Miami Valley Age-Friendly Summit explores pathways to graceful aging
By 2034, there will be more people over age 65 than people under age 18 in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That means more seniors than teens across Miami Valley communities.
So what’s local government and business doing to ensure this area evolves to meet the needs of its expanding senior population? What should change? Are there opportunities to collaborate across communities? And, more importantly, how will needed changes be funded?
Fortunately, leaders in the Miami Valley region have already started working on an age-friendly future.
“The world is changing rather rapidly,” says Donna Kastner, Del Mar Encore Fellow at the Dayton Foundation. “And I’m an optimist. Our goal and hope are to bring progress.”
She’s talking about the upcoming Miami Valley Age-Friendly Summit: Pathways to a Brighter Future scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, May 8, at the Moraine Country Club. Designed for civic, nonprofit and business leaders to explore the best pathways to support graceful aging, Kastner notes the meeting is sponsored by the Dayton Foundation, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
Twelve local communities — from Bellbrook and Brookville to Xenia and Yellow Springs — are already members of the MVRPC Miami Valley Age-Friendly Network founded in 2021, adds Kastner. This core group has already started meeting, surveying it seniors and creating solutions.
These inaugural planners will share some of their early successes at the summit.
For example, Yellow Springs found funding for a walkability study to increase mobility options across the village area. Dayton is partnering with the University of Dayton
and using students to help with data collection.
Community leaders who have yet to join the network will have the opportunity at the summit to learn more about the resources available to help their communities become more age-friendly, stresses Kastner.
“It’s all about networking and communications,” she explains. “There’s a wealth of information out there.”
That includes information about available funding sources. “The governments can’t do it all,” says Kastner. “Grants are available.”
And there’s a lot to do. The AARP asserts there are eight domains to consider in developing livable communities for seniors, everything from vital infrastructure such as transportation and health services to social aspects such as respect and social inclusion.
Kastner says every community has different needs and priorities, and leaders will take what they learn from the summit back to their own communities to investigate and customize for their senior populations.
“It takes a village. But every village is a little different. There will be different solutions for different communities,” explains Kastner.
Because of the broad scope of needs, the summit will focus mainly on two high-ranking priorities for many seniors: Housing and employment/civic engagement.
Most seniors want to remain in their homes, says Kastner. “But the place you raised your family may not be suitable.”
It’s an issue for seniors. It’s an issue for their children who want Mom and Dad to be safe and happy. It’s also an issue for communities who are under pressure to offer mobility-friendly and affordable housing options, she adds.
Government, civic and business leaders interested in attending the May 8 summit should contact Donna Kastner at dkastner@mvrpc.org for more information. Summit registration is required.