May 6, 2016

New Report from OWL Highlights Models of Aging-Friendly Communities 

EDGE READ TIME: 3 MIN.

"Aging in Community" has long been an Older Women's League (OWL) goal; this has become a much more important issue as the world ages. In OWL's 2016 Mother's Day report, we explore some of the major models for becoming a generally more aging-friendly community -- how they are organized, governed, managed, and funded. Many services are funded by taxes, others by philanthropic endeavors, and some by consumers. Each of the models has benefits, and challenges.

This OWL report recognizes the significant successes of the past decades: more individuals are surviving to be old, and very old. We have, in all developed nations, an aging population. This fact presents multiple challenges at a personal, societal, and global level.� Both challenges and opportunities arise from changes in demographics, family constellation and functioning, economic structures, and technologies.

The aging population has resulted in a widespread need to create Aging-Friendly Communities. There are multiple models for bringing about Aging-Friendly Communities. The Mother's Day Report focuses on strategies for promoting healthy aging in community:

  • A major source of support for seniors are programs funded by federal taxes, often passed on to states for local distribution, and by state and local taxes. In addition to Social Security and Medicare, the Older Americans Act has mandated funding for many programs that address the needs of all older Americans, as well as funding for seniors most in need.

  • Many programs to enhance the lives of seniors are designed and funded by philanthropic groups. These groups often provide great latitude in programming, targeting particular challenges (such as nutrition, social isolation, affordable housing, arts education, or homelessness).

  • Consumer-driven models of aging in community have emerged in several forms. Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC) consist of clusters of seniors who have ended up in a building or a set of close-by residences, where a significant portion of the residents are older and need special support services.

  • Another consumer-driven model are the Villages, organized by peers, funded by membership dues and donations, and managed by members. Members determine what services and programs they desire, and members provide many of the services as volunteers.

    The emerging goal must be to work on collaborating across groups and organizations who are trying to contribute something toward aging well. Collaboration is much more difficult than working within one silo of service, but because we need to be more efficient in using scarce resources we need to work together. A wide variety of public-private partnership has been developed. We have many model-projects, but relatively few have been sustained.

    Future needs focus on community planning, to create not only aging-friendly communities, but dementia-friendly communities. Generally, the call is for cross-sector collaboration, so that services are no longer planned and carried out within silos.

    Join OWL for a Community Forum on "Aging in Community: Challenges and Opportunities for Women" from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 at 5225 S. Cottage Grove, Hyde Park, Chicago. To register, call 773-363-1933 or email Board President Margaret Huyck at [email protected]

    by EDGE

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