The population of people over 50 in the United States is rapidly growing. Right now, 1 in 3 Americans is age 50 or older. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be age 65 or older. And by 2035, the number of Americans over 65 will be greater than the number of Americans over 18. (Source: AARP) Therefore, it’s very important that cities all over the country are prepared to be great communities for people of all ages.
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has recently made a great achievement toward this goal by getting Madison accepted into the AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. Madison joins Wisconsin cities Sheboygan, Greendale, Shorewood, and Wausau, as well as 348 other communities nationwide that focus on providing resources to help older adults remain independent, age in place, and have a better overall quality of life.
AARP helps the communities in the network implement a plan to make sure certain resources and improvements take place, providing proven ways to achieve goals for age-friendly communities. The plan includes improvements to outdoor spaces and public places, working with public transportation departments, attending to housing needs, encouraging social participation initiatives, and more.
SAIL has been a longtime champion of independence in older adults. Since 2005, our organization has worked towards education, support, advocacy, and safety for older adults in the Madison community and beyond. In providing things like informative seminars, social outings, tech tutoring, handyman and transportation support, and our pre-screened vendor list, we’ve learned firsthand how a little support can go a long way in seeing older adults live their best lives. We are very pleased to see Mayor Rhodes-Conway and AARP joining forces to help more Madison residents support our aging population.
Press release on Age-Friendly Madison: Innovative, Inclusive, and Thriving
AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities
The Age-Friendly Process and Program Cycle
The 8 Domains of Livability: An Introduction
Age-Friendly Resources
Independence Through Connections. 