An Age-Friendly Community improves everyone’s quality of life

Albany County has been selected to join the World Health Organization’s  network of Age-Friendly Communities. This global network is facilitated by the American Association of Retired Persons in the United States with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for older residents.

In 2020, just three years away, there are projected to be 75,000 people in Albany County who are age 60 and older, or almost 25 percent of the county’s population. So, planning for housing, transportation, and other services increasingly needs to consider the needs and desires of older people.

In the coming months, the county will work with local senior leaders to review the criteria used by the WHO and AARP, assess the county’s strengths and needs, and determine how enhancements can be made in services and programs. I will be serving as a co-chair of this effort.

Community Caregivers looks forward to assisting the county and the towns and municipalities in this process. We can share information on the services we have provided as an organization of “neighbors helping neighbors.”

We believe our mission to support older residents who wish to remain living in the community is a shared goal of all government entities and senior-service providers. While government funding through aging and health services will always be a key force in ensuring a good quality of life for vulnerable seniors, we believe that voluntarism and grassroots community projects like the “village” concept are important personal and local responses to helping family, friends, and neighbors.

The board of directors of Community Caregivers has endorsed supporting self-help villages or neighborhoods that are developing in the county to provide a network of support for those who may not have family members in the area or simply want to remain connected with others.

Certainly, in planning for an aging population, we need to remember that, while older people may have increasing service needs, they are also an asset to our communities. Many are still able and desiring to serve, whether through providing rides, friendly visits, or helping with chores and shopping.

Many are active grandparents who also are there to help their children and grandchildren. In preparing for an age-friendly community we are really improving the quality of life for all residents.

Community Caregivers Inc. is a not for profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors. Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging.

Editor’s note: Michael Burgess is a Health and Aging Policy Consultant to  Community Caregivers.