Council on Aging Answers 2015 - 8

COUNCIL ON AGING - ORANGE COUNTY

Aging in Orange County
A Tsunami is headed toward Orange County. But it's not coming from the sea. Instead, it's a surge of 836,000
Baby Boomers becoming seniors in the next 25 years. They'll complement the 400,000 seniors already residing
here. This "Silver Tsunami," totaling over 1 million, will change the face of Orange County. Seniors will
populate our freeways, neighborhoods, stores, doctor's offices, hospitals...and
the list goes on. As a community, we are not prepared to handle the onslaught of
demands from this burgeoning population.
Yet, the Council on Aging - Orange County is rapidly growing to meet the needs
our seniors whom we have served for 42 years. As a locally based non-profit,
we provide an array of no-cost programs and services to assist seniors and their
families in navigating the aging experience. Annually, we help over 215,000
individuals throughout Orange County and the Inland Empire. Our growth
is enabled by foundations, individuals and corporations who support seniors
through gifts and grants to our organization.
Confused by Medicare? Contact Us for Guidance.
Our Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) assists
Medicare beneficiaries year round. With funding from CMS, (Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services) we'll help you understand Medicare and assist in maximizing your benefits
while minimizing your costs. See our Medicare Comparison charts on pages 103 and learn more about this
important program on page 98.
We Ensure that Seniors are Informed, Connected and Protected
We protect the 28,000 seniors who reside in over 1000 long-term care facilities throughout Orange County.
More than half have no friend or family member actively involved in their care. Tragic, but true. Our
Ombudsmen make announced and unannounced visits on these facilities to ensure residents receive proper
care and that their dignity is maintained. Learn more on page 65.
The Council on Aging also provides programs to connect frail and isolated seniors with a caring friend through
our Friendly Visitor Program. For seniors who still have mobility, but are isolated from their community, our
ReConnect Program assists them in becoming reintegrated by incorporating meaningful activities into their
daily lives. For more information about this program, see page 122.
We Solve Problems
We are proud to bring Answers to you, annually, at no charge. Our Editor spends much of the year collecting
articles to assure that you have the most relevant content, checklists and quality information to make the aging
process easier. Answers is distributed throughout the county and is also available online at www.coaoc.org.
You'll find prior issues online, too.
We are here to assist you or a loved one. Call us at 714-479-0107 for more information.

Lisa Wright Jenkins
President & CEO
Council on Aging - Orange County

Answers Guide 2015

COUNCIl ON AGING - ORANGe COUNTY IS A 501 (C)3 NONpROFIT CORpORATION. TO DISTRIbUTe ANSweRS FRee OF COST, we mUST Sell ADveRTISING SpACe. wHIle we AppReCIATe THe pAID lISTINGS IN ANSweRS, THeIR
Aging and Disability Resource Connection | 800-510-2020 | www.adrcoc.org
INClUSION does not imply a recommendation or endorsement of products or services by coaoc. AlwAYS be A vIGIlANT CONSUmeR. veRIFY INFORmATION AND SeeK ReFeReNCeS wHeRe AppROpRIATe.

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Council on Aging Answers 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Council on Aging Answers 2015