Frederick County faces a growth in its senior citizens population that outpaces statewide projections. It is now looking towards revamping its Department of Aging to address the needs of this growing demographic.

The Seniors First report, generated by the Seniors First Committee, outlines 33 recommendations for overhauling senior services in Frederick County including creating a new, separate Division within Frederick County government.

The Frederick News-Post reports:

The timeline in the report calls for action on some recommendations as early as December, and through the 2017 calendar year. Recommendations that require additional funding may be budgeted for in fiscal 2018, the report stated.

County Executive Jan Gardner on Monday presented and adopted the report, calling the recommendation for a new division an “opportunity” to modernize and “re-envision” how the county provides services for seniors.

…

The new division would be a “one-stop shop” directing seniors to government, private and nonprofit resources for their specific needs, the report stated. Specific services would be in two subcategories: for active, healthy seniors and for less active seniors facing health or other challenges.

Three departments would fall within the new division: services for active older adults; services for less active older adults and adults with disabilities; and operations and administration.

Active and less active departments would provide services specific to seniors they are intended to serve, with use of current technologies to bolster the human component of services. The operations and administration department would focus on funding and collaboration with governmental, private and nonprofit senior service agencies.

For more information read the article in The Frederick News-Post and the full report Seniors First report.