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Human Services Department

Adult and Aging Division
County Of Sonoma › Health and Human Services › Human Services › Older Adults + People with Disabilities › Local Master Plan for Aging › Wellness, Equity, and Inclusion Action Team
Adult and Aging Division

Wellness, Equity, and Inclusion Action Team

Feeling connected, included, and supported contributes to overall well-being. Many residents feel isolated and desire more social connections. In the 2023 AAA survey, 44% of the older adult respondents worried about having companionship. Improved social connection can be achieved through classes, events, and social opportunities within the community. Volunteering, employment, and skill-building opportunities can also help address the desire for more connections. An even more fundamental need is the ability for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers to know where they can go when support is needed. This is especially true for those who need language assistance. The four prioritized strategies focus on better coordination and communication to improve support and services.

Wellness, Equity, & Inclusion: Ensure that older adults and people with disabilities can easily locate and access information, resources, and opportunities for greater social connection.

Strategies:

  • Expand efforts of the Aging & Disability Resource Hub (ADRH) to improve collaboration between community organizations and make it easier for consumers to access information and resources.
  • Increase emergency preparedness planning and support for older adults and people with disabilities via outreach and coordination across programs.
  • Expand training and educational resources on technology and improve access to technology for older adults, including more language offerings and providing technology devices and orientation.
  • Develop an ongoing process to gather community input on the needs for older adults and people with disabilities (with a focus on underrepresented populations) and use the results to campaign for funding and resources to address the needs.

The Wellness, Equity, & Inclusion Team will begin meeting in Summer of 2025. If you are interested in participating please email Joni Huntsperger at jhuntsperger@schsd.org.

If you are interested in joining the MPA Wellness, Equity, and Inclusion Action Team or would like more information email Joni Huntsperger at jhuntsperger@schsd.org.