Pima County's aging population will only get larger and older as the baby boomers retire and medical advances push life expectancy even further.
That means the county and the community organizations serving older people need to prepare now to deal with the coming "age wave," concluded a report to the Board of Supervisors on senior issues by the Pima Council on Aging on Tuesday.
Jim Murphy, corporate relations specialist for the council, said the community is doing a better job of providing basic services and addressing issues of abuse and fraud against the elderly. The number of seniors who report those as "serious problems" has declined.
But senior citizens are facing new concerns.
Grandparents are raising grandchildren, and older people who still are working are caring for their aging parents.
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The number of older old — those older than 85 — is increasing, and that group often needs more services.
To prepare the report, the council, United Way, Tucson and Pima County surveyed more than 3,000 seniors and held several public meetings to gather information about their concerns.
Thirty percent of seniors identified access to dental care as a serious problem and another 28 percent said it was a problem. This was the first year the Pima Council on Aging asked seniors about access to dental care. There is no federal dental insurance similar to Medicare.
The only issue identified by more seniors as a problem was understanding the Medicare drug coverage program. More than 63 percent of seniors said that was a serious problem or some problem.
Other issues of concern include access to senior benefits, transportation and help with home repairs and maintenance.
