Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Community Assessment Tool

Community Supports

IDENTIFYING YOUR RESOURCES

  • What resources are available to help connect the target population with services, including:
    • Area Agency on Aging
    • 2-1-1
    • Resource centers
    • United Way
    • Local government (e.g., county judge)
    • Other
  • Does any organization maintain a resource guide or list of information and services specifically for older adults and their families (e.g., Area Agency on Aging, County judge, newspaper, United Way)?
  • Are business, service, and customer service personnel in your community sensitive to the unique needs of older adults?
  • What community-wide public/private partnerships have been established to address the needs of the target population?
  • Does your community's Emergency Preparedness Plan address the specific needs of older adults?
  • Will the current community support system meet the needs of the community in five, 10, or 20 years?

BUILDING YOUR COMMUNITY

  • What are the primary strengths of the community support system?
  • What are the primary gaps in the community support system?
  • What are the opportunities for better coordinating the community support system?
  • Are older adults in your community aware of community support services?
    • How do older adults learn about community support services?
    • What outreach methods are used by community support organizations?
    • How can you improve outreach/awareness efforts?
  • Are older adults in your community able to afford the support services they need?
  • How can community support providers better coordinate their activities?
  • Are there barriers in obtaining community support (e.g., geographic accessibility, affordability)
  • Are community support services culturally appropriate with regard to:
    • Age-appropriateness
    • Language barriers for non-English speaking residents
    • Literacy levels
    • Race/ethnicity
    • Disability

Back to Step 4: Assess Where your Are Today

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Updated: November 5, 2007