In 1963 about a third of older Americans lived in poverty, and there were virtually no programs to meet their needs. This led President John F. Kennedy to designate May “Senior Citizens Month,” the prelude to “Older Americans Month.” This month is the time for communities to recognize their older population’s contributions and reflect on how they can serve this group.

This focus is very important today because the aging population in the United States is growing rapidly. By 2030 one out of every five people in the United States will be 65 or older. AARP encourages local governments to focus on the economic and social factors that could impact the health and well-being of their older citizens.

I’ve identified five resources to help celebrate Older Americans Month 2016 and create more age-friendly communities.

TWO FREE WEBINARS TO HELP YOU CREATE AN AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

In 2015 ICMA and AARP teamed up to present two free webinars.  The first webinar highlighted the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities tools and resources.  The second webinar explained how you can assess your community’s age-friendly attributes with the AARP Livability Index. Learn More

2015 AGE-FRIENDLY REPORT: INSPIRING COMMUNITIES

This document contains 16 case studies that showcase how each of these communities is working to become more age-friendly and presents a collection of best practices. Download Here

AN AGE-FRIENDLY CITY

At the 2015 ICMA Annual Conference, Dr. Shayne Silcox, Chief Executive Officer, Melville, Australia, discussed how his community worked with the World Health Organization to become a more age-friendly community. Download the Presentation

EVALUATING COMPLETE STREETS PROJECTS: A GUIDE FOR PRACTIONERS

When implementing a street project, local governments need to make sure that they are meeting the multimodal needs of their citizens.  This guide helps you evaluate street projects with this in mind.  Download the Guide

THE LIVABILITY FACT SHEETS     

These fact sheets are designed to help local government leaders make their communities safer, healthier, more walkable, and overall more livable for people of all ages. Download the Fact Sheet

For more resources explore the aging topic page.

Douglas Shontz

Knowledge Network Research and Content Development Associate