Publication Date

Fall 2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration

Department

Public Administration

First Advisor

Natalia Ermasova, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Mary Bruce, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Harley Schinker, Ph.D.

Abstract

Seniors are individuals who need the most assistance because they are a growing population in our society. It is estimated that by the year 2020, those 65 years and over will reach 55 million and those 85 years and over will number 7.3 million. Seniors need the most attention because daily items such as personal care, preparing a meal, going to the grocery store or housework become very challenging. This is when you need to acquire services that can help daily for these tasks. The Department of Aging plays a vital role when becoming a senior over the age of sixty years old. Many seniors are not even made aware of all the different services that are offered to them. The main issue is that no one has made seniors aware of what they are eligible to receive until they reach the age of sixty years old. The most popular service is the homemaker division. Homemaker services are vital because all seniors need assistance with daily tasks and that is an essential element of maintaining their independence and overall well-being. Homemaker services are allowing and helping seniors stay in their own homes for much longer than they ever expected. Using quantitative data will help discover which genders needs the most attention during senior years and who had the most sense of independence. This will give Department of Aging take on necessary action and intervene on the seniors’ behalf. The major purpose of the study is to see if seniors are self-independent and see what assistance is needed to make their life longer and prosperous. The analysis of the surveys showed that many of the senior men were much more confident in their future than the females. The age bracket ranged with a variety of ages and it was wonderful to see that seniors are still living up to their nineties. The study showed that the females needed more assistance because they primarily concerned of the many different avenues that were addressed. Also, it was great to see that many of the seniors are still living in homes because that is what allows the Department of Aging to intervene much more quickly. Lastly, driving ability is something that becomes very hard in the older generations, but, many of the seniors were still confident about their driving abilities. While working for a company that works closely with Department of Aging, as a researcher our company is very aware of the different regulations of when someone needs assistance with homemaker services so, it was vital that a researcher becomes an advocate for the seniors.

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