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The average life expectancy continues to increase year after year as does the total population of older adults in our communities. By 2035 there will be more adults over the age of 65 than children under 18 in the U.S. for the first time in history. As a result of this growing older adult population, the Age-Friendly Communities initiative was developed in 2006 by the World Health Organization as a way to assess a community’s capability to support people of all ages and abilities, with an emphasis on the oldest members in the community.
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Areas of Focus
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The World Health Organization established 8 domains of livability that every community must assess and address to better adapt their structures and services to the needs of older people. Those domains include: the built environment, transport, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication, and community support and health service.
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Steps to Becoming Age-Friendly
AARP adopted the initiative into their organization in 2012 and now leads the United States network of age-friendly communities. This year, in 2020, Allegany County is joining over 500 communities in the U.S. to develop this initiative in our communities by creating a partnership across all sectors of our county including government and municipalities, school districts, churches, non profit organizations, local businesses, community members, and many more. Ardent Solutions has a long standing relationship with many organizations and community members throughout Allegany County and thus took the lead on developing this initiative, in cooperation with the Allegany County Office of the Aging. However, the efforts to create a well-designed, supportive, and livable community for all will take the work of many hands! Together we can build an even stronger Allegany County by bringing together our lived experiences, thoughts and ideas, and energy to develop new ways of making our community the best place to “grow up and grow old”!
For additional information on Age Friendly Communities visit
https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/network-age-friendly-communities/
https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/network-age-friendly-communities/
For more information or to get involved with the Age-Friendly Allegany County initiative,
please contact Danielle Delong at 585-808-7023.
please contact Danielle Delong at 585-808-7023.
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