With the Sept. 30 deadline issued by the U.S. Census Bureau to complete work on the 2020 Census quickly approaching, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging is urging all older adults to participate to ensure they are included in the count.
Older adults partaking in the Census benefit their community, whether they live with family, receive in-home care, or reside in a long-term living facility. The population count determines the federal support that aging Pennsylvanians receive through programs such as Medicaid, Medicare Part B, nutrition services, SNAP and more.
“The federally-funded programs supported by the Department of Aging along with the services that we provide are critical for our older Pennsylvanians to help maintain their quality of life. The ramifications of not getting an accurate Census count could be detrimental and result in the loss of federal dollars that are needed to preserve these essential programs for years to come,” said Secretary of Aging Robert Torres. “We must all work together to ensure each and every one of our older adults is counted, no matter where they live.”
With Census workers currently visiting homes of citizens who have yet to complete the Census, Torres advises older adults to stay alert for potential scam artists. If someone visits an older adult’s home saying they are a Census worker, the homeowner can verify their identity by making sure they have a valid ID badge with their own picture, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date. If anyone still has questions about the worker’s identity, they can call 844-330-1010 and speak with a Census Bureau representative.
Learn more about the 2020 Census here. Learn more about the Pennsylvania Department of Aging here.
