After taking on a new mission last fall, the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County is putting in place a data base to help provide the fastest-growing demographic segment in the state’s fastest-growing county the information it needs.

In November, what was the Douglas County Senior Center was renamed the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County. It was announced at the time that its new mission was to become the go-to information clearinghouse for seniors or their caregivers looking for businesses and agencies offering senior services in Douglas County.

“We are trying to help people find those agencies and businesses,” Senior Resource Center Executive Director Marvel Williamson said. “We are hearing people don’t even know that they are looking for.”

Michelle Meier, director of community engagement for the agency, said demographics reveal the need for the new mission.

Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate Douglas County has grown by 7.7 percent since the 2010 census by adding 8,614 new residents. The county’s percentage growth is the largest in the state this decade and greater than the 7.4 percent growth Johnson County has experienced.

Outpacing the county’s overall population increase is that of residents 60 years of age or older, Meier said. That demographic has increased 24 percent since 2010 as residents of the Baby Boom generation cross the age 60 threshold and new residents move to the county for their retirement years, she said.

Moreover, the 60-year-old demographic is growing at an increasing pace, Meier said. The demographic grew by 4.04 percent in 2014, 4.48 percent in 2015 and 4.92 percent in 2016. The trend is projected to continue, and a 7.15 growth rate of new 60-or-older residents is projected for 2020, she said.

Most of those seniors will come to the realization at some time that they need some form of assistance, Meier said. That could be help in navigating the complexities of Medicare or visiting care to help them remain in their homes, she said.

The resource center is looking to help direct seniors to the resources they need, Meier said. To do that, it has been actively working to create a database of county businesses and agencies offering senior services. That work included an April senior summit at which the agency stressed its desire to work with senior service providers, she said.

“The goal is we work together to do the strategic planning needed to ensure adequate services are in place for our ever-growing senior population,” she said.

The good news from the resource center’s early efforts is that no service gap red flags have yet been identified, Meier said. Housing has been an issue in the past, but a number of independent living developments have addressed senior housing needs, she said.

The one service with the most immediate need for attention is transportation, Meier said. Currently, the three options available for seniors are the resource center’s Senior Ride Program, Independence Inc., and Lawrence Transit, she said. Senior Ride is limited because it can only provide rides to destinations in the county, which presents a challenge for those with medical appointments or a hospitalized loved one out of county, she said.

In addition to identifying service gaps, the database building effort also seeks to ensure there is no unnecessary duplication of services, which could lead to an inefficient expenditure of resources that could be applied to areas of greater need, Meier said.

A second senior summit is planned for sometime in the fall, Meier said. At that summit, the resource center will share its database with interested individuals, groups, businesses and agencies. It will also seek again to identify gaps and review more demographics and trends needed for comprehensive strategic planning, she said.

Williamson said there would probably be two senior summits a year during the two- to three-year strategic planning process and summits would continue beyond that to help assure service gaps haven’t developed.

Businesses or agencies interested in being part of the resource center’s database should contact Williamson through the Senior Resource Center’s website at yoursrc.org, Meier said.

Williamson said the Senior Resource Center was also providing “partnership” opportunities as a way for businesses and agencies to increase their visibility with those looking for senior services. Partnership levels range from free for a name listing on the Senior Resource Center’s website to $10,000 annually for additional promotion through the resource center’s publications, website, vehicles or offices. The partnership fees are an attempt to recoup some of the Senior Resource Center’s costs for services in provides for the partners, Williamson said.

Those partnership promotions are separate from the database, which will list all business and agencies that have registered with the resource center, Williamson said. Contact information on all registered businesses and agencies will be shared with those contacting the Senior Resource Center for service referrals.

“Anybody who calls us or comes in will get the full information on businesses or agencies,” she said. “It’s better if they come in because then we can answer follow-up questions they might have.”

The Senior Resource Center is temporarily located at Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, 2920 Haskell Ave., while its home at 745 Vermont St. undergoes a complete renovation.