Message from the Supervisor…….
The needs of Southern California's seniors have changed dramatically. With 5
million residents aged 60 and over, California has the largest aging population
of any state. Orange County alone has 400,000 seniors. Most are active, energetic
and self-sufficient. Many, however, have complex medical and social needs that
require intervention and assistance.
Providing services to all those in need is challenging indeed. The Office on
Aging (OoA) was created by the federal government to assist citizens with a
variety of linkages to services and programs. The County is responsible to act
as the OoA, and thus is the key facilitator for the older adult programs. The
OoA is overseen by the Senior Advisory Council and is staffed with County employees.
Services available include Meals on Wheels, congregate meal programs, senior
centers (with all their activities and opportunities) and assistance to those
who are frail or who have been abused or scammed. It is our goal for the Office
on Aging (OoA) to provide fast, reliable, easily obtained information and assistance
with whatever needs seniors have.
You may contact the Office on Aging (OoA) toll-free at 1-800-597-0960. OoA has
recently upgraded their information and assistance program, so that they can
directly connect you to a variety of programs and services.
Additionally, there are exciting changes being planned with the Orange County
Transportation Authority (OCTA), the Health Care Agency, and the Office on Aging
(OoA) to provide a senior transportation system for the entire county. You can
get the latest information by contacting the OoA or OCTA websites: www.oc.ca.gov/aging
or www.octa.net.
I hope this information is helpful to you in getting the maximum quality out
of life while enjoying your senior status. Be certain to check-out our many
senior services links from this website. These can be our best years, and I
hope these Orange County services will help you achieve that goal!