The Shadow
RICHMOND, Va. (VR) — The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) has contracted with Polco to seek the public’s insight on the Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA).
CASOA will inform the development of the next State Plan for Aging Services (Oct. 1, 2023 – Sept. 30, 2027), which guides the Commonwealth’s implementation of Older Americans Act programs and services and seeks to coordinate a statewide response to meeting the needs of older Virginians. Using a scientifically random sample of adults ages 60 and older, CASOA provides a statistically valid survey to identify the strengths and needs of older adults in Virginia, as reported by older adults themselves.
Selected Virginia residents will receive a postcard in advance to notify them about the survey. Respondents can complete the survey online or through a paper copy mailed to them with a postage-paid return envelope. The online survey will be available in Arabic, English, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese. Those who receive the survey are encouraged to participate.
Those who do not receive a survey will still have additional ways to provide feedback later this fall when DARS opens the online survey to all older adults. More information about this will be shared in the coming weeks through DARS, its network of 25 Area Agencies on Aging and other community partners.
In implementing the survey, Polco is committed to a strict privacy policy—they only share anonymous, combined results. Participants’ individual data and responses are never shared.
The findings from the needs assessment will enable state agencies, local governments, community-based organizations, the private sector and other community members to understand more thoroughly and predict more accurately the services and resources required to serve older Virginians and their caregivers.
“This survey will help the department identify priorities for the next four years. The CASOA survey presents a novel and exciting opportunity for us to hear from older Virginians
and we hope those who are invited to participate will feel comfortable and interested in doing so,” said DARS Deputy Commissioner Marcia DuBois.
For more information or if you need assistance with the survey, contact the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services at (804) 662-9310.
