Environments for Aging
Last week, I attended our first ENVIRONMENTS FOR AGING conference where AARP CEO Bill Novelli gave a fascinating talk on some of the aging issues AARP has identified. AARP has 35 million members worldwide. That is an astounding and powerful constituency.
Among other things, Bill told us that those of us 78 million Baby Boomers who reach age 75 will live another 12 years on average. Get ready — the “senior boom” is going to shape the 2010s, 2020s, and 2030s.
He told us that losing independence and mobility are the biggest fears of getting old and that keeping engaged in civic and social life is key to staying active. And no surprise — AARP surveyed its members and found that the majority of people want to age in place; as we all know, this has big implications for facility design.
Does that mean that people want to age in their current homes and that they need to be renovated to accommodate the physical changes that come with aging? For some, maybe. I can’t see myself reaching the active old age of 87 in the home I’m currently living in. And I can’t see myself living in one of today’s continuing care retirement communities — even some of the upscale ones that are winning our design awards. The current generation of those over 75 is much different than mine will be.
And, as Bill pointed out, transportation is a big issue. For people to age in place and stay active in their communities, they have to be able to get around. For anyone who is interested in this topic, I urge to you read AARP’s report, Stranded Without Options.
AARP definitely has a social impact agenda in this area, and hopefully, we will continue to keep them engaged in this discussion as we explore new environments for aging.