Master Plan
We are all fortunate to live in a society where everyone can live a long, healthy, and productive life. To no one’s surprise, the 60+ senior population is the fastest growing age group in Washoe County!
In 2010 there were 76,000 people over the age of 60, in 2020 there will be 100,000 and by 2030 130,000.
But, these may be low estimates: in 2014 the Census Bureau reported that between 2012 and 2013, our 60+ population increased by 5% to almost 89,000 seniors. Plus, AARP and the Census Bureau projects that Nevada will be the 3rd fastest aging state through 2050, behind only Alaska and Arizona.
Our aging community is affecting everyone. All of us have relatives, friends and neighbors who are facing the challenge of aging. We are especially concerned about caregivers who provide the day-to-day care, and we all know of people who have no family support, live alone, are frail, low income or of advanced age.
To help Washoe County prepare, the Board of County Commissioners directed the Department to develop a Master Plan for Aging Services. The County Commission’s 2016-18 Strategic Plan in part states:
To be a healthy, stable community, Washoe County must be seen as a desirable place to live for people in all stages of life. As the number of seniors rises in our community, the County must make improvements in its ability to meet the unique needs of the senior population. The impact of this significant demographic shift will affect many County departments and must be addressed holistically if it is to be addressed effectively.
The Master Plan is the roadmap to meet these goals, based on the values and guiding principles developed by our partners, stakeholders, Advisory Board and employees. We invite you to join us.
- Values
- Be customer-service driven
- Promote client independence and choice
- Respect diversity and ensure equal access to programs and services
- Involve people in decisions that affect them
- Act with personal and professional integrity
- Provide quality service, pursue excellence in service and in the workplace, and continuously advance innovation and quality improvements
- Use public and private resources responsibly and efficiently
- Promote partnerships and work cooperatively on community advocacy
- Guiding Principles
- Easy access to information and assistance
- An easily accessible continuum of services that help people live as independently as possible in the community
- Inclusion of client choice, values, and preferences in decision-making
- Commitment to inclusive services, targeting people who are most in need
- Commitment to client advocacy
- Commitment to including citizen and consumer participation in planning and providing services through the development of community coalitions and partnerships.
The attached material, which will be regularly updated, includes:
- A draft document of the most critical Goals and Objectives
- The 2013 Random Sample Survey that helps us understand the challenge.
- Maps, based on 2012 Census data and the Random Sample survey, help the County, non-profits and businesses see where the greatest demand for services is.
- Research Materials
We send our thanks to the more than 120 people, businesses and agencies that helped us prepare this report.