AARP, LOS ANGELES CITY AND COUNTY PARTNER TO MAKE REGION ‘AGE-FRIENDLY’

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Supervisor Hilda Solis, Chair of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, held a joint press conference on May 18 to  announce details of  “ Purposeful Aging: An Age Friendly Initiative,” an endeavor that seeks to establish the Los Angeles region as one of the most age-friendly  in the world, and ensure a better future for residents of all ages.

A cornerstone of this initiative is the joint admission of both the City and the County to AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities.

 

 

“Having the County and City make this great stride in unison is a testament to the urgency and importance of ensuring safe, livable communities for all in the greater Los Angeles region and beyond,” said AARP California State Director Nancy McPherson. “We applaud Mayor Garcetti’s and Supervisor Solis’ recognition of this significant issue and their willingness to bring many knowledgeable partners and experts to the table.”

As members of the Network of Age-Friendly Communities, the County and City will begin a two-year, inclusive planning process that will involve robust engagement of key stakeholders, including the partner organizations that came together to launch the initiative:

The County of Los Angeles Community and Senior Services (CSS), the City of Los Angeles Department of Aging, AARP, the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the UCLA Los Angeles  Academic Partnership for Research in Aging.

Mayor Garcetti said Los Angeles is committed to setting a new standard for age friendliness.

"Everyone in our dynamic and diverse city contributes to making Los Angeles an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "That's why today, we commit ourselves to better understanding and meeting the needs of older Angelenos, a growing population that deserves our attention and respect. I have directed our city departments to explicitly consider older Angelenos, through my new Purposeful Aging executive directive, as they develop their policies and programs. That means we are now increasingly factoring in impaired physical mobility and diminished sensory awareness, as well as accounting for economic limitations, which will ensure that we are creating an environment where older Angelenos thrive."

“I am very pleased that the County of Los Angeles is joining with the City of Los Angeles and leading institutions to launch Purposeful Aging Los Angeles,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, Chair of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.  “This landmark initiative will unite public and private leadership from across the County to ensure a better future for older adults and Angelenos of all ages.  With an older adult population that is rapidly growing, we must prepare our communities for the future of aging in Los Angeles County.  As we make our county more age-friendly, we are expanding our shared commitment to the older adults who contribute so much to our communities.”

Members of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities are part of a global network of communities that are committed to giving residents of all ages the opportunity to live rewarding, productive and safe lives. Communities as diverse as Boston, Massachusetts; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Bowling Green, Kentucky have all committed to making improvements in eight domains that influence the health and quality of life for residents of all ages: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respected and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information and community support and health services.