Needs of the Elderly in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area

Developing an understanding of the elderly’s needs is an important part of this study.

However, this research did not require original research on this topic because local agencies have investigated this issue in order to provide services to seniors in the area: Division of Aging And Adult Services (DAAS) has conducted research at the state level, Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) has focused on the Phoenix MSA, and Navigator Collaborative partnered with the Tempe Community Council (TCC) to collect information at the municipal level. Local organizations have collected public input both from local community partners or stakeholders as well as seniors living in the metropolitan area.

As part of MAG’s Municipal Aging Services Project, with the support of community partners such Area Agency on Aging, 135 interviews were conducted with community stakeholders within the Phoenix MSA. These interviews drew attention to the critical issues of local seniors: transportation, socialization, health care, and housing assistance (MAG, 2012b). DAAS received similar results conducting 16 focus group meetings in order to help identify issues affecting the quality of the life and wellbeing of older adult and their caregivers.

The target audiences for the focus group meetings were caregivers, baby boomers who needed to plan ahead, individuals with disabilities, tribes, LGBT community members, and faith-based groups in the state of Arizona. The findings from all sources of public input showed a consensus on the three issues that are most important to elderly in the state:

• Health Care, including access to services, affordable health and dental care, concern about cost of care and medications, screening;

• In-home Care, including affordable in-home services, availability of caregivers, ability to live at home; and

Figure. 5.5 Growth of population aged 60 and over with percentage living in poverty in Phoenix MSA in 2005-2013. Source: own compilation based on U.S. Census Bureau, 2013e

TheCaseStudy:PhoenixMetropolitanArea

Figure. 5.6 Percentages of older adults 65+ with income below FPL and 200% FPL by census tract in 2010. Source: own compilation based on U.S. Census Bureau, 2010e,c

• Transportation, including access to public and private transportation, affordability of transportation, services that cross city limits or county borders.

Additionally, DAAS includes financial security as the fourth most important issue, together with social isolation, affordable housing, and adequate home maintenance. It is also notable that each of the top three issues includes concerns about affordability, which is directly tied to financial security.

In the framework from the same project, MAG conducted focus group research in order to provide an in-depth look into the lives of people 65 years and older. Nineteen focus groups were conducted with a total of 206 participants. In order to test the results of the interviews and focus groups, more than 1,025 individuals 55 years and older were surveyed by mail and phone (ETC Institute, 2012). The majority of respondents had lived in Maricopa County for more than 30 years and had at least some college experience. The age distribution of the group included 45 percent between 55 and 64 years old, with the rest aged 65 and over. In terms of racial make-up, 84 percent were white and only 20 percent were of Hispanic or Latin ancestry. The group’s household income included, 16 percent with an income of less than

$25,000 per year, 28 percent with an income between $25,000 and $50,000, and 36 percent between $50,000 and $100,000. Around 20 percent had income more than $100,000 per year.

Under direction of the TCC, Navigator Collaborative conducted 13 focus groups with 188 senior participants in order to identify the resources necessary for and citizen interest in establishing an Aging in Place pilot project. These meetings were conducted with meetings of various clubs and associations, where participants filled out surveys designed to capture detailed information on interests and behaviors. Additionally, surveys were offered at other events and individually to attendees at a popular Tempe Library Connection Café program.

In total, 130 surveys were submitted via an online "Survey Monkey" data collection program and in hardcopy form (White, 2011).

In beginning this research, MAG first sought to understand residents’ overall satisfaction with services and activities available to adults age 55 and over (Figure 5.7). There are five services and activities in which at least 53 percent of respondents indicated they are either

"very satisfied" or "satisfied": public parks and trails (73 percent), volunteer opportunities (66 percent), active recreation opportunities (65 percent), arts and cultural amenities (62 percent), and community/senior center service (53 percent). The lowest levels of satisfaction were reported for employment opportunities (full time 17 percent, part time 18 percent), rent/utility assistance programs (27 percent), availability of affordable housing (31 percent), and public transportation (33 percent).

Research has shown that Arizonans aged 45 to 64 anticipate doing more volunteering and community work (Hall et al., 2010), and the MAG results show that, in general, people are satisfied with volunteer opportunities. However, 29 percent of the same group are seeking employment, another 43 percent would consider it, and 24 percent envision themselves

starting a new job. According to MAG’s findings, this group would not be considered

"satisfied" with current opportunities.

Simultaneously in the MAG study, seniors also indicated the services and activities that they currently use most often. Based on the sum of their top three choices, the results showed most frequent use of: public parks and trails (46 percent), active recreation opportunities (29 percent), arts and cultural amenities (26 percent), and volunteer opportunities (14 percent).

The results also showed that residents age 55 and over in Maricopa County are most concerned with affordability of health care (53 percent), outliving financial resources (34 percent), personal health issues (31 percent), inability to continue living at home (25 percent), and high housing costs (23 percent), based on the sum of the top four choices of issues from the survey (Figure 5.8). Seniors in Tempe noted particular concern regarding transportation, social isolation, and safe and reliable services.

Responders to the Navigator Collaborative mentioned some organizations – such as community service organizations, local governments, faith-based organizations and schools with volunteer opportunities – that can help seniors to overcome these issues. However, responses indicated that only 27 percent of households use indoor community facilities operated by cities or non-profit organizations in Maricopa County, and 73 indicated they do not currently use such facilities. Participants of focus groups in Tempe frequently recounted stories of difficulty finding resources for aging family members, and it appears that confusion is common regarding the eligibility and availability of public services for people in the target population. The majority of respondents indicated that they get information through primarily through newspapers and mail delivery, and only some use the Internet. In the Municipal Aging Services Project, 43 percent of respondents indicated a lack of awareness regarding services, while 37 percent indicated a lack of awareness regarding facilities. Other reasons

Figure. 5.7 Residents’ overall satisfaction with services and activities available to adults age 55 and over. Source: own compilation based on ETC Institute, 2012

preventing households from using services more often are "not enough time" (31 percent) and "I use services of other agencies" (16 percent). Many people in Tempe defined lack of transportation as a barrier for using services.

Transportation ranked highest in terms of concerns for people in the target area in Tempe, and was one of the most important issues for the whole aging population in Maricopa County.

Results showed that 94 percent of respondents indicated that they drive a car or truck to commute within Maricopa County, and walking is used as a means of travel by 47 percent of households. Other methods, such as riding with a friend or family member (25 percent), public transportation (18 percent), and bicycling (18 percent) were also frequently mentioned.

Only 1 percent of respondents indicated they are home-bound and unable to travel. The survey also asked which methods of travel around Maricopa County they think they will use most 10 years from now (in year 2022), to which the most frequent responses were driving a car or truck (67 percent), riding with a friend or family member (32 percent), and public transportation (30 percent), based on the sum of the top two answers by respondents.

The Municipal Aging Services Project also asked residents’ about their vision for the future of Maricopa County. Based on the sum of their top four choices, the issues that respondents feel best represent their vision are: improved health care services (40 percent), a larger regional public transit system (38 percent), improved public transportation (31 percent), affordable housing (28 percent), and additional services to check on seniors living alone (26 percent) (Figure 5.9).

Figure. 5.8 Services and activities that seniors currently use most often. Source: own compilation based on ETC Institute, 2012

Figure. 5.9 Seniors’ vision for the future of Maricopa County. Source: own compilation based on ETC Institute, 2012

5.3 Summary

This chapter provided information about why the Phoenix MSA was chosen as the case study for this research. Phoenix is located in the Sun Belt, and for several decades it has been actively advertised as a perfect location for retirement. Moreover, the first retirement community in the United States was developed in the Phoenix MSA. Examining percentages of older adults by census tract reveals high levels of seniors within several zones of the Phoenix MSA, including especially high percentages in unincorporated areas between Surprise, Peoria, and Glendale. Naturally occurring retirement communities were also formed in the Phoenix MSA by people who did not want to live in restricted areas.

The Great Recession has disproportionately impacted the Phoenix area, causing one of the most dramatic declines in employment rates in the nation. In general, while the overall poverty rate in the metropolitan area was lower than the national average, Census Bureau estimates show that the percentage of the aging population living below the federal poverty line during the last decade has not changed significantly. Census data about the age 60 and over population shows that not only has the number of people within this age group grown, but the poverty level at 150 percent level within this group has increased too. Financial insecurity is one of the biggest concerns among elderly, and seen by DAAS as the fourth priority together with social isolation, affordable housing, and adequate home maintenance.

Therefore, the Phoenix MSA is a good case study for the current research, as it has a large senior population that was significantly affected by the recession. The number of

elderly people within the Phoenix MSA experiencing financial insecurity is growing, and even with a network of support for low-income seniors in the area, surveys have indicated a lack of employment opportunities, rent/utility assistance programs, availability of affordable housing, and public transportation. Transportation is the biggest concern overall for the aging population in Maricopa County, as in many American cities.