The Mississippi Department of Human Services is seeking input from older Mississippi residents and their communities to guide the next four years of state services for aging people.

Older adults, their families and caregivers can complete a survey online or participate in a virtual public listening session to share suggestions. 

“The community’s input is critical as we develop the next four years of services for Mississippi’s older adults,” KenYada Blake-Washington, director of the MDHS Division of Aging & Adult Services, said in a press release. “We want to hear from the community about what matters most to them and their families.”

The State Plan on Aging is the “blueprint” for the division, which provides services to people 60 and older, Blake-Washington told Mississippi Today. The agency crafts a new plan every four years. 

The plan aims to improve services for older Mississippians and identify barriers that prevent them from accessing those services.

“It’s a call to action, improvement, resource alignment and allocation,” Blake-Washington said. 

The Aging and Adult Services division works with 10 area agencies on aging on a range of services, including nutrition and meal programs, transportation, case management, legal assistance and caregiver support.

The state plan will fuse input from the area agencies on aging, federal requirements, state-level goals and input from Mississippians. 

The state’s population is swiftly aging. Between 2010 and 2020, Mississippi saw a 34% increase in people 65 and older. 

Older adults, their families and caregivers can complete an online survey to provide  suggestions. The survey’s deadline is Oct. 30. 

The Division of Aging and Adult Services will hold three virtual public listening sessions for input. The first two are next week: 4-5:30 p.m. Monday and 9-10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The third session is 10-11:30 a.m. Oct. 14.