Participating in the census key for seniors financially and politically

As members of the baby boom generation continue to age, experts say it’s extremely important for older Americans to participate in the U.S. Census set for 2020.

The census not only gathers demographic information but is used for determining the level of federal funding for various programs. According to Jim Campbell, state president of the Maryland AARP chapter, that funding is crucial for programs that serve the state’s seniors, making it critical that everyone participates.

“Many federally funded programs rely on census data to distribute billions of dollars to states and localities across the country,” Campbell said. “According to the George Washington Institute of Public Policy, Maryland receives about $16.8 billion per year based on census data. That includes funds for schools, roads and hospitals, and also programs that aid older Americans, such as Medicaid, Medicare Part B, Special Programs for the Aging, Meals on Wheels, heart disease prevention programs and more.”

Campbell says that more than $6 billion in federal funding for 12 programs is determined by census data showing the number of citizens over 60.

The largest recipient of federal funds among those programs is the HUD-administered Mortgage Insurance Rental and Cooperative Housing for Moderate Income Families and Elderly, Market Interest Rate, which receives about $3.8 billion annually.

Special Programs for the Aging, Title III, Part C, Nutrition Services receives almost $700 million. The Senior Community Service Employment Program gets $565 million, and the Supportive Housing for the Elderly program receives $430 million.

Other programs that receive significant federal funding based on census data include one helping enhance mobility for disabled seniors ($391 million) and another providing for supportive services and senior centers ($357 million).

According to Jill Schumann, president and CEO of the senior advocacy group LeadingAge Maryland, funding for programs that serve seniors isn’t the only reason why participation in the census is so important. She said the census also plays a role in their choice of who best represents their interests politically.

“It is important for older adults to participate in the census not only because many programs that address the needs of older adults are funded proportionally to population, but also how seats in Congress and other legislative and local government seats are apportioned,” Schumann said.

Schumann said that where seniors live plays a role in how census data is collected.

Nursing facilities, skilled nursing facilities and inpatient hospices are considered “group quarters” by the Census Bureau, she said. The process for gathering census data from these facilities takes place over three phases that include in-person visits when necessary for enumeration and when the facilities could not be reached the first time around.

Seniors living in assisted living facilities or in independent living sections of other communities are treated the same as other renters, Schumann said.

The census can also be an opportunity for older Americans to make some extra money. Census workers can make between $13 and $30 an hour working their own geographic area for six to eight weeks, in many cases making home visits to people who have not responded to requests for data.

“Because the people census takers visit will have already received a postcard and then a paper form, those whom census takers call on may be reluctant or resistant to taking the survey,” Schumann said. “Many older adults find that it is helpful to take a buddy along.”

The AARP has created an article for seniors interested in working the census. The article can be accessed at https://www.aarp.org/work/job-search/info-2019/census-hiring-workers.html.

The Census Bureau is asking most Americans to submit their information online for the first time in 2020, but the traditional paper method will still be available for those who are uncomfortable with navigating the digital submission process.

Campbell said that for something so important, participating in the census is very easy for seniors to do.

“The 2020 census is just nine questions long, and takes about 10 minutes to fill out,” Campbell said. “Those 10 minutes impact millions of dollars of federal funding in every state and communities across the country.”