October 5, 2021 - By Dale Silverman, Member of the A12AA and the MCCOA - Are you a retiree who resides in Mariposa County?  Or perhaps you have a parent, grandparent or other family member who makes their home in the County and is determined to remain independent and in that home, despite aging issues.  There are two citizens groups, the Advisory Council affiliated with the Area 12 Agency on Aging (A12AA) and the Mariposa County Commission on Aging (MCCOA) that focus on the services available for the growing number of seniors that call our rural, highly decentralized county, home.  

Both groups have meetings (see formal notice links below) in October that are open to the public.  And while the Council has all of the available Mariposa County slots filled at the moment, there are several vacancies on the Commission. Listening to one or both of these meetings might give you an idea as to whether you might be interested in seeking a Board appointment to the Commission.

A12AA is both a direct services provider and the overall coordinator of services for 5 counties, with Mariposa being the southernmost one.  The COA, which is supported by staff of the Mariposa County Health & Human Services Department and works closely with A12AA, focuses specifically on services within the county.  Both groups seek to enhance the quality and range of available services as well as help ensure that information about these services reach those who need them.

In recent months, both organizations have greatly enhanced online accessibility to resources.  A12AA, in partnership with the Disability Resources Agency for Independent Living (DRAIL), has roiled out a comprehensive 5 county-wide resource directory (adrcofthemotherlode.myresourcedirectory.com.) And members of the MCCOA have created the “Mariposa County Seniors” Facebook group.  Notices of programs, events, and activities of special interest to seniors are channeled to the page from a variety sources.  If you are a Facebook user, you might want to join this public group.  

One of the main presentations at both of these meetings will be a status report regarding implementation of California’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) initiative.  ADRCs provide a central source of current, reliable, and objective information about a broad range of programs or services available to older adults and people with disabilities, regardless of income.  The above-mentioned Resource Directory was the first major “product” of the A12AA/DRAIL partnership, which is formally recognized by the state as an “emerging ADRC”.  

Formal announcements of the two meetings are linked below:

Area 12 Agency on Aging Advisory Council Meeting on Monday, October 18, 2021

Mariposa County Commission on Aging Meeting on Wednesday, October 27, 2021