Addressing Senior Needs in an Urban Environment Through a Community Assessment
The Senior Hunger Action Team of the Dallas Coalition for Hunger Solutions(DCHS) has just completed a community assessment among the older adult population in Dallas County. In previous years the Action Team has worked hard on a strategic planning process to guide their efforts and identify action-oriented goals. However, the Senior Hunger Action Team felt it was imperative to ask seniors the barriers they are facing and the needs they have. From this initiative, a community assessment Task Force was formed. The community assessment involved a 14-question questionnaire- both in Spanish and in English, focus groups, and an online survey for individuals who work with the older adult population. The Task Force set aside a month to collect surveys and conduct focus groups. A copy of the questionnaire along with a link to the online survey was distributed every week to individuals in the DCHS network. With the help of over 30 organizational partners, more than 1500 surveys were collected. Five focus groups were conducted throughout the month at various senior centers and Dallas Housing Authority Properties and 26 service provider surveys were collected. After reviewing the data, the Task Force found that about 58% of Seniors surveyed ranked utilities as the number one item that cut into their monthly food budget. In addition, about 70% of Seniors surveyed indicated they were not signed up for SNAP benefits. The Senior Hunger Action Team is looking to work with DART to increase awareness on current services available and to create a space where seniors can voice some of their concerns. In addition, the Task Force is focusing on increase utilities awareness by creating a small brochure with information on utility assistance and energy education presentations. Overall, the Task Force wants to continue to focus on general outreach for our senior community by discussing the bias around asking for assistance.
Author: Maggie Amaku
6/13/2019
