Preface to the 2009 Report

Every two years the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) submits to the governor the Aging Texas Well (ATW) Plan as required by Executive Order RP 42. That directive, issued in 2005, specifically requires DADS to "create and disseminate a comprehensive and effective work plan to identify and discuss aging policy issues, guide state government readiness and promote increased community preparedness for an aging Texas."

As a key component of this charge, DADS, in its responsibility to review state policy, has developed the ATW Indicators Survey, to evaluate and measure successful aging activities in Texans age 60 and older living in the community. First conducted in 2004, the 2008 survey was to gauge whether aging perceptions have changed over the intervening four years. Like its predecessor, the survey was developed around the 16 life areas that include both individual preparedness and social supports. Based on telephone interviews with over 1,000 Texans aged 60 and older, the survey provides information on how these individuals think about themselves and the communities in which they live relative to successful aging. As DADS works to meet the goals identified in the ATW 2008 -2009 Plan, the survey will be a continuing resource in helping state officials and policy makers identify and assess the needs of the growing number of people who are aging and develop strategies and programs to meet these needs effectively.

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Updated: April 11, 2012