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Ohio has launched a one-stop hub featuring resources and info for older residents

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — The fastest growing age demographic in Ohio is people over 65, which is expected to reach 25% of the state’s population by 2040. With that in mind, the state is launching an online tool to help older Ohioans and their caregivers access information and resources that have long been scattered in different places and hard to find.

Ohio Department of Aging director Ursel McElroy (center) unveils the Ohio Aging Compass as Gov. Mike DeWine looks at it on a monitor.
Ohio Department of Aging director Ursel McElroy (center) unveils the Ohio Aging Compass as Gov. Mike DeWine looks at it on a monitor. [Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau]
The Ohio Aging Compass includes three main sections: a navigator to compare more than 1,700 long term care facilities, a hub for resources such as articles and local services, and a dashboard to explore data on older Ohioans. Department of Aging director Ursel McElroy says it simplifies a process that’s been fragmented.

“It is an iterative foundation in our work toward fewer clicks, clearer pathways, and more accessible resources for older Ohioans,” McElroy said.

“We’ve also added functionality for users to identify Golden Buckeye participating businesses. This is a network of businesses statewide offering discounts, perks or other benefits to Ohioans 60 or older,” McElroy continued. “Finally, we have the event spotlight, which highlights healthy aging events hosted by state agencies over the next three months.”

And McElroy said the state is also looking into how artificial intelligence could help out: “That could look like an AI navigation assistant or chat bot that would serve as an assistant for users, guiding individuals in real time to the services and supports they need.”

And McElroy said if the technology isn’t available or is a challenge, workers at various local agencies will be available by phone to help people find information on the site.

“So while maybe you don’t have a computer, maybe you have a phone and you still call one of our trusted agencies, such as a local area agency on aging, they can then utilize this tool to make sure that they’re augmenting their service,” McElroy said.

A link to the Ohio Aging Compass is also on the front page of the Department of Aging’s website.