Older adults in suburban Cook County are grappling with a range of financial and accessibility challenges, making it increasingly difficult for them to remain in their homes and communities as they age, according to findings from a study released Monday by Oak Park nonprofit AgeOptions.
Partnering with Polco, a company specializing in surveys and assessments for local governments, AgeOptions distributed nearly 60,000 surveys across the suburbs to adults aged 50 and older, targeting both the general population and specific racial and ethnic minority households, said Jason Echols, AgeOptions manager of planning and evaluation.
With nearly 2,000 respondents, the study highlights key issues faced by older adults such as limited awareness of available services, social isolation, housing concerns and financial insecurity, Echols said.
“The people in our area face various challenges, and they do not always know where to turn for help,” Echols said in a news release. “This study gives us some insights into those needs and how to reach the older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers in our area.”
The study builds off a 2023 needs assessment conducted with the University of Illinois Chicago that had 501 respondents, Echols said.
“It was great data, but it was a small sample size, and we wanted a deeper dive into some of the questions and populations in our communities in our area,” he said.
The research will offer a clearer roadmap for addressing the needs of older residents and improving their access to the support they need to thrive in their communities, he said.
“A lot of our services are best used as preventative, as planning ahead, but as a society, we just don’t plan ahead, especially around aging,” Echols said. “And people often express that they don’t know what they need until they need it.”
In Cook County, more than 1.7 million residents, about 33% of the county’s population, are 50 or older, according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s August 2024 community data snapshot.
The research conducted by the nonprofit revealed a significant gap in awareness about the services and support options available to older adults, according to Eric Cho, a planning and evaluation specialist at AgeOptions.
The survey found that 73% of respondents reported a lack of awareness of available services as a barrier to accessing support, and 64% cited this lack of knowledge as a direct problem, according to Eric Cho, a planning and evaluation specialist at AgeOptions.
“We followed that up by asking respondents to identify their preferred ways of receiving information about services and resources,” Cho said. “Notably, 80% indicated a preference for printed materials.”
Social isolation and loneliness were also major concerns, with 39% of respondents indicating they had faced these issues over the past year, Cho said.
Those who reported feeling lonely were more likely to encounter stigma, struggle with transportation and feel they had no one to help them access services, Echols said. They were three times more likely to face health care barriers and five times more likely to experience depression, he said.
Echols said community engagement is key to combating social isolation, and it’s central to many of their programs, including nutrition services, senior centers, transportation and support groups. He also highlighted the importance of culturally and linguistically accessible services, as those with limited English skills may experience isolation more intensely.
For older adults in the Cook County suburbs, housing and transportation are also key issues, the survey found.
When looking at adults aged 60 or older, 37% of respondents are considering moving in the next two to five years with the top reasons being to lower their rent or mortgage, lower household related costs such as utilities or because their home is not accessible or aging friendly, Cho said.
“Older adults are assets to our communities, towns and townships,” Echols said. “When they move, communities lose out too finally.”
Reliable and accessible transportation is also an issue for older adults, the study found, and limits access to essential services, health providers and social opportunities. Many respondents reported difficulty finding safe and affordable transportation, losing the ability to drive and not knowing how to access transportation services.
The study also looked at financial security and food security, with responses varying based on income level.
Financial security impacts independence, quality of life and the ability to age comfortably, Cho said. It also helps reduce reliance on others, preserves dignity and offers control over living arrangements, Cho said. As living costs rise, financial security ensures access to nutritious food, improves health care access and provides a cushion for emergencies or unexpected expenses, he said.
The study found that more than half of respondents are financially insecure or at risk of becoming so, Cho said. Income greatly affected respondent’s views on the availability of quality food in their community, with those with a household income of less than $25,000, were more likely to report less quality food options than those with a household income of at least $50,000.
Lack of quality food also affects physical health, mental health and emotional well-being, Cho said.
“This is an urgent need,” Cho said about access to affordable, quality food in the suburbs.
Health disparities were evident in the data, with 66% of Black or African American respondents reporting health challenges, a significant disparity compared to other racial and ethnic groups, Cho said.
The survey also revealed that 40% of adults surveyed are caregivers for someone aged 50 or older, with 22% providing care for four or more hours per week. Many caregivers experience emotional and physical tolls from their responsibilities, and 59% don’t know how to access support programs for caregivers, Cho said.
To address some of these needs, Emma Kibber, evaluation and planning coordinator at AgeOptions, said the agency is pushing to increase funding for the Illinois Family Caregiver Act from $5 million to $6 million to better support unpaid family caregivers.
They also plan to expand programs aimed at reducing social isolation, double state funding for Alzheimer’s disease services from $1 million to $2 million to close gaps in care, and fund evidence-based caregiver training. They also aim to sustain state funding for home-delivered meals and advocate for increased resources to educate older adults about scams.
smoilanen@chicagotribune.com