Clackamas County presents four‑year area plan for older adults; survey finds majority struggling to meet basic needs

Clackamas County Social Services presented a draft four‑year Area Plan for older adults to the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 11, outlining service goals, a community needs assessment and an outreach and implementation strategy. Staff said the plan must be adopted by the board as a state requirement and is scheduled to return for final adoption in March 2025.

Brenda Durbin, social services division director, told commissioners the county is the designated Area Agency on Aging and that the plan is built from a needs assessment including 1,100 survey responses, focus groups and listening sessions. "We know that older adults are the fastest growing cohort in Clackamas County," Durbin said; staff cited demographic projections showing the 65‑and‑older share of the…