Ohio Department of Aging
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Publisher: Ohio Association for Gerontology and Education
Published Date: Spring 2000
Introduction
Each state and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is required, by the Older Americans Act, to periodically conduct a needs assessment. The Ohio Network of Educational Consultants in the Field of Aging (ONECA), in connection with the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and with the encouragement of the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA), developed a guide for a useful, affordable needs assessment.
The Handbook linked below describes the needs assessment process, and provides suggestions for sampling and materials for training interviewers. This resource also includes an instrument that was developed, pretested, piloted, and successfully used in several needs assessments over the past several years. The survey measures community-based long-term care needs in local communities, counties, or regional areas of the state. The Handbook also describes the costs associated with conducting a needs assessment, and presents some alternative techniques to a survey approach.
The primary function of the AAA is to plan and develop a comprehensive and coordinated service system. In order to accomplish these goals, the agencies must undertake systematic assessment of older persons' needs in the community by identifying deficiencies and gaps in the service delivery system, and by outlining solutions to meet these needs and bridge the gaps. None of the above can be done unless a good comprehensive plan is developed to measure these needs. This Needs Assessment Project was designed to help meet these needs. The assessment process described in the handbook linked below can also be used by local community organizations, coalitions, or agencies seeking to understand the needs for long-term care services for older adults in their community.
Download and read this and related publications
This publication is available as an Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The file size is given in parentheses. Larger files (200kb and up) may take a long time to load, depending on your Internet connection. Adobe Acrobat Reader or equivalent software is required to view this file.
Needs Assessment Handbook… (179b)
Sample Needs Assessment Surveys… (291kb)
Ohio Department of Aging