examines how well senior residents have connected with service providers during the COVID-19 pandemic and how those connections can be improved.
The survey is geared toward residents 60 years and older and will be distributed widely by the commission and multiple community organizations. It will be available in English, Spanish and Russian, both digitally and in print.
So far, organizations that plan to distribute the survey include Community in Motion, Cascade Inn and multiple neighborhood associations, and more organizations are expected to participate soon, according to commission member Cass Freedland.
The commission intends to share the survey results in order to strengthen community care in Clark County. Results will be available in December or early January.
“This is a way for people to relay experiences so we can see where things are working and where there are gaps in connectivity,” Freedland said. “(The commission’s) job will be to share these stories of where people have been successful, and then to facilitate and bring resources to facilitate these sorts of connections between wonderful community resources and aging adults, particularly as the pandemic lingers.”
Potential ‘blind spots’
Throughout the pandemic, the commission held conversations with experts and organizations both inside and outside of Clark County about how to support aging community members. Again and again, the question of how to connect them with important services became the topic of discussion.
“The pandemic created real difficulties and barriers in communication,” Freedland said. “There is a disconnect with people being able to connect easily, especially with vital services.”
How people connect with services completely changed during the pandemic, Freedland said, and many seniors were left behind. For example, traditional gathering spaces, such as libraries and community centers, which some residents relied on for reliable internet access, closed their doors. Connections were severed and never restored.
To help rectify that, the commission created this survey.
“We’re hoping the commission can foster awareness about the complexity of this issue, this disconnection, but also hope that we can find ways to support the creation of a more effective community,” Freedland said.
Additionally, the commission hopes to find ways to improve its own processes.
“We’ve looked at how we operated in the past, and we may have some blind spots,” commission member Franklin Johnson said. “This survey might reveal things that weren’t on our radar that we need to focus on.”
Johnson pointed out how aging residents suffered disproportionately in recent catastrophes, such as the pandemic and last summer’s heat wave.
“What we’re trying to understand is: How can we protect this particular community when these things occur, especially in terms of communication?” Johnson said. “Service providers have been helping us to understand the really Herculean lengths they’ve gone through to connect with people, and yet, there’s still difficulties in reaching everyone who needs support, so how do we fill that gap?”
Survey questions
Survey questions were developed by the commission in concert with community organizations and service providers.
Questions on the survey include:
- Who supports or speaks with you when you need assistance?
- What is your preferred way of connecting with family members, caregivers and other important people in your lives?
- What services or support would make your life better?
- What are the best ways for you to connect with service providers?
- Is there a particular connection to an organization that is meaningful to you, and can you share your story?
A link to the English version of the survey is available on the commission’s website. The Spanish and Russian links will be made available in the next few weeks.
More information about the survey and the Commission on Aging can be found on its website.
