AARPAn interest group advocating for the well-being of older Americans revealed in a policy document this month its priorities for a national aging plan that fully recognizes the changing demographics of the country and the 20 percent of Americans who will become older. trend.
“While other countries are responding to these changes by developing and implementing national strategic plans to help them meet the challenges and maximize their chances of extending life, the United States has not yet developed a comprehensive national aging plan,” the document’s statement begins said. “Importantly, aging is not a challenge in itself; it is a challenge.” Not being prepared for aging is.
While acknowledging that different cities, counties, and states are taking proactive steps to enhance services and infrastructure for older Americans, the reality of an aging population still requires a comprehensive national plan.
“The National Plan on Aging is critical to ensuring that Americans can build financial resilience, maintain good health and remain in their families and communities as they age,” the newspaper said. “For many older Americans, these goals are Out of reach. Developing a national aging plan is more important than ever.
As of July, “more than 887 communities and 11 states across the country have joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities,” the organization said, thus achieving the core goals of the proposed national program: livable communities that support the needs of older adults, Including aging in place.
AARP lays out four key goals of its proposed national plan and expands on them in a dedicated policy document written by staff at the organization’s Institute for Public Policy and other collaborators.
The goals are to “promote healthy living and access to affordable, high-quality health care;” “support family caregivers, ensure access to affordable, high-quality long-term services and supports (LTSS), and maximize older adults’ outcomes.” Dignity, independence, and protection;” “Providing ample opportunities to generate, save, and preserve financial resources;” and finally, “Creating age-friendly, livable communities that enable people to age in place and continue to be an active part of their communities. member.”
The land aging targets are explained in more detail in the policy document. Citing AARP 2021 research data, 78% of all adults age 50 and older want to stay in their communities as they age. But in order for this to happen, communities need to have the right resources in place to enable older residents to stay and live independently.
The plan prioritizes the principles of accessible housing through construction and renovation to age-friendly standards, citing a need. Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) report details why only 1% of U.S. homes have critical accessibility features (down from 4% in 2011), and the National Initiative on Aging can help develop universal design standards to address these changes as the population ages. The challenges become more apparent.
