Area’s Older Adults Face Growing Challenges, Experts Tell Catalyst Fund Members

(June 2, 2009) Recently, members of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain’s Catalyst Fund got a sobering look at the growing number of challenges facing the region’s older adult population.  The Catalyst group, which promotes meaningful and active charitable giving among interested citizens, has chosen issues facing senior citizens as the focus of their philanthropy in 2009. They convened at New Britain’s Arbor Rose/ Jerome Home on May 27to learn more about how they can best make a difference with this year’s $10,000 grant.

Speakers Julia Evans Starr, executive director of the CT Commission on Aging and Maureen McIntyre, assistant director of the North Central Area Agency on Aging, both told the crowd of 55 members and guests that the region’s seniors and their adult caregivers are facing significant challenges arising out of a system in the throes of major transformation.  

“Connecticut has begun “rebalancing” – shifting from a long-term care institutional model to providing home and community-based support for our aging population,” explained Evans Starr.  While most people view this as a positive development, she said, the system is in turmoil as agencies, caregivers and funders try to figure out how to best provide direct care to people who want to stay in their homes. 

The transition has been complicated by the economic downturn, said Evans Starr, resulting in confusion and loss of essential services to a growing number of older adults: “Although the state is receiving $3.8 billion in stimulus money, lawmakers are closing programs due to the state’s deficit.”

“There are various proposals being looked at to rebalance the state’s long-term care system,” echoed McIntyre, but in the meantime, she said services to  the older adult population are severely strained and insufficient. In large part, this is due to the convergence of a number of trends:

• An exploding population of older adults, with the number of people 85 and older projected to increase threefold in the next 30 years. Longer life spans are accompanied by chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and other conditions, which often require long-term and costly management;
• Poor economic security, leaving people financially vulnerable. Many have inadequately prepared for their long term care needs and this is complicated by the collapse of our traditional systems of pensions, Social Security and health care coverage;
• State budget cuts are trickling down to municipal budgets, causing shutdowns of essential local programs for seniors, such as van transportation to the grocery store, health appointments, etc.;
• Rising mental health concerns among the older population, including an “epidemic” of depression and suicide;
• And fragmentation of services leading to difficulty locating and accessing care despite the fact that the state has a “good array of providers.” 

The audience was told that foundations and philanthropic groups such as theirs can make a critical impact right now to help offset the cuts in government funding. “You may not be able to move mountains with a shovel, but even a small spoon will make a difference,” said McIntyre.

Catalyst Fund members will use the insight gained during this presentation to guide their consideration of applicants for their $10,000 grant award, which will be made in November.  The group will convene again in September to hear from potential grant recipients who are providing services to older adults in their four-town region of Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington.

Membership in the Catalyst Fund is available with a modest annual investment of $250 per individual or couple. Members pool their resources to learn about important issues facing our communities and jointly choose and award an annual grant to a nonprofit that is tackling that issue. To learn more about Catalyst Fund membership or the Community Foundation, please call (860) 229-6018 or visit www.cfgnb.org.

In home page photo, Catalyst member Linda Obedzinski and daughter, Katie, learned about some of the challenges facing older adults at the most recent Catalyst presentation.