County Office for the Aging urges town-level outreach for senior needs survey; deadline tied to college partner

Columbia County’s Office for the Aging urged supervisors on Sept. 10 to help publicize a town-based senior population needs survey and explained how the county is partnering with Columbia-Greene Community College to analyze the results.

Megan, identified in the meeting as the Office for the Aging administrator, said the survey targets residents age 60 and older and is intended to produce both countywide and town-specific reports once data are compiled by the college. She described the survey as roughly 15 pages and asked supervisors to distribute printed flyers, business cards and a QR code to reach older residents. "Teamwork makes the dream work, hopefully," Megan said during the presentation.

Megan said the county had hoped to print outreach materials using funding from the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) but that the funds were not yet available, so staff are proceeding with alternate distribution methods. She said the college partner asked that primary collection be completed by Oct. 10 because of semester scheduling, though she indicated there may be a possibility to accept surveys afterward if college systems allow. She also said advisory-council members and county staff plan to help seniors complete paper copies at libraries and the Office for the Aging office.

Megan said nearly 400 people attended a senior-day event earlier that day and many attendees completed the survey in person. She asked staff to circulate digital versions after the meeting and confirmed she had already sent files to county staff named Kelly.

The presentation was a request for outreach and did not include a formal motion or funding allocation recorded in the minutes.