Health Connect Government  

Maryland’s Secretary of Aging Tours County Services for Older Adults

Maryland Secretary of Aging Carmel Roques came to Montgomery County Tuesday to learn of the challenges faced by older adults here.

She spent the morning speaking with county officials from Aging and Disability Services and the Recreation Department about what the county offers and what is needed here. The most pressing issues are “a lack of affordable housing, a lack of accessible housing” and the need for housing with services, she said.

“All of us are living in an older society. The world is older than it has ever been before,” Roques said in reference to life expectancy. “To meet that challenge, we have to think differently.”

Not that long ago, most people didn’t live long enough to collect Social Security, and now it is not uncommon to collect those federal funds for 30 years,” she said.

County Executive Marc Elrich called the state “a great partner,” adding, “Here in Montgomery County we are eager for partnership. Montgomery County cannot do it on its own.”

He noted that between 2014 and 2019, the percent of county older adults soared from 7.9% to 14.4%.

Patrice McGhee, acting chief of the county’s Aging and Disability Services, told Roques that the county emphasizes dignity and stresses access and equity.

Seniors are an asset, noted Councilmember Gabe Albornoz. Councilmember Dawn Luedtke agreed, noting the importance of “taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge” that seniors have, especially in the area of mentoring young people.

Roques spent the afternoon touring Holiday Park Senior Center in Silver Spring where she ate lunch and chatted with the seniors using the facility. She saw a Hawaiian social drop-in group and a bone builders demonstration and toured the Aging and Disability Resources Unit Health Suite.

Write a Comment

Related Articles