TITLE
Recommendation to adopt the Long Beach Strategic Plan for Older Adults. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach Strategic Plan 2010 indicates that the City should, "Develop and
implement a plan that addresses the needs of the elderly, including safety, transportation.
housing, health and quality of life." The City Manager assigned responsibility to the
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to create a citywide plan addressing
these issues.
The DHHS worked with a broad-based community task force of more than 60 volunteers
that included older adults and representatives from the public, private, academic and
senior services sectors. Over a period of three years, DHHS staff and task force members
convened work groups and discussion panels, solicited community input through surveys,
focus groups and key informant interviews, and conducted research and data collection to
develop The Long Beach strategic Plan for Older Adults (Plan). The Plan provides
guidance for meeting the needs of the current population of seniors and planning for the
significant future increase in the city's diverse senior population that will result from aging
Baby Boomers and the anticipated steady increase in life expectancy of all persons. By
addressing the demographic, economic and social changes that the aging population will
create, the Plan is the City's response to a call to action for a heightened focus on the
problems and opportunities facing older adults.
1. TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP
The Long Beach Strategic Plan for Older Adults Task Force (Task Force) is comprised of
more than 60 representatives from: public and private sector agencies including health and
social services providers; local hospitals; the Chamber of Commerce, the local university,
community college and school district; key stakeholders, decision makers, elected officials,
volunteer organizations, faith-based organizations and older adult volunteers. Members
also included representatives from various City Departments including Fire, Police,
Housing, Community Development, Public Works, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Planning
and Building, and Health and Human Services. A complete list of all persons and agencies
that served on the Task Force or provided technical assistance or in-kind services toward
the development of the Plan is in the acknowledgement section of the Plan.
2. VISION, MISSION AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AND GOALS
The Plan presents a vision and a mission for the future of Long Beach that emphasizes the
integral role that older adults play in the community, their contributions, their opportunities
and their problems.
Vision
Mission
To improve the lives of Long Beach's diverse older adults by supporting and improving
safety, transportation, housing, health, and quality of life.'
Long Beach ... the Best City to Live in for a Lifetime.
Strateqic Directions and Goals
The Plan contains five goals and a series of action steps to achieve these goals:
1. To improve the overall safety of older adults at home and in the community.
2. To improve and enhance information, access, reliability, and affordability of
transportation services to older adults.
3. To advocate for, promote, and increase access to safe, affordable housing for
older adults.
4. To maintain and improve the physical and mental health and well being of older
adults.
5. To strengthen, promote, enhance and expand programs and services that
contribute to an exceptional quality of life for older adults.
Three Imperatives
Three overarching imperatives surfaced as priority issues to be addressed in all areas:
1. Overcome the fragmentation of services.
2. Augment local data collection processes to increase information about the city's
older adult population.
3. Decrease cultural and linguistic isolation.
Imdernentation
Implementation of the Plan will require leadership. commitment and collaboration with the
community, older adults, caregivers, and the 'public and private sectors. The Plan
proposes the composition of a volunteer implementation committee, similar in nature to the
Task Force, to implement the Plan.
This matter was reviewed by Senior Deputy City Attorney Donna F. Gwin on May 24,2005
and Budget Management Officer David Wodynski on May 25,2005.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
Action on this item is not time critical.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. Future initiatives addressing the strategic mission of this Plan that require City resources will be identified separately.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
[Enter Body Here]
Respectfully Submitted,
RONALD ARIAS
DIRECTOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES