Ten ways to tell if your community is ready for an aging population
Healthcare. Access to healthcare is available in 76 percent of the counties surveyed. However, a successful healthcare utilization for older adults also involves transportation to and from medical appointments and pharmacies, preventive screenings, immunizations, and wellness programs.
Nutrition. Some 80 percent of communities offer home-delivered meals to elderly adults who have difficulty preparing their own meals. But Reno, Nev., takes it a step further. They provide transportation and vouchers for low-income seniors to use at accredited farmers' markets.
Exercise. Exercise needs change as you age. When you decide to retire, you'll want to be sure to pick a place with age-appropriate recreational facilities such as walking trails with benches or gyms equipped with fitness equipment ideal for older people. The International Council on Active Aging says that people over age 50 are interested in age-targeted fitness facilities, outdoor trails, pools, group-exercise classes, yoga, Pilates classes, tennis, and golf.
Transportation. MetLife found that only 40 percent of communities reported having road signs that meet the needs of older drivers. Seniors still driving may require larger-print road signs, grooved lane dividers, and reflective road markings. But it is also important for a community to have other options for people who can't or don't want to drive. For example, Buncombe County, N.C., has a bus program to encourage the use of public transportation among older adults. Some 56 percent of communities, MetLife found, report having door-to-door transportation services for seniors.
Aging and human services. Maumelle, Ark., has a senior service department to address the transportation, educational, social, and recreational needs of seniors. Most communities do not have a single place where you can go to get information about all the aging services that your community offers. But there is a National Administration on Aging (part of the Department of Health and Human Services), which can help you locate eldercare by calling 1-800-677-1116 or checking its website.
advertisement
