Social Mobility for Seniors
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By 2050, older adults will outnumber children globally. 90% of AARP members want to age in place at home. However, many homes and communities present barriers to aging in place such as stairs, handles, and lack of transportation. AARP advocates for livable communities with housing and transportation options that allow seniors to safely remain independent in their homes and access services. This includes developing affordable housing near public transportation to create sustainable, transit-oriented communities where people of all ages can thrive.
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Social Mobility for Seniors
- 1. Social Mobility for Seniors
Editor's Notes
- Boomers do not want to live as they asge with relatives, in a nursing home, or at an assisted care facility. They want to live at home. The year 2011 is just about one year away and will mark the symbolic beginning of a “changing face” of aging in America. It is when the first wave of the 76 million strong post World War II “baby boom generation” begins turning 65. Generation born between 1496-1964.
- Too late, many people discover they are trapped in towns with poor public transportation. Even walking if there are no sidewalks can become a problem. A new study from Transportation for America, “ Dangerous by Design”, says that Older Americans are two-thirds likely to be killed while walking than those under 65. New York has the 3 rd Highest Average Annual Fatalities per 100,000 people age 65 and older- after Hawaii and California.
- Public transportation should be so prevalent and accessible and abundant in the community that people of all ages use it throughout their lives. Mobility is essential to independent living. It gives people the feeling that they have control over their lives. A truly livable community must provide as much mobility to older persons as possible, and it must offer real options that meet individual needs.
- What is a Livable Community?
- Right now AARP is engaged in a national dialogue about how to plan for successful aging. We’re talking to city planners and community developers. We’re talking to home builders and legislators, decision makers and service providers. We are encouraging people to transform their present communities into livable communities by getting engaged, involved and active in community efforts.
- Here in New York, AARP is not only working at the national level but we are also working at the state and local level as well. We have held local stakeholder meetings in Long Island, Westchester, Rockland and the Capital District. We have completed Walkability audits with volunteers and decision makers to survey neighborhoods to gauge how walkable and safe they are from the stroller to the wheelchair in Westchester, Rockland and Buffalo. AARP is a member of the National Complete Streets Coalition and at the state level have introdusced complete streets legislation in the NYS Assembly and Senate.
- There are three basic elements of “Livability” – housing, transportation and mobility. Transportation policy remains focused on policy that accommodate the automobile. And once again that policy is a response to social behavior. But if we don’t start expanding our transportation vision to include buses, rail, walkability, bicycles what is going to happen when millions of baby boomers outliving their ability to drive by a decade or more? A new AARP Public Policy Institute Report, “ Preserving Affordability and Access in Livable Communities survey takes a look at Transit Oriented Development.
- Affordable housing must be well served by quality transportation and within walking distances from amenities and services. Benefits can also be compromised when some of the above conditions are not met. For example, the mobility of lower income older persons in Miami was compromised because of a lack of reliable and accessible bus service. A fear of nearby crime and among residents in several locations diminished their willingness to leave their building’s grounds. In areas far from transit, areas with few community features and services nearby, and areas with poor transit service, losing mobility can mean losing independence.
- Residents of affordable housing in compact neighborhoods benefited from dense urban development near amenities and were able to walk or take transit to the places they needed to go.