Rona Barrett Speaks at SB Aging Symposium

CATHERINE SHEN, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Rona Barrett is pictured during her talk at Fess Parker’s Doubltree Resort on Monday. STEVE MALONE/NEWS-PRESS

“I’ll never forget the moment when my father was diagnosed with stage one dementia, when I realized he has gone to a different place,” Ms. Barrett said. “To go through the experience of becoming the parent of your own parent, it’s painful but it also made me realize that there are millions of ‘orphaned seniors’ who don’t have someone in their lives to care for them. So it’s important to focus on advocacy and think about what you can do to help.” 

Several organizations, including the Gildea Foundation, the Hutton Foundation and the Santa Barbara Foundation along with a host of co-sponsors, gathered at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort to help senior citizens find their voice. 

“This is a time when we come together and figure out what’s the most pressing issue of the moment,” said Santa Barbara Third District County Supervisor Doreen Farr. “We find the trends, needs and funding for the service programs that help with societal issues. We cover anywhere from transportation to housing.” 

According to the 2010 Senior Trends Survey, nearly 73 percent of the service agencies have experienced an increase in demand for senior services, while only 22 percent have received an increase in funding since 2008. 

“It’s difficult to encourage advocacy when the economy isn’t doing so well,” Ms. Farr said. “But that doesn’t mean we stop our work. It’s easy for the senior citizens to be ignored because they have no voice, that’s why we’re here. We’re constantly finding ways to help these programs get funding and educate them on what the different levels of government can do.” 

Areas with the greatest demand include transportation, in-home care, mental health/counseling and case management. But it’s difficult to meet the increasing demands when resources are diminishing.