Commission on Aging presents needs assessment and 2024–2028 state plan priorities

The Idaho Commission on Aging told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee that a statewide needs assessment and the resulting 2024–2028 state plan will guide services and funding priorities for older Idahoans.

“Again, my name is Judy Taylor, and I'm here to speak with you about what we know about the needs, worries, and quality of life of Idaho's elders,” said Judy Taylor, director of the Idaho Commission on Aging. Taylor said the needs assessment is mandated by federal and state law and was conducted through in-person meetings and a survey that produced 1,109 unique respondents from 37 of Idaho’s 44 counties.

Taylor described how the commission analyzed responses overall, for a high-risk cohort (respondents reporting fair, poor or very poor quality of life), and by urban and rural cohorts. She said 66 percent of the high-risk cohort were urban residents and that caregivers were disproportionately represented…