HR42: Commending the Older Dominion Partnership.


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 42
Commending the Older Dominion Partnership.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 6, 2012

 

WHEREAS, the Older Dominion Partnership is commended for its work to help prepare the Commonwealth for an aging population boom by conducting a statewide survey of Virginians aged 50 to 105; and

WHEREAS, the Older Dominion Partnership was initiated by the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation and formed on a five-point star of stakeholders?business, philanthropy, government, nonprofits, and education; and

WHEREAS, the Older Dominion Partnership aims to help Virginia ride the ?age wave,? the expected doubling of the Commonwealth?s 65 and older population to approximately 1.8 million, or 20 percent of the state population, by 2030; and

WHEREAS, twenty-three educators from around the Commonwealth, led by Dr. Richard Lindsay at the University of Virginia, developed the 2011 Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey, which was conducted by the Southeastern Institute of Research and was the first survey of its type of the aging population in the Commonwealth since 1979; and

WHEREAS, the results, released in November of 2011, provide a wealth of information for leaders in business, education, nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and the 25 Area Agencies on Aging to consider when planning how to best meet the needs of the Commonwealth?s aging adults; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey, designed to be updated every three years, reported viewpoints of seniors on their overall quality of life, perceptions of individual and community preparedness for the challenges of aging, and ratings of health care, education, transportation, and finances; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey revealed that many Baby Boomers are not prepared for the challenges of aging and retirement and that many Baby Boomers feel their communities are not prepared for the increase in the older population; and

WHEREAS, in addition, the Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey noted that 24 percent of seniors have not seen a dentist within the past two years and 64 percent of seniors have not had a hearing test in the past two years; and

WHEREAS, ninety-one percent of seniors reported taking at least one medication daily, with 10 percent of seniors reporting having difficulty affording their medications; and

WHEREAS, nineteen percent of seniors reported that they are not prepared financially for retirement; and

WHEREAS, the Older Dominion Partnership, through its 2011 Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey, has provided critical information which will enable providers of infrastructure, housing, health care, and transportation to better understand the needs of the aging population in the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Older Dominion Partnership hereby be commended for its work addressing quality of life issues for all aging Virginians and for moving forward with collected baseline data; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Older Dominion Partnership as an expression of the House of Delegates? respect for the organization?s hard work and commitment to meeting the needs of older adults in the Commonwealth.

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 42
Offered March 1, 2012
Commending the Older Dominion Partnership.
Patrons-- Peace and Head

WHEREAS, the Older Dominion Partnership is commended for its work to help prepare the Commonwealth for an aging population boom by conducting a statewide survey of Virginians aged 50 to 105; and

WHEREAS, the Older Dominion Partnership was initiated by the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation and formed on a five-point star of stakeholders?businesses, philanthropy, government, nonprofits, and education; and

WHEREAS, the Older Dominion Partnership aims to help Virginia ride the ?age wave,? the expected doubling of the Commonwealth?s 65 and older population to approximately 1.8 million, or 20 percent of the state population, by 2030; and

WHEREAS, twenty-three educators from around the Commonwealth, led by Dr. Richard Lindsay at the University of Virginia, developed the 2011 Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey, which was conducted by the Southeastern Institute of Research and was the first survey of its type of the aging population in the Commonwealth since 1979; and

WHEREAS, the results, released in November of 2011, provide a wealth of information for leaders in business, education, nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and the 25 Area Agencies on Aging to consider when planning how to best meet the needs of the Commonwealth?s aging adults; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey, designed to be updated every three years, reported viewpoints of seniors on their overall quality of life, perceptions of individual and community preparedness for the challenges of aging, and ratings of health care, education, transportation, and finances; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey revealed that many Baby Boomers are not prepared for the challenges of aging and retirement and that many Baby Boomers feel that their communities are not prepared for the increase in the older population; and

WHEREAS, in addition, the Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey noted that 24 percent of seniors have not seen a dentist within the past two years and 64 percent of seniors have not had a hearing test in the past two years; and

WHEREAS, ninety-one percent of seniors reported taking at least one medication daily, with 10 percent of seniors reporting having difficulty affording their medications; and

WHEREAS, nineteen percent of seniors reported that they are not prepared financially for retirement; and

WHEREAS, the Older Dominion Partnership, through its 2011 Virginia Age Ready Indicators Benchmark Survey, has provided critical information that will enable providers of infrastructure, housing, health care, and transportation to better understand the needs of the aging population in the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Older Dominion Partnership hereby be commended for its work addressing quality of life issues for all aging Virginians and for moving forward with collected baseline data; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Older Dominion Partnership as an expression of the House of Delegates? respect for the organization?s hard work and commitment to meeting the needs of older adults in the Commonwealth.