Lambton Public Health is working to better address the needs of older adults in the community.
The health unit partnered with Age-Friendly Sarnia-Lambton to survey those over the age of 55, primary caregivers and service providers in order to address gaps in coverage.
A total of 761 surveys were collected between July and September 2021.
Health Promotion Supervisor Anita Trusler said a majority of older adults want to age at home for as long as possible.
"Some of the most prevalent challenges that we learned about were difficulty finding information about available community supports and services in Lambton County," said Trusler. "Older adults, caregivers and service providers all identified access to care, care coordination, and just understanding how to navigate our complex health system to be the most important things to them."
Trusler said many seniors weren't aware of the services provided on the Age-Friendly Sarnia-Lambton website, including transportation, employment, volunteer, healthcare, and financial information.
She said a group of community partners is working together to improve system navigation.
They'll be doing some additional research with Lambton College, including focus groups.
For more information on the survey results, click here.
