UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County recently finalized the process of becoming an AARP Age-Friendly Community. “Oneida County recognizes the importance of encouraging and promoting age-friendly planning and policies to address changing demographics and enhance independent living,” Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. said in a press release. “We are proud to receive this designation […]
UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County recently finalized the process of becoming an AARP Age-Friendly Community.
“Oneida County recognizes the importance of encouraging and promoting age-friendly planning and policies to address changing demographics and enhance independent living,” Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. said in a press release. “We are proud to receive this designation from the AARP and are committed to the continual improvement that supports active and healthy aging and sustains economic and social vitality. I commend our Office for the Aging and thank our partnering organizations for their hard work and dedication throughout the process of achieving this recognition.”
The county was officially designated as an Age-Friendly Community by both the AARP and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016 after it committed to facilitate the Livable Community planning process. That initiative resulted in a series of activities used to identify community needs and gain input from stakeholders, including older adults, to create a planning document to be used community wide.
The Livable Community Project, led by Oneida County, included several key partners including the Parkway Center, the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, and the Health Foundation of Western and Central New York. A steering committee helped identify gaps, priorities, and solutions essential to enhancing the livability for local residents of all ages.
The eight areas of livability, as outlined by the WHO, are outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community and health services.
The county’s action plan calls for an array of steps to address issues in each of these areas.
The action plan for civic engagement aims to expand opportunities for everyone to have meaningful employment and volunteer opportunities by creating a volunteer resource center, increasing opportunities for paid employment for older adults, and providing information on pre-retirement planning and post-retirement opportunities.
The social participation action plan calls for increase opportunities for people to connect and feel welcome in the community by raising awareness of the age-friendliness of area events, bridging cultural and language gaps, and working to better promote the area’s events.
To improve access to outdoor spaces and public buildings, the plan includes zoning and design requirements to promote accessibility, improving access to public spaces, and improving walkways and streets for ease of use.
The plan to create an environment to improve community health includes efforts to educate people on available health services, training to address the needs of an ethnically diverse population, and emergency planning that accounts for older community members.
The housing plan calls for supporting aging in place, home repair services for seniors, creating a senior housing director, and making sure wheelchair ramps are installed for accessibility.
Transportation-improvement plans include educating residents on the available transportation options, implementing the Complete Streets program to make streets safer for shared users, and creating transportation options for western Oneida County.
The action plan also includes initiatives to make information for services easy to access for all residents, provide education on new technologies, include older adults in decision-making processes, and promote age-friendly businesses.
The county completed the final phase of the initiative when the Oneida County Board of Legislators adopted a resolution to ensure ongoing commitment and focus on the livability areas in May. The resolution codifies the activities involved in the planning process, including steering committee recommendations, county-wide survey results, and various focus group findings.
“As the month of May, known as Older Americans Month, annually recognizes the needs and values of our seniors nationwide, this resolution confirms that Oneida County values health across all policies and the needs of its elder population.”