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CgOFORN�Q; City Council Staff Report
DATE: November 2, 2005 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: Palm Springs Senior Forum Proceedings
FROM: David H. Ready, City Manager
BY: Department of Community & Economic Development
SUMMARY
Attached is a copy of the `Proceedings' from the June 8, 2005 Palm Springs Senior
Forum which was held at Mizell Senior Center. This joint forum on the problems and
challenges impacting quality-of-life for senior residents was co-sponsored by the City of
Palm Springs and Riverside County Advisory Council on Aging. Other partners
included Riverside County Office on Aging, Riverside County Foundation on Aging,
Mizell Senior Center and Desert Healthcare District.
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive and File the Proceedings' document that highlights the major issues identified
by the participants, as well as the suggestions and resources that were offered to assist
in addressing the issues.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The Senior Forum grew out of the City Council's March 23, 2005 Study Session
discussions regarding the City's five-year strategic planning process (called the
Consolidated Plan or ConPlan) and the ConPlan goals. The ConPlan submission is
required by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the City's
annual entitlement of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The City's
2005 - 2010 CDBG entitlement will be approximately $3 million to address housing and
community development needs of the City's low-to-moderate income areas and citizens.
Council Member Pougnet, as Mizell Senior Citizen Board Member, had requested that
City staff pursue such a Forum.
The Forum's purpose was to hear from the 'experts'— senior residents, caregivers, and
professionals on the frontline about the challenges and problems encountered in
everyday living. The 70+ participants' remarks lead the Proceeding in the following three
ways:
Item No. 2 . G .
City Council Staff Report
November 2, 2005- Page 2 of 2
Receive & File Palm Springs Senior Forum Proceedings
> Helped identify the critical needs facing seniors in our City;
> Pinpointed gaps in programs and services for seniors; and
> Gathered information for program planners, policymakers and service providers.
This Forum was designed to gather information that could be utilized by program
planners, policymakers and service providers to improve the quality-of-life and livability
throughout the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact to the General Fund in that the CDBG dollars are
frequently leveraged with private funds to maximize activities and service to meet the
community's unmet needs. The Forum's effort had truly demonstrated to be a public -
private partnership in learning about the changing needs of our community. The City is
assured that these block grant funds will continue to address vital programs and
projects within the community. Otherwise, local municipal resources may have to be
provided or these community needs may go unmet.
J HN S. Y ND, DALE E. COOK, JR.,
Di ector Co nity & Economic Development Community Development Administrator
THOMAS J. WILSO 17
Assistant City Manager— Development Services
DAVID H. READY,
City Manager
Attachment: Palm Springs Senior Forum Proceedings
DaleC/CDBG05-06/CC_StaffReport_Redd&File.Nov05
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CALIFORNIA
PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
IMPACTING QUALITY OF LIFE
FOR SENIOR RESIDENTS
With Suggestions and Resources for
Addressing the Issues
Procce Bogs Of the
tuna 'Co. 2005
Pale SpOngs Senior Forum
Co-Sponsored By:
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I
Riverside County
City of Palm Springs Advisory Council On Aging
in Partnership With:
1.
FOUNDATION ON AG9NG
Riverside County Riverside County Mizell Senior Desert Healthcare
Office on Aging Foundation On Aging Center District
k
August 2006
INTRODUCTION
® On June 8, 2005, the Riverside County Advisory Council on Aging and the City of Palm
Springs co-sponsored a Senior Forum at the Mizell Senior Center in Palm Springs. The
three-hour Forum was attended by over 70 residents of Pahn Springs, senior caregivers,
and representatives from agencies and organizations providing programs and services for
seniors. Attendees offered their views on the problems and challenges that impact quality
of life for seniors.
The Forum was held in partnership with the Riverside County Office on Aging, the
Riverside County Foundation on Aging, the Mizell Senior Center, and the Desert
Healthcare District. Information on these organizations, as well as on the Advisory
Council on Aging, can be found at the end of this document.
The purpose of the Forum was to help identify critical needs facing seniors living in Palm
Springs, pinpoint gaps in services and programs for seniors, and develop
recommendations for addressing the needs and gaps. The Forum was designed to gather
information that could be used by program planners, policy makers and service providers.
The Forum represented an important partnership between the Advisory Council on Aging
and the City of Palm Springs. The City's involvement was spearheaded by City Council
Member Steve Pougnet, who enlisted the support of the City Council and the Mayor, and
the help of Dale Cook, Community Development Administrator for the City. The City
® saw the Forum as a way to obtain valuable information on a large(26%) and growing
segment of its population. The Advisory Council on Aging viewed the opportunity to
work with the City as an important step in creating a model the Council could use in
working with local governments throughout Riverside County to identify local needs and
issues impacting the quality of life for seniors. The Riverside County Foundation on
Aging worked closely with the Advisory Council on Aging and the City to help
coordinate the Forum.
Rather than a verbatim transcription of the proceedings, this document highlights the
major issues identified by participants and the suggestions and recommendations that
were offered to help address the issues.
The Advisory Council on Aging and the City of Palm Springs wish to acknowledge the
kind generosity of the Riverside County Office on Aging, which provided funds to help
cover the refreshments served at the Forum, as well as the costs involved in audiotaping
and transcribing the event. A special thanks to The Mizell Senior Center for hosting the
event and contributing to the refreshments, and to the Desert Healthcare District, which
underwrote the printing of this report.
Thanks also to members of the Advisory Council on Aging and to Dale Cook and his
housing assistant, Marina Karas, who volunteered their time to help organize, promote
and publicize the event and make it a success. And a special thanks to all the residents of
® Palm Springs who attended the Forum and provided valuable comments and insights.
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NOTE: Several county and local agencies,programs and other resources were referenced
during the Forum. Contact information for these organizations and resources are listed at •
the end of this document. Also included is a factsheet on the City's senior population
prepared by the Riverside County Foundation on Aging and distributed at the Forum.
This document and/or portions of it may be reproduced and otherwise distributed freely
and without obtaining permission. However,please credit the document and the
Riverside County Foundation on Aging, and include the Foundation's contact
information(below).
For questions regarding the proceedings, or to obtain additional copies in print or
electronic format, contact the Riverside County Foundation on Aging at:
Riverside County Foundation on Aging
6296 Rivercrest Drive
Suite K
Riverside, CA 92507
(951) 776-7792
rcfa@verizon.net
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MAJOR ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY PARTICIPANTS AND SUGGESTIONS
® AND RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING THE ISSUES
1. Lack of Knowledge About Available Programs and Services:A large number of
programs are available to help seniors, but many seniors don't know that they're
available. Many seniors don't know where to go to get information about available
programs and services.
Throughout the Forum, attendees raised questions about where to go to get impartial and
useful information on and/or help with such issues as reverse mortgages (being marketed
heavily to seniors), credit counseling, dispute resolution, elder abuse,health insurance
and Medicare, difficulty in paying utility bills during the summer months,buying
property on Native American Tribal leased versus fee-simple land(a complex decision
facing many senior buyers), and other issues.
One pressing issue voiced by attendees concerned high utility bills during the summer,
which can force seniors to go without air conditioning during periods of intense heat. A
representative from Southern California Edison noted that while the company offers a
program to help seniors and others living on low fixed incomes manage their energy bills
during the summer so they don't have to go without air conditioning, few seniors take
advantage of the program. Another program that seniors may be unaware of is the
Community Action Partnership program, which provides help with weatherization,utility
payment and other related issues.
® It was also noted that while there are several drop-in cooling centers available during the
summer months to seniors,handicapped and other vulnerable individuals in need of
temporary relief from the heat, seniors may not know that these centers exist (cooling
centers in Palm Springs include the Mizell Senior Center, the Desert Resource Center,
and the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center). Additionally, many seniors are
unaware that the Desert Health Car service is available to transport seniors to these
centers, as is SunLine's SunDial curb-to-curb paratransit service.
Among the suggestions offered for addressing this issue:
• Create a central telephone clearinghouse that residents, caregivers and service
providers could call to obtain information on programs, services and other sources
of information and help for seniors. The clearinghouse must be advertised
consistently and extensively if it is to become an effective source of help.
• Place information kiosks in banks, shopping malls, grocery stores, restaurants and
other places that seniors visit on a regular basis. These kiosks could provide
information on programs and services for seniors as well as who to call to get help
in answering questions and locating community resources. These kiosks could
advertise the availability of such resources as the County's new 211 telephone
social service referral resource, the Office on Aging's Network of Care website
® and its HelpLink telephone service, the Mizell Center's new SOS Net(Save Our
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Seniors Network)resource, and the Desert Healthlink website, which contains an
extensive list of social,health and community resources available to Desert •
residents.
• Educate and enlist the help of the Palm Springs business community, especially
the resort and hospitality industry, in finding solutions to the problems facing
seniors. As a representative of the hotel industry noted,most resort and hotel
owners are not aware of the issues facing seniors, and business owners could
sponsor programs and contribute valuable resources to help address these issues.
2. Lack of Easy Access to Register for Food Stamps: The only registration site at the
Western end of the Valley is located in Cathedral City, which can be dill cultforfrail
seniors to access.
Access to food stamps can help ensure that older adults have nutritious, well-balanced
meals. But older adult residents of Palm Springs must travel to the Dept. of Public Social
Services office on Perez Road in Cathedral City if they want to register for food stamps.
This is a serious barrier for frail older adults (as well as parents with small children)who
cannot drive and must take public transportation, since this can entail bus transfers,
extensive walking, and possible long waits both for the bus and at the office itself. Access
is an especially critical problem in the summer given the intense heat in the desert.
It was suggested that local government and county agencies, such as the Office on Aging,
contact and work with the Riverside County Dept. of Public Social Services to provide •
off-site registration services for food stamps at specific times (e.g., once per month) at a
Palm Springs location (Mizell Senior Center, the Desert Resource Center, local grocery
stores and other convenient locations around Palm Springs), in effect taking the service to
the people. This could be extended to other sites in the Valley, since the only other
registration site is in Indio.
The Desert Healthcare District does provide door-to-door transportation services to Palm
Springs residents through Desert Health Car, and SunLine Transit Agency provides on-
demand curb-to-curb paratransit services for qualified individuals through SunDial.
While Desert Health Ca is available only for medical appointments, it was noted that
nutrition directly impacts health status, and that registering for food stamps could be
considered as a"health appointment' under a broadened definition of medical
appointment.
3. There is a shortage of safe, affordable housing for seniors, including housing
which is handicap accessible or can be modified for a handicapped resident. The
number of affordable housing units is shrinking as real estate values increase. Prices for
rental units are escalating because of demand. Many seniors who want to remain
independent and in their own homes are finding it increasingly difficult to do so because
of the lack of housing options.
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Finding affordable housing is a major challenge for seniors living in Palm Springs (and
the Coachella Valley) given escalating real estate prices driven by the Valley's rapid
population growth. Prices for rental apartments have skyrocketed because of increasing
demand, and while mobile home communities were once a viable source of affordable
housing, the supply of affordable mobile homes is shrinking as well. Currently, while
26% of the City's population is over age 65 (and that number is growing), only 23% of
the City's 1,126 income-restricted rental units are designated for occupancy by seniors.
It was also pointed out by one attendee that Riverside County currently needs 60,000
affordable housing units, and that another 60,000 will be needed by the end of the year.
And this is just for the county, not cities within the county. The Riverside County Office
on Aging and the Advisory Council view this as a priority for action, and will be bringing
together community planners and decision-makers to identify solutions and recommend
strategies for implementing the solutions.
One attendee noted that a designated senior housing project now includes families and
younger tenants, and that it is falling into disrepair. While it was noted that the complex
had recently changed ownership and that it was now operating under the Section 8 HUD
program (which opens the complex to all people with disabilities), the City of Palm
Springs indicated that it would investigate the original land lease conditions.
Another issue involves finding housing that is wheelchair accessible and modified (or
capable of being modified) for seniors who may be frail and/or have physical disabilities.
While seniors may want to remain independent and living in their own homes, they may
® be forced to relocate if the home and its surroundings are not disabled-fiiendly or capable
of being modified. The City's building codes do require that new residential construction
comply with the Federal Americans With Disabilities Act(ADA). ADA provisions
include requirements that a minimum percentage of units in new developments be fully
accessible to the physically disabled. The City of Palm Springs employs an ADA
Coordinator to help the City and general public stay in compliance with these and other
programs. The Coordinator also reviews development plans for compliance and helps
homeowners and builders in the design and construction of accessible facilities.
It was noted that while cities can encourage home builders to apply universal design
principles when designing and building new homes, developers are hesitant to
incorporate the principles because they don't see a potential market for such homes
(uniform design principles ensure full accessibility and are designed to work for people
of all ages, abilities and disabilities; they result in designs that are adaptable to changing
needs over generations so people can live as independently as possible in their own
homes and age in place). Additionally, within gated or off-street condominium
complexes, the cost of modifying sidewalks and other access areas to make them
handicapped accessible may be the individual condo owner's (or the condo association's)
financial responsibility. One suggestion was approaching local businesses (sidewalk
contractors, etc.) to solicit their help in making such modifications more financially
viable.
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It was also noted that through the City of Palm Springs' Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG)Program, very low-income homeowners are provided financial assistance •
of up to $1,500 for minor routine home maintenance repairs and accessibility
modifications. In coordination with the city's Fire Department and the Desert Water
Agency, disaster preparedness items are included, such as smoke detectors, natural gas
shut-off values, hot water heater straps and emergency water containers. Applicants must
be an owner-occupant of a primary Palm Springs residence, and meet income guidelines
and current and other government obligations.
Finally, in response to a question concerning the addition of caretaker accommodations
for seniors who need live-in caretakers at existing homes, it was noted that the City of
Palm Springs allows for the development of accessory units in association with primary
residential units, or"granny flats,"traditionally intended for elderly or other members of
owner-occupied families. These accessory units are subject to Conditional Use Permits
and the City's Zoning Code.
4. Elder Abuse, Including Fraud and Identity Theft:Elder abuse is a serious,
growing and underreported problem which now encompasses identity theft as well as
fraud,physical and emotional abuse, unfair merchant tactics, and crimes targeting
seniors.
The Palm Springs Police Department is active in helping seniors and their caregivers
prevent elder abuse. A representative noted that the Department will send officers out to
work with neighborhood and community groups to address this (and other) safety issues. •
The Department will also provide help specifically tailored to preventing elder abuse,
especially identity theft, Internet fraud, and other kinds of crimes against seniors. The
Department will field telephone questions, and resources are available on the
Department's website (www.pspd.com).
It was also noted that the County's C.A.R.E. (Curtailing Abuse Related to the Elderly)
program, under Riverside County Adult Protective Services, investigates elder abuse,
consumer fraud and other crimes against the elderly. One of the County's three C.A.R.E.
teams is located in Palm Desert. Seniors and/or their caregivers can call the program to
report a problem, which will be investigated by either Adult Protective Services or the
C.A.R.E. Team.
5. Credit, Financial and Health Insurance Assistance: Seniors often face complex
decisions concerning whether to buy a home on leased versus fee-simple land, which
kinds of home loans to consider, and other issues such as whether to take advantage of
reverse mortgage options currently being marketed to seniors. Seniors also face complex
decisions about long-term care insurance and, now, whether and how to enroll in the new
Medicare drug benefit program. But where can seniors go to find impartial and accurate
answers to these and other credit-related questions?
Credit counseling agencies will provide advice in these and other areas. These agencies
are known as the 3-C organizations (Consumer Credit Counseling); in Palm Springs, the •
local non-profit organization is Springboard Consumer Credit Management.
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It was also suggested that the local Board of Realtors be asked to help develop a detailed
and clear explanation tailored to seniors of the immediate and long-term ramifications of
buying homes on leased land, which could be provided to all senior home-buyers in Palm
Springs.
HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) was cited as an agency
that will provide information for making decisions about the Medicare drug benefit
program, and the benefits of keeping a full long-tern care policy or dropping the nursing
home benefit and converting to a sole home-care benefit policy.
6. Traffic and pedestrian safety: Explosive population growth in the Coachella Valley,
including Palm Springs, is bringing a growth in automobile traffic, and with it the risk of
accidents and injuries involving senior pedestrians.
One particularly dangerous intersection for senior pedestrians is the corner of Ramon
Road and Sunrise Way, which many elderly pedestrians must cross to access the Ralph's
Supermarket, other commercial establishments in the shopping center, and the Mizell
Senior Center. Another is at South Palm Canyon and Tahquitz Canyon Way in the heart
of downtown Palm Springs (where many seniors cross to access the Palm Springs Follies
theater). It was suggested that the City consider instituting four-way traffic stops to allow
pedestrians to cross these intersections without interference from automobile traffic.
7. Accessing transportation to services: Even when seniors are aware of program and
® services, getting to the resources can be difficult, especially for those who are without
access to a car or other vehicles. This can be a particularly serious problem during the
summer, when snowbirds leave the Valley and full-time residents are without neighbors
and friends who can drive. Seniors may live many blocks away from a fixed-route
SunLine bus stop, and travel to a destination may entail several transfers, which makes
travel by bus difficult and potentially hazardous during the summer given the intense heat
in the desert.
Two major alternative transportation resources are available to residents of Palm Springs:
Desert Health Car, which provides door-to-door transportation for medical appointments,
and SunLine's SunDial on-demand curb-to-curb paratransit services for qualified
individuals. While Desert Samaritans for the Elderly also provides transportation services
for seniors, the agency is overloaded with requests and having a difficult time meeting
demand.
A SunLine representative noted that the agency currently is conducting a comprehensive
study of the entire SunLine system, including its SunDial service, and will begin
i implementing the findings from that study by late Fall. The study is focusing on how
SunLine can better meet the growing demand for service given the Valley's current and
projected population growth.
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ABOUT THE FORUM'S CO-SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
® The City of Palm Springs
Palm Springs lies on the western edge of the Coachella Valley in central Riverside
County, approximately 107 miles east of Los Angeles. The City covers a geographical
area of 96 square miles with well-established neighborhoods. The permanent population
is 43,800 as of 2001, and another 27,000 to 30,000 people live in the City in the winter,
bringing the total population to almost 75,000 residents during the winter season. Over
26% of the population of Palm Springs is age 65 years and older. Palm Springs was
incorporated in 1938 and has a City Council/City Manager form of government. As its
governing body, the Palm Springs City Council is comprised of five members, including
the Mayor, who are elected citywide. Contact the City at(760) 323-8299.
Riverside County Advisory Council on Aging
The Advisory Council on Aging is a mandatory body under both the federal Older
Americans Act and the state Older Californians Act. The members are appointed to
serve in an advisory capacity to the Riverside County Office on Aging, the local Area
Agency on Aging. The membership is comprised of 17 volunteer leaders, five of whom
are appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The Council considers demographic trends,
umnet needs and emerging issues affecting seniors and adults with disabilities. The
Council also provides input into the Office on Aging's Four-Year Strategic Plan, and
® recommends policy, program direction, funding, and advocacy priorities for the Office
on Aging. It oversees the request for proposal process for awarding service contracts to
local community providers of senior services. The Advisory Council can be reached
through the Riverside County Office on Aging (see below)
Riverside County Foundation on Aging
The Riverside County Foundation on Aging works to ensure that programs and services
provided by the County to its older adults will keep pace with current—and future—
needs. To accomplish this, the Foundation works to strengthen and expand programs
offered by the Riverside County Office on Aging, and to support the work of the
Riverside County Advisory Council on Aging. The Foundation also serves as a catalyst
for creating innovative public-private sector partnerships to leverage existing resources to
develop new, innovative solutions to meeting the needs of the County's older adults,
especially those who are underserved and vulnerable. Contact the Foundation at(951)
776-7792
Riverside County Office on Aging
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jAs the official Area Agency on Aging for Riverside County, the Office on Aging works
j to ensure enhanced quality of life across generations. The Office on Aging funds home
and community-based services, including volunteer opportunities, outreach,
! ® transportation, adult day care, legal services, in-home support, ombudsman services,
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congregate and home-delivered meals, community elder abuse education, and peer
counseling. In addition, the office funds advocacy initiatives, educational workshops, and •
technical assistance provided to the community on planning and program development.
It sponsors educational events that address emerging senior issues and bring key
members of the community to consider steps in making system changes, as well as
encourage new local programs in response to changing needs. The Office on Aging also
provides services for seniors and adults with disabilities directly or through contracts with
community agencies. Contact the Office on Aging at(951) 697-4697.
Desert Healthcare District
Created by the state of California in 1948, the Desert Healthcare District's original
mission was to provide hospital services to residents of Desert Hot Springs, Thousand
Palms, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert(west of Cook
Street). The district's service area encompasses 457 square miles and extends into
Mountain Center. Today, the District has two missions: to oversee Desert Regional
Medical Center's lease with Tenet Health Systems, and to improve community health.
Through a system implemented in 1998, the District budgets more than$2 million each
year for grants and other programs. Grant funding is linked to fulfillment of District
objectives, which focus on enhancing the health of District residents. Contact the Desert
Healthcare District at (760) 323-6113.
Mizell Senior Center
The Mizell Senior Center is the Coachella Valley's oldest and largest Senior Center •
providing over 140 programs monthly to the seniors of the Palm Springs area. Programs
include education and enrichment classes, fitness and health classes, social activities
including dances, card games, support groups, and senior-specific services, including pro-
bono legal assistance, Medicare insurance counseling and Senior nutrition services
including Palm Springs Meals on Wheels program for homebound seniors. The Mizell
Senior Center is a non-profit organization that relies on the support of the conrrnunity to
enable it's volunteers and professionals to tools to provide the much needed services.
Contact the Mizell Center at (760) 323-5689.
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PROGRAMS, AGENCIES AND RESOURCES REFERENCED
® DURING THE FORUM
Adult Protective Services 24 Hour Hotline: (800)491-7123
C.A.R.E. (Curtailing Abuse Related to the Elderly)Team program: (800)476-7506
City of Pahn Springs CDBG Home Repair Program: (760) 323-8264
City of Palm Springs Information Line: (760) 322-8340, or visit www.ci.palm-springs.ca.us
Community Action Partnership: (951) 955-6448 or(800) 999-5584
Cooling Centers:
Mizell Senior Center (760)) 323-5689
Desert Resource Center, (760) 327-6515
James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center (760) 323-8271
Desert Health Car: (760) 320-7137
Desert Healthlink website: www.deserthealtWink.org
Episcopal Community Services: (760) 318-7740
HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) (951) 697-6565, or visit
® http://www.inlandagency.org/htmt/hicap_jiome.hirn
Jewish Family Services of Palm Springs and the Desert Area: (760) 315-4088
Mizell Senior Center: (760) 323-5689
Palm Springs Police Department(elder abuse): (760) 323-8116, or visit www.pspd.corn
Riverside County Office on Aging Helplink: (800) 510-2020
Riverside County Office on Aging Network of Care website:
http://riverside.networkofeare.org/aging/home/index.cftn
Riverside County 211 social service referral telephone number: Dial 211
Southern California Edison-For information on programs and services, call(800) 655-4555,
or visit www.sce.com/staycool
Springboard Consumer Credit Management: (760) 323-5084
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j SunLine SunDial Paratrransit Service (760) 323-6999; or 323-3451 for general Customer
Service Information; also, visit www.sunline.org
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j The Well in the Desert(at the Desert Resource Center): (760) 327-6515
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THE OTHER SIDE OF RETIREMENT
ISSUES FACING OLDER RESIDENTS OF PALM SPRINGS •
The followingfactsheet,prepared by the Riverside County Foundation on Aging, was distributed
at the Forum.
Over 26% of the population of Palm Springs (about 11,028)is age 65 years and older.
While we may think of our senior residents as generally affluent and well-to-do, data
from the 2000 Census indicates that almost 7% of seniors are living at or below the
poverty threshold($8,259 for an individual age 65 or older). Many are living above the
poverty threshold but on relatively low fixed incomes, and they face daily choices
between paying for food, rent, utilities and their medications. Seniors are counted among
the estimated 336 people who, at any given time, are homeless in Palm Springs.
Census data also indicate that over 4,000 older residents of Palm Springs are living with
at least one physical, sensory, mental and/or self-care disability, and that almost 1,000 of
these seniors have disabilities that prevent them from leaving their homes.
Seniors in Palm Springs face many if not all of the key issues identified by the Riverside
County Advisory Council on Aging as impacting quality of life for seniors:
• Hunger and poor nutrition, which directly affect health status
• Lack of access to transportation to get to medical appointments, shopping, and
other necessary resources
• Limited access to affordable housing, which is becoming a serious problem as •
housing prices and rents escalate
• Limited access to quality health and mental health services
• Limited choices in employment opportunities paying livable wages
A small but growing number of seniors in Palm Springs are grandparents who are also
raising one or more of their grandchildren, which places significant strains on the
grandparents' financial, physical and emotional resources.
Finally, seniors in Palm Springs face the possibility of crimes and safety issues
specifically targeting seniors. These include financial scams, elder abuse and, more
recently, identity theft. Among the most frequently reported problems are:
• Financial scams perpetrated against elders by professional criminals
• Internet phishing for the purpose of financial scamming or performing identity
theft
• Physical, emotional and/or financial elder abuse, most often by members of the
person's own family or by their caregivers
• Coercion by merchants to force seniors into making purchases
Data used in this factsheet are from the U.S. Census 2000, Riverside County Office on Aging, Riverside
County Dept. of Public Social Services, City ofPalm Springs and City of Palm Springs Police Department.
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