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?

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

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Updated: September 15, 2009