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Santa Fe County, UNM launch senior needs survey; commissioners press inclusions for caregiving and accessibility
Summary
County and the University of New Mexico launched a countywide senior needs survey to guide 10-year planning for services; presenters described survey design and outreach and commissioners flagged questions on subpopulations, grandparents raising grandchildren, and survey accessibility for older seniors.
Santa Fe County staff and researchers from the University of New Mexico's Center for Applied Research and Analysis presented a new senior needs survey to the county commission April 8, describing how results will inform county planning for the next decade.
"The purpose of this study is to understand the needs of seniors in Santa Fe County, so that we can inform planning efforts for the next 10 years," said Dr. Aaron Leningham, who described the survey design and analytic approach. The county said the survey was available in English and Spanish and would be distributed online, by QR code and in paper form at county and city senior centers.
Commissioners pressed researchers and county staff on how the survey would reach harder-to-reach groups and whether the questionnaire captures key subpopulations. "We definitely are aware of different subpopulations," Leningham said, noting the instrument asks about age, income, disability, caregiving and other demographic categories and that the county will combine survey responses with Census data for more complete estimates.
Commissioner Lisa Kokari Stone urged additional attention to caregivers aged 60 and older and asked that the survey capture grandparents raising grandchildren and other caregiving arrangements. "We need to know what those needs are," she said, adding concerns about font size and accessibility for low-vision respondents.
Commissioner Justin Green asked whether the survey asked about food and transportation needs; researchers said the instrument includes questions on transportation and service preferences but does not probe detailed dietary restrictions because of survey length constraints. County staff and researchers said the survey was open and underway and that initial outreach included print flyers, senior centers, radio and a podcast. Presenters reported an early response but emphasized the need for more replies to ensure representativeness.
Why it matters: Santa Fe County's population is aging at a faster rate than the national average, county staff told commissioners, and the survey will help officials prioritize services such as transportation, congregate and home-delivered meals, caregiving and access to health care.
What happens next: County staff and UNM will continue outreach across senior centers and community partners during the survey period, analyze responses by demographic subgroup, and use results to inform service planning and funding requests.
