AGING AND DISABILITY ACTION PLAN
COMMUNITY SURVEY
City Hall
City Libraries
City Parks - including playgrounds, meeting
rooms, restrooms, gardens, open Space, e.g.,
Marine Park, Reed Park, Palisades Park
City Community Hubs - Virginia Avenue Park
(VAP) Reed Park’s Joslyn Hall, Annenberg
Community Beach House, Swim Center
No
Excellent Good Poor Fair
Your voice matters – the City of Santa Monica is developing an Aging and Disability Action Plan, and we want to hear from you! This short survey will help us to understand your experiences and develop ideas to help Santa Monica become even more age-and disability-friendly.
This survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete. Individual responses to the survey are confidential and anonymous. Feel free to skip any questions that don’t apply to you.
Your input will help us create the City’s Aging & Disability Action Plan for a more inclusive and supportive community for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. The Action Plan will be presented to the City Council for adoption in September 2025.
Survey responses are due April 1, 2025.
Thank you for helping us build a more age- and disability-friendly Santa Monica! An age- and disability-friendly community supports the inclusion, accessibility, and well-being of individuals across all ages and abilities. It removes barriers and promotes equity, independence, and full participation in community life.
1. Overall, how would you rate Santa Monica
as an age- and disability- friendly
community?
Yes No Don’t Know
Yes No Don’t Know
Yes No Don’t Know
Yes Don’t Know
Other City Facilities - e.g., Santa Monica Institute
(SMI), Childcare Recreation Enrichment Sports
Together (CREST), Police Activities League (PAL)
Yes No Don’t Know
City Beaches - including playgrounds,
restrooms
Yes No Don’t Know
2. Do you feel the following locations in
Santa Monica are age and disability-friendly
spaces?
If there is a specific city location that you feel is not age or disability friendly, please list the location name and details:
3. How do you get around Santa Monica for things like: shopping, dining, errands, health appointments, socializing? (select all that apply) Friend or family drives me
Drive my car LA County Access Paratransit
Taxi/Uber/Lyft Bus- Big Blue Bus
Walk Mobility on Demand Everyday (MODE) - Big Blue Bus
Bus - LA Metro
I do not leave my house On-demand e-scooter/e-bike
Expo Line - LA Metro Bike
Other (please specify):
Accessible sidewalks Yes No Don’t Know
Maintenance and repairs of sidewalks Yes No Don’t Know
Accessible curb ramps Yes No Don’t Know
Well-lit, safe streets for all users (pedestrians,
bicyclists, drivers)
Yes No Don’t Know
4. Do these mobility-related features of the city meet your needs when getting around Santa Monica?
Well-lit, safe intersections for all users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers)
Yes No Don’t Know
Affordable public parking lots
Yes No Don’t Know
Accessible public parking payment machines
Yes No Don’t Know
Other (please specify):
If you responded “No” to any of the above, please describe why:
Time allotted for pedestrian crossing signals
Transit options for older adults and people
with disabilities
Yes No Don’t Know
Yes No Don’t Know
5. Do you have any concerns about fully relying on Santa Monica’s public transit system instead of using a car? (select all that apply)
Reliability of transit schedule
Concerned about losing balance and falling
while on transit
Lack of seating at transit stop
Hours of operation Not knowing available routes and schedules Lack of shade at transit stop
Affordability
Personal safety while riding public transit
Lack of secure wheelchair space
Safety around the public transit stop
Other (please specify):
Difficulty boarding public transit
Distance to get to the bus stop from my
home or to my destination
Feel safe spending time outdoors during the day? Yes No Feel safe at night? Yes No
6. Is the neighborhood where you live, a place where you:
If you responded “No” to any of the above, please describe why not:
7. If you were to consider moving out of your home, which of the following reasons would influence your decision? (select all that apply) Housing Costs - unable to afford monthly/annual housing costs.
Interior Accessibility - the interior design of my home will not support independent living (e.g., stairs within my home, narrow doorways in my home).
General Costs of Living - unable to afford costs of basic needs like housing, food, health, and transportation.
Exterior Accessibility - the exterior aspects of my home will not support independent living (e.g., living on an upper floor of my building, stairway into my home).
Issues with my landlord - e.g., related to upkeep of my building, renter’s rights issues.
Wanting to be closer to family, friends or other social networks Needing a higher level of care or support services - e.g., assisted living, skilled nursing.
Other (please specify):
8. Do you know there are affordable community resources available to support independent living and aging in place in your home? (e.g., home modifications, in-home caregiving, dementia care, assistive technology)? Yes No
If you responded “Yes” to the above, what resources have you used? Disagree Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Santa Monica fosters a culture of
welcoming people of all backgrounds
I feel respected in Santa Monica
community life
I feel included in Santa Monica
community life
Community decision making and civic
activities welcomes all opinions and ideas
I feel heard when I share my needs or
provide feedback to inform community
decision making
9. Do you agree with the following statements?
I know where to find information about
city meetings and events
If you disagreed with any of the above, please describe why:
10. How do you stay informed or find information about Santa Monica community events, services, or resources? (select all that apply) Santa Monica Daily Press
Flyers posted in businesses (coffee shops, stores,
restaurants)
Social media
SaMo News Emails with digital flyers
Word of mouth
Community based organizations (non-profit or faith-based organizations, food pantries, recreational centers, educational insitutions)
Television
Internet websites Radio
Other (please specify):
Flyers in City spaces (libraries, parks, farmer’s
markets)
Daily Weekly Monthly
11. How often do you have contact with people like friends, family, or neighbors? This contact could be by phone, in person, e-mail, or social media (such as Facebook).
A few times a year Never
12. Is the amount of contact you have with people from the previous question:
Too much Just right Not enough
13. Do you participate in any social, wellness, recreational or spiritual activities in the Santa Monica community?
14. Do you volunteer with any social, wellness, recreational or spiritual groups in the Santa Monica community?
Yes No
Yes No
15. Please indicate who offers the programs you participate in or volunteer with in Santa Monica:
City Recreation
City Arts & Cultural Affairs
Volunteer Participate
Volunteer Participate
City Libraries
City Parks
Volunteer Participate
Volunteer Participate
Local businesses
Faith community
Volunteer Participate
Volunteer Participate
Educational institutions
Nonprofit organizations
Volunteer Participate
Volunteer Participate
Senior centers
My employer
Volunteer Participate
Volunteer Participate
Online programs
Other (please specify):
Volunteer Participate
16. Do available opportunities for social, wellness, recreational or spiritual activities meet your needs?
Yes No
If you responded “No”, please describe why not:
17. Are there aspects of Santa Monica community life that you would like to participate in, but can’t?
Yes No
If you responded “Yes” to the above, describe the biggest barrier to participating:
18. In general, would you say your health is:
Excellent Very good Good Fair Poor
19. Do you have health insurance?
20. Do you have a place you regularly go for health care? If you responded “No” to the above, please share why:
21. Do you have a caregiver?
Yes, an unpaid caregiver (e.g., family member, friend, or other contact) No, but I need a caregiver
Yes, a paid caregiver
No, I don’t need a caregiver
Yes No
Yes No
22. In the past year, have you experienced difficulty affording food to eat due to lack of money or other challenges?
Yes No
If you responded “Yes” to the above, please describe any programs you accessed for assistance: (e.g., CalFresh, food pantry or food bank, low-cost group meals):
23. Do you know where to find information about health and wellness programs in Santa Monica? (e.g., government benefits counseling, community health clinics, free or low-cost food, mental health, substance use treatment) Yes No
24. In the event of an emergency or natural disaster that requires sheltering in place, do you have a plan, supplies and medication prepared to manage 72-hours on your own in your home? (select all that apply)
Yes No Need help preparing
25. What type of assistance will you need to evacuate your home and neighborhood during a disaster? (select all that apply) Evacuation assistance from emergency personnel
Evacuation transportation assistance
As much advance warning of evacuation as possible
Other (please specify):
26. Are you currently, or have you ever been, a caregiver for a family member, friend, or another individual?
Current caregiver, paid
Previous caregiver, unpaid
Current caregiver, unpaid
Previous caregiver, paid
No (If No, skip to Question #31 in “About You” section)
27. If you are a caregiver for a person with a disability or special needs, please select the option that best describes them. (select all that apply) Child, 18 or older
Spouse/partner
Child, under 18
Parent(s)
Other Adult(s), 18 or older
28. Are you caregiving for a person who is experiencing memory problems that may be related to Alzheimer’s or other dementias?
Yes No
29. What are, or were, your top challenges as a caregiver? (Select all that apply) Feeling isolated
Getting respite care so I can take a break
Emotional stress or burnout
Concern that the person I am caring for will wander and get lost Financial burden
I am a paid caregiver and the pay does not keep pace with my household expenses Finding reliable resources to support the independence of the person I care for Getting legal help in planning for care needs or with financial challenges Other (please specify):
Lacking knowledge on caregiving strategies (e.g., dementia care)
30. Do you know where to find information about programs and resources available to support caregivers? (e.g., respite services, support groups, education) Yes No
The following demographic questions will only be used to show community trends and themes for the Aging and Disability Action Plan. Individual responses are anonymous and confidential.
ABOUT YOU
31. What year were you born?
32. What is your zipcode?
90402
90403
90401
90404
Zip code outside Santa Monica
90405
33. Do any of the following factors affect your experience in community life? (Select all that apply)
Vision - blind or serious difficulty seeing, even with glasses.
Cognitive challenges - Difficulty with memory, concentration, or decision-making due to a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
Hearing - deaf or significant difficulty hearing.
Mobility - Difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Daily activity challenges - Difficulty with bathing, cooking, cleaning or dressing.
Community participation challenges - Difficulty running errands alone, such as going to the doctor or shopping, due to a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
34. Which race and ethnicity best describes you? (select all that apply) Asian
Black or African American
American Indian/Alaska Native or Indigenous
Hispanic/Latino/a
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
White
Other (please specify):
Decline to state
35. What is your gender?
Culturally Specific Identify (e.g., Two-Spirit)
Transgender
Male
Non-Binary
Questioning
Other (please specify):
Decline to state
36. Are you a member of the LGBTQ+ community?
Yes No Decline to state
37. What language(s) are you most comfortable speaking in community settings (e.g., city events, healthcare, non-profit programs)? (select all that apply) Spanish
Russian
English
Farsi
Amharic
Other (please specify):
Mandarin
Female
38. How long have you lived in Santa Monica?
5-15 years
16-25 years
Less than 5 years
More than 25 years
I don’t live in Santa Monica
39. Which of the following best describes your current living situation? Owner
Homeless
Renter
Assisted Living/Skilled nursing Facility
Other (please specify):
Decline to state
40. How many people live in your household, including you? 2 3
1 4
More than 4
41. Currently I live: (select all that apply)
With a spouse or partner
With family
Alone
With friend(s)/roomates(s)
In a group setting
Other (please specify):
42. What is your annual household income?
Between $75,000 - $99,999
Under $25,000
Between $150,000 - $199,999
Decline to state
43. What best describes your current employment status? Employed, full-time
Retired
Employed, part-time
Unemployed
If you are employed part-time or unemployed, are you looking for work?
Yes No
44. If you are not yet retired, do you feel secure in your plans for retirement? Yes No
If you responded “No” to the above, please share why:
Between $50,000 - $74,999 Over $200,000
Between $100,000 - $124,999
Between $25,000 - $49,999
Between $125,000 - $149,999
Thank you for completing this survey!
Please return your completed survey to the location where you received it.
For a full list of locations where you can drop off your completed survey, please visit www.santamonica.gov/aging-and-disability-action-plan or call (310) 458-2200 x. 5771
Do you have more to share?
Please join us at our Aging & Disability Action Plan Open House! Saturday, March 22, 2025; 9:00am - 12:00pm
Santa Monica College Emeritus Campus, 1227 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90401 *Virtual participation options available*
All are welcome and we kindly ask you register in advance at:
www.santamonica.gov/aging-and-disability-action-plan
Questions?
Phone: (310) 458-2200 x. 5771
Email: [email protected]
www.santamonica.gov/aging-and-disability-action-plan