As Population Ages, Communities Plan to be Age-Friendly

By Jill Gambon

To Paddy Moore, chairwoman of Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard, the island is a far more complex place than just spectacular beaches, postcard-perfect lighthouses and affluent vacationers—among them presidents and celebrities.

“The picture of Dukes County is one of the rich and famous. But that’s not who lives here. It’s a complex community,” said Moore, 81, noting the rapidly growing population of older year-round residents, many of whom have low or moderate incomes. Roughly half of Vineyard heads-of-households over 65 have annual incomes of less than $35,000, and 18 percent of those 65-plus live on less than $15,000 per year, according to 2010 U.S. Census data.

The shifting demographics—by 2035, more than 1 in 3 Vineyarders are expected to be 65 or older, up from 1 in 4 in 2010—have been a catalyst for an island-wide effort to rethink the factors that create a vibrant, healthy community.

Representatives from the island’s six towns and numerous service agencies are assessing a range of critical areas: housing, health care, transportation, recreation and civic participation. To advance these efforts, this summer Martha’s Vineyard became the eighth Massachusetts locality to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities.

The network is a nationwide initiative that aims to help communities adapt and support their aging populations by focusing on the services, programs and amenities that contribute to the health and well-being of older residents. The AARP network is the U.S. affiliate of the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities, which launched in 2010.

More locations participating
Since May 2014, several Massachusetts communities have joined the network, including Boston, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Newton, Salem, North Adams and Pittsfield.

To join, communities survey residents and create a plan for improvements in areas including communication, housing, outdoor spaces, respect and inclusion, civic participation, employment, and community and health services. On the Vineyard, the survey responses are helping to shape priorities.

“We looked at what services there are, and there was a lot of work to do,” Moore said.

For instance, the island has public bus service, but there are no stops on back roads or private drives, where many older residents live. What’s more, many of the houses on the island were originally built as summer homes and need to be modified to accommodate those with limited mobility.

While creating an age-friendly community is a multiyear endeavor, small steps can make a big impact, said Paula Shiner, CEO of Coastline Elderly Services in New Bedford and cochair of the city’s age-friendly advisory committee. Installing benches along a walking trail and holding events like a farmers market at a location accessible to everyone are good examples.

“We want to have some quick successes that have benefits for all ages,” she said.
New Bedford, which joined the Age-Friendly Network in 2015, is starting to work on a long-term plan to improve services and amenities.

In Berkshire County, participation in the network is bringing together community leaders, service providers and advocates from rural towns and small cities to address common challenges including transportation, aging in place and housing.

Success depends on bringing fresh ideas to tackle familiar problems, said Bobbie Orsi, director of community relations for Home Instead Senior Care in Pittsfield.

“We can’t keep looking at the same partners doing the same thing the same way and expect something different,” she said.

Age-friendly initiatives will thrive, said Sandy Albright, AARP Massachusetts state president, if more people with a wide variety of perspectives and expertise step up.

“We need different people to be involved, from the ground up. We have to cast a wider net,” said Albright, an age-friendly advocate who has worked on Boston’s age-friendly initiative.

Jill Gambon is a writer living in West Newbury, Mass.