1. Safe At Home Successful Aging at Home
A Subcommittee
Of the Columbia County Office for the Aging
Advisory Council

2. Columbia County is an Aging County
Total Population: 63,096 in 2010
ACS Estimates 61,860 in 2016
Median age to increase to near 50 by 2030
Due to our flat/decreasing population, one half of the county will likely be in 65+ age bracket by 2030
AARP 2014 Report - NY on track for Billion Dollar Baby Boomer Flight
Joyce
Hamilton- 1st at 34.6% Delaware- 2nd at 28.9% Based on 2015 American Community Survey estimates
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3. Aging is a Family and Community Opportunity
Senior Citizens are:
Mobile and Active – Skilled Volunteers, Care Givers
Limited Mobility and Active – Skilled Volunteers with new service requirements
Senior Citizens – Retirees have:
Time, skills, common sense, wisdom, and
First-hand knowledge of our heritage to contribute to the community
Successful aging at home with limited mobility requires a wide range of essential services
Seniors move away – lack of in-home services, transportation, housing
Homes deteriorate & decrease in value – lack of maintenance services
Boomers are not likely to move here – without services

4. Aging as a Stage of Life… Requires Planning
Traditionally, we plan for stages in life:
Individuals plan for:
Youth – Education
Adulthood – Work & Living Options
But, Retirement – Revised Living Options and Changing Service Needs?
Towns may plan for:
Opportunities, resources and services appropriate for multiple generations
Intergenerational activities
A balance among past, present, & future generations creates a sustainable community. *
A Neighbors Helping Neighbors Community assures that balance.
* Creating Age Friendly Sustainable Communities, Patricia E. Salkin, Dean and Professor Touro Center, NY Planning Federation, 2015 Annual Conference

5. Successfully Aging at Home Means…
Maintaining Independence and Autonomy
Essential needs
High quality of life
Joyce-infographic to illustrate what a community could look like

6. Essential Services / Activities
Essential Needs – Independence: An Individualized Suite of Services
Essential Needs - Personal: Medical Care, Personal Care, Transportation, Shopping/Deliveries of Food and Medicine
Essential Needs – Home: Cooking, Cleaning, Laundry, Home and Grounds Maintenance, Financial Management, Legal Services
Essential Needs – Social: Family/Friends/Neighbors, Social Activities, Cultural Resources - Library, Movies, Music…

7. Challenges for Seniors to Live Successfully At Home*
House Rich-Cash Poor Affordability
Health Considerations Active Living, Declining Health, Socialization
Mobility / Accessibility Transportation, Walkability, Services
Proximity to Family Housing Alternatives
* Source: Creating Age Friendly Sustainable Communities, Patricia E. Salkin, Dean and Professor Touro Center, New York Planning Federation 2015 Annual Conference

8. How Does an Individual Plan for Successful Living at Home with Limited Mobility?
Know What you need
Know Where to get it
Know How to get it
Know Who can help you
Stay as Active as possible:
Physically
Mentally
Emotionally
Socially
Spiritually
Keep in Touch with:
Family
Friends
Neighbors

9. How Does a Town Plan for Seniors?
Service-related activities:
Ask seniors what services they use now and what they envision needing in the future
Develop a knowledge base of local, county and federal services
Provide easy access to service information from a local contact person/committee
Maintain a vibrant relationship with the County Office for the Aging and NY Connects
Town-based activities:
Implement robust and easy-access communications that keep seniors informed about town news
Offer events that include seniors in the planning as well as the participation
Encourage new local services by local people (senior volunteers and young entrepreneurs)

10. Barriers to Successful Service Delivery Local and County-Wide
Resident’s lack of service awareness, difficult access & navigation, affordability
Town’s limited resource knowledge base
Towns’ low density/distance: long drive from Hudson for a small number of clients, difficulty getting and keeping workers, lack of local hires
County’s lack of county-wide broadband for essential communication and services
Requests are usually made only when a crisis requires immediate action
How do I find a service? Is it available locally? Can I afford it?
Difficult processes, regulations, requirements and paperwork
Reasonable client rates and employee pay; healthy company financials
Vetted paid and volunteer workers, reliable performance, low turnover
Long distances, knowledgeable local contacts, local information distribution
Reliable information distribution, support networks, on-demand services, and telemedicine
Fear / Distrust of technology

11. How Can a Town or Village Address an Aging Population?
Senior
Medical Care
Home Care/Shopping Personal Care
Socialization
Transportation
Local Activities
Town
Resource Contact/ Advocate
Service & Needs Awareness
Senior housing opportunities
Promotion of local services
Promotion of County services
County
Government Services
Not-for-Profit Services
For Profit Services
Stores & Restaurants
Theaters & Schools
Senior Programs

12. Why Your Aging Residents Need You
The best response is the local response – A Neighbors Helping Neighbors Community is driven by trust among family, friends and neighbors
Proactive Planning is better than Reactive Crisis Management
Timely Crisis Management is made possible by a local information resource
Local awareness encourages local resources & engagement by those in need
The Sub-Committee has created a framework for starting a conversation

13. Take Away
Every town is different and knows best how to meet the emerging needs of its senior population.
There are Barriers that can be addressed: awareness, availability, access, navigation and affordability
And addressing those barriers will:
Keep seniors in your community
Open up local employment opportunities
Attract new buyers or businesses

14. Possible Steps Toward Becoming a Safe at Home Town Establish a Safe at Home Contact / Committee Provide a Safe at Home Service Guide to raise awareness (model available) Ask your senior population what they use now and might need
A survey done at the Golden Gathering several years ago was most informative! Home Maintenance came after Medical Services
OFA has a model Services Guide for towns to consider adapting to their town.
Safe at Home also offers a checklist of questions that might be asked of a gathering of seniors.