Albion-area organizations are working towards earning national designation as an AARP Age-Friendly Community.
The Albion Community Foundation received a grant from the Calhoun County Senior Millage Allocation Committee (SMAC) to help implement steps towards this AARP designation. This grant effort provides a catalyst to educate the community about what changes can be implemented to make Albion more livable for all ages-especially seniors. Marcia Starkey and Linda Kolmodin are coordinators for this Foundation grant.
To achieve AARP Age-Friendly Community designation organizations must commit to a collaborative effort to assess community seniors and work on solutions.
In order to achieve AARP Age-Friendly Community designation organizations must commit to a collaborative effort to assess community seniors and work on solutions to improve those identified needs. To help solve some of the most pressing needs these organizations and groups will work with other organizations to identify what programs are already in place and what programs could be cooperatively developed. The organizations met in December to begin the process of being AARP designated.
The areas to be addressed include Outdoor Spaces and Buildings; Transportation, Housing, Social Participation/Respect and Social Inclusion; Work and Civic Engagement; Communication/Information and Community, Health Services and Economic Development.
Well- designed, age-friendly communities foster economic growth and make for happier, healthier senior residents.
According to the grant coordinators, “Well- designed, age-friendly communities foster economic growth and make for happier, healthier senior residents. It also benefits the entire community through the adoption of policies and programs as a result of networking and cooperation between elected officials, partner organizations and local leaders.”
They continued, “ keeping seniors connected to the Albion community is essential to create a sense of independence. The availability of networked senior services is key to maintaining this independence so important to seniors’ dignity and self-worth.”
Input from seniors is important…
Input from seniors is important to the success of this grant. A senior-focused survey will be available in February both online and in paper version. In addition the coordinators will conduct both virtual and in-person Community Conversations of area seniors.
According to the grant, AARP designation as an Age-Friendly Community gives credence to the value Albion places on its senior residents. This well-respected organization provides shared expertise, technical assistance and materials to help create a network of communities to develop hands-on and locally determined and directed programs to assist seniors.
Communities around the world are seeking to grow in an age-friendly manner.
AARP states that communities around the world are seeking to grow in an age-friendly manner. Launched in 2012 the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities is an affiliate of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. This WHO affiliate was established in 2006 to help prepare for the world’s growing population of older adults.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) have approved and submitted Michigan’s Age-Friendly Action Plan to AARP. This plan was the culmination of more than a year of collaboration with AARP and MDHHS’s Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration to craft a comprehensive strategy to help Michigan’s older residents live well and safely in their communities.
Michigan was the first state in the Midwest to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.
The plan follows Michigan’s designation in October 2019 as an AARP Age-Friendly State, the first step in a multi-year process to make Michigan more livable for people of every age. Michigan was the first state in the Midwest to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. So far, eight municipalities in Michigan – Auburn Hills, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Novi, Royal Oak and Southfield – have joined the Age-Friendly community network. Albion is among the latest to be approved by AARP to implement a plan to achieve this status.
Albion is among the latest to be approved by AARP to implement a plan to achieve this status.
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