In 2013, the number of people living in the United States aged 65 and over was 44.7 million, or about one in seven. This number is expected to grow to 56.4 million by 2020, and 82.3 million by 2040.[1]

Emergency preparedness professionals are tasked with ensuring the health and safety of all community members. As older adult populations continue to rise, there is a growing need to better coordinate the way we, as a nation, prepare for and address their health needs before, during, and after an emergency event.

Supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, NACCHO developed the Directory of Organizations Serving Older Adults, a public health preparedness tool that can aid local health departments in identifying and reaching out to organizations that can be of assistance when preparing for and responding to events that impact older adults in our communities.

The Directory of Organizations Serving Older Adults provides local health departments with descriptions of organizations that provide services to older adults and web links for state/local affiliate chapters of those organizations where available. This preparedness tool identifies organizations that provide services in the following program areas: long-term care, senior living (including both assisted and independent living), home health, hospice, adult day services, meals, community-based services, and emergency preparedness and response.

The Directory of Organizations Serving Older Adults is currently available on NACCHO’s Publications website for download. Feel free to explore other tools on the NACCHO Publications website by clicking HERE.

[1] Administration on Aging. (2014). A Profile of Older Americans: 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from http://www.aoa.acl.gov/Aging_Statistics/Profile/2014/docs/2014-Profile.pdf