An Evaluation of State and County Area Agency on Aging Web Sites

The baby boom generation, those people born between 1947 and 1964, is nearing retirement age. As the income producers retire, there is a loss of revenue available to the government. Simultaneously, there is an increased demand upon the government for health and human services. This combination creates an unprecedented strain upon government resources. Government Aging Services are not alone in struggling to meet the needs of the elderly. Younger workers and family members are also recognizing the stress in their own lives as they are faced with the additional responsibility of caring for their elderly loved ones. The Older Americans Act authorized $1,097,718,000 in 2002 to be used for support services to the elderly. The need for more services will increase dramatically from the year 2010 through 2050 as the baby boom generation reaches the sunset years of life. Government needs to plan for the additional cost of providing needed services. This research study examines the use of the Internet as a means of providing informational support for the elderly and the people who care for them. The study looked at all two levels of Area Agency on Aging web sites, each state and territory, as well as sixty five of the most populated counties in the United States. The research design was primarily qualitative in nature, using multiple method content analysis to evaluate each web site. The study found that an enormous disparity exists among the web sites of Agencies on Aging. While a few of the agencies utilize the Internet as a resource for the elderly and their caregivers, the majority of agencies severely under-utilize the Web as a medium to provide services. A brief analysis of each site is presented, as well as suggestions for presenting web sites targeted to the elderly and their caregivers. This study reveals the need for further research into the use of the Internet as a resource for America's aging population.