Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
Remember the Community Needs Assessment that went out from the Council on Aging in November to every Bedford resident age 55 and older?
Alison Cservenschi, COA Director, provided The Citizen a timeline of what has happened since the distribution of the survey, which was contracted to a team from UMass Boston that specializes in surveying towns’ aging populations.
- 1056 responses were received (143 were completed online) for a total response of 34 percent, which, in the survey world, is very high.
- Four focus groups have been held to discuss results: one group comprised of residents, one of town department heads, and two representing community stakeholders.
- The UMass Boston Survey team has reached out to five or six towns to do a “peer” comparison – Bedford is not the only town in the Commonwealth with an aging population and it will be instructive to see what ideas other towns are putting into place. Today, about 25 percent of Bedford is over the age of 60, and by 2030 seniors will represent about 33 percent of Bedford’s population.
Next steps?
- In May, the survey team will put together a final report.
- In June, the survey team will hold a community-wide presentation, in which they will discuss their findings and make recommendations.
Loading ...
