The Action Plan
The Action Plan
A significant demographic shift is occurring in Merced County. By 2030, older adults aged 60 and over will comprise 17.9% of the total population, up 23.6% from 2020. By 2060, 1 in 4 residents are projected to be older adults, the first time in Merced County’s history that they would outnumber youth 18 years and under.
The number of people with disabilities in Merced County is projected to increase along with growth in the older adult population. Disability rates tend to increase as people age due to medical conditions, injuries, and unequal access to necessary resources.
The growth in the number of older adults and people with disabilities in Merced County represents an opportunity to revisit how we design our communities, including how we provide health care, social services, and infrastructure. The coming years and decades offer unprecedented opportunities to engage, learn from, listen to, and empower these important members of our communities.
The Merced County Human Services Agency and the Area Agency on Aging welcome you to take part in the Age & Disability-Friendly Merced County initiative. You can download an English and/or Spanish language PDF of the full draft Action Plan, or a PDF of the Executive Summary in Hmong and Portuguese by clicking on the links below. You can also navigate through accessible, English language HTML versions of each section of the draft Plan by clicking the section links at the bottom of this page; we encourage people using screen readers and/or Google Translate to navigate through the HTML sections for greatest accessibility.
After reviewing the draft Plan, please share your thoughts, impressions, and suggestions with our planning team by Friday, May 16, 2025 at 8:00 am, so we can incorporate public comment into the final version of the Plan that will be presented to the Merced County Board of Supervisors on June 10, 2025.
You can submit your comments either by Google Form (English), Google Form (Spanish), or by emailing mk.pearstreetconsulting@gmail.com.
Section 4. California's 5 Bold Goals
Section 5. The Eight Domains of Livability
Project Recommendation #1: Communications Plan
Project Recommendation #2: Caregiving and Volunteer Network
Project Recommendation #3: Volunteer-Driver Programs
Project Recommendation #4: Subsidized Home Repairs
Project Recommendation #5: Strategies for Housing Development
Project Recommendation #6: Senior Social Activities and Gathering Spaces
Project Recommendation #7: Accessible Transportation Advocacy
Project Recommendation #8: Inclusivity Awareness Campaign
Project Recommendation #9: Senior Community Garden
Project Recommendation #10: Funeral and End-of-Life Planning Services
Project Recommendation #11: Essential Pedestrian Safety Infrastructure
Project Recommendation #12: Digital Literacy Program
Project Recommendation #13: High-Quality Critical Services in Rural Areas
Project Recommendation #14: Adequate Lighting in Pedestrian Areas
For questions or comments about the Age & Disability-Friendly Merced County initiative, please email mk.pearstreetconsulting@gmail.com.