Orange County Department on Aging: Development of the 2012-2017 Orange County, North Carolina Master Aging Plan
Creators: name: Major, Laura
name: Perritt, Marcia
name: Woodruff, Rebecca
name: Goldberg, Phoebe
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2012

description: Background: Adults 65 years and older currently constitute roughly 10% of the total population in Orange County, North Carolina (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010a). With the aging of the Boomer population (e.g. people born between the years 1946-1964), and the desirability of Orange County as a retirement destination, this proportion is only expected to increase (Herzog, Wilson, & Rideout, 2010). This presents numerous challenges for Orange County. Among these challenges are a higher demand for health and human services, accessible transportation, affordable housing options, caregiver support systems, and information dissemination strategies. Methods: In order to address these issues, the Orange County Department on Aging (OCDOA), in collaboration with a Capstone team from the Department of Health Behavior (HB) at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health, along with other aging services stakeholders, developed a five-year strategic plan called the 2012-2017 Master Aging Plan (MAP). Methods for the MAP development process included a formative assessment over the summer of 2011, a Community Forum, a public comment period, meetings with MAP Management and MAP Steering Committees, and a four-month work group process to develop objectives and strategies in five areas: 1) Health and Wellness, 2) Housing, 3) Navigation & Transportation, 4) Community Engagement and 5) Aging in Place. Results: 113 participants attended the Community Forum. Work group participants were recruited from the Community Forum, publicity, and recommendations from the MAP Steering Committee and MAP Management Committee. Each of the five work groups met five times between November and February, and had between 13-25 participants. Each work group produced a list of objectives and strategies related its subject area, and the Capstone students compiled these recommendations after the completion of the work group process to create the draft MAP. The draft MAP was reviewed several times by the MAP Management Committee and MAP Steering Committee and made public for a two-week public comment period in mid-March. After incorporating changes and feedback from these stakeholders, the Capstone team presented the final 2012-2017 MAP to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners on May 1st. Discussion: Engaging stakeholders from the beginning of the MAP development process allowed our team to create more feasible and targeted recommendations for improving programs, services, and policies to support older adults in Orange County. To ensure the sustainability and continued implementation of the 2012-2017 MAP, we recommend that an interdisciplinary monitoring board review county progress annually, OCDOA staff job positions and evaluations are based upon the indicators set out in the plan, and an effort be made throughout the next five years to educate the public on MAP progress and its role in their daily lives.