Director's Message

June 23, 2006

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, DHS Director

I could not, at any age, be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Senior issues are always at the forefront of the department’s business, but seldom have they come into such clear focus as this month. June has been filled with such activities as public hearings on aging, a series of public service TV announcements about the dangers seniors face from financial abuse, and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Why is the topic of seniors getting so much attention? To find the reasons, look no further than the demographics: Today 1 in 8 Oregonians is over the age of 65. In 25 years it will be 1 in 5. If you’re 40 or older today, you will be part of that 1 in 5. In real numbers that is an increase of more than 100 percent, from 225,000 to 488,000 people.

The sheer number of Oregonians over age 65 coupled with the fast-growing contingent of those 85 and older will place an unprecedented demand in the years ahead on long-term care services and the revenues needed to sustain the growth of such services.

This demographic change and the financial issues it raises are not that distant – in fact, they are here. Fully one-third of our current budget is used for programs such as adult protective services, state-operated group homes for seniors, nursing facilities, home-care workers and community care. And that’s just the beginning of the sea change Oregon and other states can expect to see in the years ahead.

How can we prepare for this increase in demand for services? The first steps in developing solutions were taken during the last several weeks as representatives from the Governor’s Commission on Senior Services and DHS’s Seniors and People with Disabilities Division began traveling the state holding forums to discuss the future of long-term care and share demographic information on Oregon’s aging population.

In addition to these meetings, Gov. Ted Kulongoski is featured in a series of TV public service announcements this month designed to raise public awareness about elder financial abuse. The 30-second spots, which run through the end of June, were kicked off in conjunction with last week’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. As the numbers of seniors increase, we can expect these kinds of issues and concerns to become more prominent in society and in our work.

Which brings us back to the development of our 2007-2009 budget. The need for services is going to outpace our resources unless we begin planning now. That is one of the reasons why we asked for public input on the budget and why the Governor’s Commission is asking whether Oregon communities are prepared to meet the needs of an older population.

Adjusting our programs to accommodate this changing need will be an ongoing issue. Like so many things that affect the department, this demographic change is beyond our control. Our response to it, however, is not. We can, and should, begin preparing now to serve the coming increase in the number of seniors.

I have mentioned in previous e-mails the importance of focusing on prevention as a means to address social problems early on before they require increased intervention services. This is going to be particularly true if we want to help people age in a way that maximizes their quality of life and minimizes their need for assistance.

In the case of an aging population, prevention can – and probably should – take the form of encouraging individuals to build exercise into their lives, get regular medical and dental care, stay involved in their communities, make wise financial decisions, and engage with others as much as possible. As individuals and DHS employees, we can help identify opportunities for ourselves, our families, our clients and the public to practice healthy lifestyles.

As we plan for the 2007-2009 budget cycle and beyond, we will continue to work tirelessly for appropriate funding levels, but regardless of the amount of funding we receive, we need to be creative in how we can best use the resources we are given to serve our clients. As part of that process, we will need to begin adjusting our programs and activities to address the needs of the state’s aging population. I encourage each of you to think about what we as individuals and as an agency can do to help prepare for this demographic change. The true beneficiaries of this preparation will be those seniors who don’t need our services because they are able to enjoy a healthy and active old age. Perhaps one of those fortunate seniors will be you.

To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us

This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.