Our mission: as community ambassadors, the Commission on Aging provides leadership, advocacy, community awareness, and develops partnerships to initiate positive change toward an all-age friendly, livable community.
Who We Are
We know that Clark County’s population is aging.
By 2035, the United States will ‐ for the first time ever – be a country that has more older adults than children. By that time, here in Clark County, more than 25% of the population, or one in four residents, will be 60 and better.
In 2012, the then‐county commissioners adopted the Aging Readiness Plan following an 18‐ month study in which more than two dozen people from across the county evaluated the community’s readiness for, and ability to serve, a quickly growing number of older residents.
In addition to adopting the county’s Aging Readiness Plan in 2012, the County Commissioners also created the volunteer Commission on Aging.
The commission’s charge is to provide leadership in addressing the special needs of the aging population and to manage and assist with the implementation of the county’s Aging Readiness Plan.
View the Commission on Aging:
What We Do
The diagram below illustrates the work in which the commission is engaged. Education, Awareness, and Advocacy are the means by which the commission carries out its charge to provide leadership to manage and implement the Aging Readiness Plan. The topical focus areas in the image align with the Aging Readiness Plan chapters.
Each year, the Commission on Aging invites experts to join moderated discussions regarding a specific focus topic throughout the year. Members discuss the topic with their guests and answer questions from the audience. Based on those discussions, policy recommendations to support older adults are made to the Clark County Council and city councils and are outlined in an annual report. View the current and previous versions of the annual report here.
Staff Contacts
Susan Ellinger, Planner III
susan.ellinger@clark.wa.gov
564.397.4516
Amy Wooten, Planner III
amy.wooten@clark.wa.gov
564.397.4913
Looking for services or resources?
The Commission on Aging is not a direct service provider and therefore recommends older adults, caregivers and others seeking services to consult the Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington (AAADSW).
AAADSW works in partnership with service providers to provide a comprehensive, easily accessible, and coordinated system of home and community-based services for older adults, family caregivers, adults living with a disability, and their families. They are a federally designated Area Agency on Aging and part of the state and national network of Area Agencies on Aging.
Their purpose is to promote the independence, dignity, and well-being of people with disabilities and those over the age of 60 using a coordinated system of home and community-based services.
Join a Meeting
The Commission on Aging typically meets at 4:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. They hold work sessions prior to the formal meeting at 3:15 p.m.
Meetings are being held in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual participation options for commissioners, staff, and the public.
You can join in person, on the 6th floor of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin Street, Vancouver, WA 98666, or virtually via WebEx.
To request public records involving the Aging Readiness Plan or Commission on Aging, contact the staff listed above.