Resources for Policy & Planning

A wide range of resources, including data and reports, are available to older adults, advocates, and other stakeholders to strengthen legislative agendas, develop grant proposals, and otherwise maintain or improve the quality of life for older adults in need. 

County, State, & National Resources


  • Alameda County Area Agency on Aging

    Phone: 1-800-510-2020

  • The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is the local arm of a national aging network.  Alameda County's AAA sits within the Alameda County Social Services Agency, within the Aging and Adult Services department.  Through the AAA, community-based organizations, public and private sector partners and consumers all work together to advance the social, health and well-being of older adults in Alameda County.  The AAA provides services through grants from the Federal Administration of Aging, the State of California, and the County of Alameda. These services include but are not limited to Adult Day Care, Family Caregiver Support programs, Food and Nutrition programs, Senior Information and Assistance, Long Term Care Ombudsman Services, and Senior Center Services.

  • Alameda County Intergovernmental Affairs and Civic Engagement

  • Alameda County Heat Vulnerability Map

    This interactive map illustrates social and environmental factors that contribute to community heat vulnerability in Alameda County, identifying neighborhoods and demographics disproportionately affected by heat waves. This tool may be utilized by county agencies, city planners, and neighborhood and community organizations to support their efforts to assess and respond to the impacts of extreme heat.  For information on local Cooling Centers, refer to Additional Resources.

  • Alameda County Plan for Older Adults (2016-2020)

    In the spring of 2015, Alameda County, with the leadership of the Area Agency on Aging (AAA), launched an initiative to develop a comprehensive plan for older adults. With the support and encouragement of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, the Social Services Agency, in partnership with the Health Care Services Agency,  a process was designed to include input from consumers, community - based organizations, cities and staff for the older adult plan. The report contains demographic data along with goals and objectives.

  • Alameda County Public Health Department, Community Assessment, Planning, and Evaluation (CAPE) Unit - Report on Older Adults in Alameda County (March 2016) 

    Detailed data on the health status of older adults in Alameda County. Form to request additional data.

  • Alameda County Senior Services Coalition

    A wealth of information about aging in Alameda County, including an advocacy agenda and ways to get involved.

  • Legal Assistance for Seniors

    HICAP Data for Alameda County Clients is available upon request (tel. 510-832-3040). Data includes client demographics (age, gender, income, race, city), case type (guardianship, abuse, housing, health law), short-term case outcomes, and requests for case types where Legal Assistance for Seniors was unable to assist.

High-level rankings of California counties relating to: health outcomes, factors, and behaviors, quality of life, social and economic factors, physical environment, and clinical care.

California population data by county, year, age, gender, and race/ethnicity addressing injuries that result in death, hospitalization, or emergency department visits. Includes injury summaries by cause and age; top 5 causes; trends; homicides, suicides, alcohol and drug poisoning or overdose cases, mental disorder, physical disease, police traffic, crash data, and special topics, including senior falls, assault, homicide, firearms, suicide, heat, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents.

Authoritative health statistics on California's population (the Nation’s largest state health survey, with approximately 20,000 Californians interviewed annually). Users can create custom tables.

Statistics and stories produced by a collaboration of CALmatters, KPBS, KPCC, KQED and Capital Public Radio, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the James Irvine Foundation and the College Futures Foundation.

A comprehensive report calling for an overhaul of California’s fragmented long-term care system, published by the California Senate Select Committee on Aging and Long Term Care in 2015.

Offers a wide range of practical suggestions and best practices. Includes materials related to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.

The Administration for Community Living, which includes the Administration on Aging, is an operating division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.  Its Profile of Older Americans draws on data from the Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ACL offers many resources, such as a series of webinars on vocational rehabilitation for people with brain injuries. Additional data and research.

Justice in Aging publishes frequent issue briefs, reports and advocate’s guides that help on-the-ground advocates assist low-income older adults and persons with disabilities deal with often complex challenges related to federal and state benefits programs. Many of the issue briefs are also reflected in ongoing, free webinar trainings.

Special Topics

The UCLA Loneliness Scale is a commonly used measure of loneliness. Its name derives from its having been developed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Russell, D., Peplau, L.A., and Ferguson, M.L., first published it in 1978, and it was revised in 1980 and 1996.

Questionnaire with yes/no questions about what led to an emergency visit.

Connect to Affect examines social connections, improving the understanding of loneliness and how it relates to social isolation. 

The Gerontological Society of America advances the scientific and scholarly study of aging and promotes human welfare by the encouragement of gerontology in all its areas.

SCAN, a leading senior-focused organization with the mission of keeping seniors healthy and independent, undertook a national survey of seniors who are caregivers. Survey findings reaffirm that while caregiving can be an extremely rewarding experience, it can also result in hefty physical, emotional, and financial strains.