Studying services for older Rhode Islanders – Cranston Herald

A House commission studying the services and programs for older adults in Rhode Island will meet next week to take a look at the demographics of Rhode Island’s population.

The Special Legislative Commission to Study and Provide Recommendations Pertaining to Services and Coordination of State Programs Relating to Older Adult Rhode Islanders is scheduled to meet Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. in the House Lounge on the second floor of the State House.

The meeting will feature a follow-up presentation on census data on aging Rhode Islanders by Meredith Brady of the Division of Statewide Planning, who also gave a presentation on this subject at the commission’s first meeting on Sept. 12. Then commission member Maureen Maigret, who is a former director of what was then the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs, will give a presentation on 2023 aging profile demographics data.   

No public testimony will be taken at this meeting. The meeting will be televised by Capitol Television on Cox Communications, channels 15 and 61 for high definition; i3 Broadband (formerly Full Channel) on 15; and Verizon, on channel 34. Livestreaming is available at rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx.

The commission was created by legislation (2023-H 5224A) sponsored by Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport), who now serves as its chairwoman. Additional members of the commission include Rep. Thomas E. Noret (D-Dist. 25, Coventry, West Warwick), Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung (R-Dist. 15, Cranston), Nancy Sutton of the Department of Health, Office of Healthy Aging Director Maria Cimini, Warwick Senior Services Director Meg Underwood, Carmela Geer of Edward King House in Newport, Coventry Human Services Director Robert Robillard Jr., Paul Salera of the Rhode Island RI Association of Community Action Agencies, AARP Rhode Island Director Catherine Taylor, Paula McFarland of the Rhode Island Long Term Care Coordinating Council, James Burke Connell of Age-Friendly RI, Cindy Coyne of the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island, Robert Marshall of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council, Maigret and former AARP RI Director Kathleen Connell.

The commission is to study key statistics about services for older adults in Rhode Island, examining strengths, vulnerabilities, and demographic and financial statistics; assess the current state, federal and local services currently available, as well as any duplication of services; recommend ways to coordinate services within agencies and focus on better service delivery, including housing options and various living arrangements, health status and health care resources; provide recommendations for the creation of a portal to coordinate aging services in employment, education, independent living, accessibility and advocacy, as well as local older adult centers and services;  provide recommendations on mental health, transportation, food access, and health care; provide recommendations for the funding of services through state, federal and private grants and for more efficient distribution and use of these dollars; and explore more regionalization of services.

Currently, more than 240,000 Rhode Island residents are age 60 or older. That number is expected to increase to almost 265,000 by 2040, constituting an increase of nearly 75 percent since 2010.