This document discusses anticipated changes to community-based services and education for older adults over the next 15 years. Key points include a growing and more diverse senior population, more older adults living alone, and increased needs for community programs. Community-based programs will need to expand and adapt to serve lifelong learners and provide services to help seniors remain active and engaged. Distance education is expected to increase accessibility but may require support from community organizations to help lower-income students. Funding sources for these services and programs will likely need to evolve as well.

1. The Future of Community
Based Services and Education
AISHA CASTRO
AET/508
DR. LIND JUSTUS

2. Key Considerations in Anticipated Changes
•Population increases with a higher percentage of older adults (Knickman & Snell, 2002).
•A change in the definition of aging and what services/assistance is needed for the elderly
population
•A more diverse population that is more educated and skilled but with a higher gap in the
distribution of wealth
•A change in the family dynamic with more older adults living alone with fewer or no children.

3. Community-Based Services Outlook
 Over the next 15 years the U.S. will
continue to experience and increase in
need for community based programs. As
baby boomers continue to age their will
community based services to remain
active, educated, mobile and lively.
 With the expected decreases in Social
Security benefits older adults will look to
community-based programs to provide
some everyday services or point them in
the right direction for help.
 Community-based programs serving adult
learners will continue to gain traction as
the adult learner population continues to
grow.
 Distance education programs could begin
to lean on community based programs for
support for lower income students
 Distance education “has the strong
potential to bring learning to far more
people in the world, at lower costs for a
student hour of learning than at present
(Bork, 2001).”

4. Where will we be 15 years from now?
 US senior population will be the largest in history
 It will be one of the most diverse in the world
 The members of this senior cohort:
 Will have a longer lifer expectancy than past senior populations
 Will stay active longer and more engaged in the community
 Will have one of the highest literacy level in history
 Will be the first senior population in history savvy in digital media
 Will continue to work and learn well into retirement

5. Education in 15 years (Continued)
The learning gap is threatening our productivity even as it becomes easier to
obtain an education.
More than half of working adults have no post secondary degree. For an economy
that is knowledge based, this is alarming. Even more alarming are the numbers of
adults below basic literacy levels: 14% of adults over the age of 16. This smaller,
less educated workforce may put our economy at risk. However, the education
that is needed is becoming more and more attainable. In 10 - 15 years, one may
earn a degree by studying 6 month at University, another few months at another
school, and then finish with online courses. At some point, an accredited
institution will grant a degree. This system will allow more opportunity and
empower more people.
Online learning may bridge the learning gap and provide more opportunity for
diversity.

6. Response to the Private and Public Sector
 Congress will have to amend, adapt, add or change the legislation of the Older
American Act of 1965 to keep up with the change of times.
 Community-based businesses, who want to remain competitive on the market, will
have to take advantage of the professional and life experience of the seniors. They
will have to be flexible and recruitment savvy if they want to attract senior talent.
 Education institutions will have to offer programs based on: the demographic
make up of the elderly cohort; the economic reality of these seniors; employment
opportunities for the low-income ones; other needs and desires of the still active or
retired seniors.

7. Promoting and Valuing Diversity
 Distance learning is ideally suited to include
all segments of population:
 “Distance learning not only has the potential
to promote community building and
cooperation among students, it also allows for
considerable diversity. Disabilities or family
commitments, for example, that might
prohibit campus attendance can be overcome
in the online environment.” (Schneider et all,
1997).
 All inclusive policy should be the norm for
adult education institutions:
 “The recommendation for curriculum
developers is to incorporate the cultural
knowledge of adult learners so as not to
marginalize them from the subject matter and
thus to foster a more inclusive, democratic
learning environment. ” (Kubow, 2009)
 Diversity - promotes community well
being, community economic growth and
financial growth of learning institutions,
by an increase in student enrollment.

8. Possible Funding Scenarios
There is currently a concern for funding to cover educational expenses of the older adult and
this concern will only increase as time progresses. Institutions of education may need to rely
more heavily on sponsorships and state funding as opposed to federal funding (Wacker &
Roberto, 2014). For older care community services, there will need to be a bigger focus on
self sufficiency and putting funding away for retirement as the amount of federal funding is
expected to decrease of the years. With current times of economic uncertainty, there is also
"greater recognition of the need for financial literacy education" in adult education
curriculum (Tisdell, Taylor, & Forte, 2013).

9. Law and Future Education
 Community Higher Education institutions have to keep on maintaining high
standards for the future in order to maintain their validity. This is true especially
for distance education.
 The quality of future education and the law 2. President Obama’s FY2013 budget
proposes a new $1 billion competitive fund to increase the number of high-quality
career academies across the country (Federal Adult Education, 2013)
 The quality of future education and the law 3.“Online education provides the best
prospect for the future of HE as long as the following barriers are conceded and
addressed: methods of faculty assessment and course design” (Nash, 2015)

10. References
Knickman, J. R., & Snell, E. K. (2002, August ). The 2030 Problem: Caring for aging baby boomers. Health Services Research, 37(4), .Lifelong learning -
new strategies for the education of working adults. (2007, Dec 07). US Fed News Service, Including US State News Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/468711122?accountid=35812
Kubow, P. K. (2009). GLOBALIZATION, DIVERSITY, AND THE SEARCH FOR CULTURALLY RELEVANT MODELS FOR ADULT EDUCATION.
International Education, 39(1), 79-86. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/198674508?accountid=35812
Nash, J. A. (2015). Future of Online Education in Crisis: A Call to Action. Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET, 14(2), 80-88.
Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1057370.pdf
Schneider, E. L., Glass, S., Henke, M., & Overton, J. (1997). Distance learning in gerontology: The future is here. Generations,21(3), 46-49.Retrieved
fromhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/212215125?accountid=35812
Tisdell, E. J., Taylor, E. W., & Forte, K. S. (2013). Community-based financial literacy education in a cultural context: A study of teacher beliefs and
pedagogical practice. Adult Education Quarterly, 63(4), . doi:10.1177/0741713613477186
US Department of Education, (2013). Federal Adult Education. A legislative History 1964-2013. Retrieved from
https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/Adult_Ed_History_Report.pdf