The Unmet Need for Senior Services
In
the western part of
Morris
County
, direct support services for seniors and those caring for them are limited and
services provided by
Morris
County
are not easily accessible to the significant number of seniors in this area.
Chester Borough has more than 300 residents over the age of 60 and
Chester
Township
has approximately 1000 residents over the age of 60.
Washington
Township
(of which
Long
Valley
is a part) has approximately 2000 residents over the age of 60.
Over 15% of the total households in
these areas include at least one person 65 years of age and older.
These statistics are drawn from the Census of 2000.
We have conducted a needs assessment among seniors, caregivers, and community
service providers such as police and fire departments, rescue squads, senior and
health service providers and the local clergy association.
In all, 52 interviews were conducted.
It became clear that the needs of seniors in our community are
overwhelming. The list is long but
some of the needs include:
