Orange County Grows Up, An Aging Population Review: Seal Beach

SEAL BEACH, CA — Orange County is getting older, and Seal Beach is among the cities with the oldest population in the county, new report said, Monday. Roughly 14 percent of the population is over 65, and if things remain as they are, that number will rise by 3 percent in the next 20 years, the organization studying a strategic plan for Orange County seniors said.

The report listed the primary concerns for the aging in Orange County include diet, physical and mental health issues, financial abuse, and housing. The organization, made up of nonprofits and local governments, warned that, "it is going to take a significant infusion of resources, infrastructure and funding to care for our growing senior population. To move forward, we must have regular communication and coordination between organizations serving seniors."

While the population of seniors rises, the population of other age groups are expected to decline.

Anaheim leads the county's cities with 36,758 seniors, followed by Huntington Beach with 31,995, and Santa Ana with 26,355.

Cities with the highest percentage of seniors are Laguna Woods with 81 percent, Seal Beach with 38 percent and Villa Park with 27.40 percent.

Looking at the challenges faced by our seniors, having food to eat is one of the biggest issues.

In 2017, nearly one-third of low-income seniors were characterized as "food insecure." Less than 3 percent of those seniors were enrolled in a county-operated government entitlement program for them called CalFresh, the report said. From 2013 through 2016, 27 percent dined on fast food twice or more a week.

Health issues with the older population were eclipsed by Alzheimer's disease, the sixth-leading cause of death for seniors in the country. In Orange County, it was listed as the third-leading cause of death for seniors, who were diagnosed at a rate of 12 percent. That rate is higher than the state average of 10.5 percent, and national average of 11.3 percent.

Obesity was another factor, and in in Orange County, 19.6 percent, or 95,000, Orange County seniors, were diagnosed as obese in 2016. According to the report, only 36.3 percent "regularly walk or exercise."

Another risk for Orange County's aging population is financial abuse, the most common type of abuse Orange County seniors fall prey to, according to the report.

From 2016 through 2017, there were 12,000 reports of abuse or neglect of seniors in Orange County.

Affordable housing was another issue cited in the report. Officials say housing should not exceed 30 percent of income, but Orange County seniors are paying 44 percent.

"The cost of living in Orange County is among the highest in the state," according to the report. "For older adults on a fixed income, the growing cost of housing, medical, and other basic expenses present a challenge that is often followed with worsened physical and mental health."

Of 239,853 residential units occupied by seniors, 75.9-percent are owner- occupied and 24.1-percent are renter-occupied, according to the report.

"Between the four Public Housing Authorities in OC (County of Orange, Cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove), there are 89,736 people on the waitlist for 22,187 Section 8 vouchers," according to the report. "New home and rental units under construction are only at 16.6 percent and 44 percent of total demand, respectively."

Between 2003 and 2014, only 55.7 percent of the housing that is needed for the population project has been constructed, according to the report.

As of 2015, the median age of Orange County transients was 50, higher than the county median age of 37.8, which the study says indicated an aging trend among the homeless. Seniors make up about 7.1 percent of the county's homeless population with 81.9% of them disabled.

The organization recommended creating a county-wide database network similar to the Community Information Exchange that would improve work between health providers and community-based groups.

The organization also endorsed Gov. Gavin Newsom's call for a statewide master plan for aging.

"We hope this report becomes a resourceful tool that encourages the community to start having conversations and planning for the future with older adults in mind," the report reads.