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The Maturing
of America: Getting Communities on Track for
an Aging Population...New initiative funded
by MetLife Foundation
Washington, D.C. - As
the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement
age, the number of Americans over age 65 in
2030 is projected to be 71.5 million - or
one in five people.
To help cities and
counties better meet the needs of an aging
population, and to leverage the experience
and talent of older Americans, five national
organizations have joined forces to assess
the "aging readiness" of America's
communities and to identify solutions.
The initiative is being
funded by a grant from MetLife Foundation.
Known as The Maturing of America - Getting
Communities on Track for an Aging
Population, the project is being led by the
National Association of Area Agencies on
Aging (n4a), in partnership with the
International City/County Management
Association, National Association of
Counties, National League of Cities and
Partners for Livable Communities. The
assessment will begin in November 2005.
"MetLife Foundation is
pleased to support this project, which we
believe will bring much-needed public
awareness to the growing aging population
and its impact on communities across the
country," said MetLife Foundation President
Sibyl Jacobson.
In the project's first phase, The Maturing
of America partners will produce a survey
that will be distributed to 10,000 local
governments, which will be used to determine
the "aging readiness" of individual areas.
For example, the survey
will ask whether or not a city or town is
promoting sound nutrition and physical
fitness, or offering opportunities for civic
engagement. In all, 15 indicators will be
used.
The survey will answer three key
preparedness questions: whether efforts are
being made to assess and put into place
programs, policies and services that address
the needs of older adults and their
caregivers; whether cities and counties are
able to ensure that their communities are
"livable" for all ages - not only good
places to grow up but good places to grow
old; and how well equipped an area is to
harness the talent, wisdom and experience of
older adults to contribute to the community
at large.
After the first phase is completed, a more
in-depth survey will be sent to 500
communities whose initial responses
indicated a high degree of readiness.
This secondary data
will be compiled for a "promising practices"
guide that will help other cities and
counties across the nation increase their
capacity to effectively serve the growing
segment of aging Americans.
"n4a and its partners are eager to move
forward on this initiative and are grateful
to MetLife Foundation for supporting it,"
said n4a CEO Sandy Markwood.
"We believe it will
benefit our nation's population by
identifying, defining and promoting ways for
communities to better meet the needs of
aging Americans, and to capitalize on the
assets they provide."
The survey portion of the program is
scheduled to be completed by April 2006. A
national and local media campaign to advance
the "promising practices" information to
communities throughout the United States
will be conducted during the summer of 2006.
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MetLife Foundation was
established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on
its long-standing tradition of corporate
contributions and community involvement.
Grants support health,
education, civic and cultural programs. In
aging, the Foundation funds programs that
promote healthy aging and address issues of
caregiving, intergenerational activities,
mental fitness, and volunteerism.
The Foundation also
supports research on Alzheimer's disease
through its Awards for Medical Research
program. More information about the
Foundation is available at
www.metlife.org.
National Association of Area Agencies on
Aging (n4a) - is the leading voice on aging
issues for Area Agencies on Aging across the
country and a champion for Title VI-Native
American aging programs in our nation's
capital.
Through its presence in
Washington, D.C., n4a advocates on behalf of
the local aging agencies to ensure that
needed resources and support services are
available to older Americans and their
caregivers. For more information, go to
www.n4a.org.
International City/County Management
Association (ICMA) - is the professional and
educational organization for chief appointed
managers, administrators, and assistants in
cities, towns, counties, and regional
entities throughout the world. For more
information, go to
www.icma.org.
National Association of Counties (NACo) - is
the national organization that represents
county governments in the United States. For
more information, go to
www.naco.org.
National League of Cities (NLC) - is the
largest national organization representing
municipal governments throughout the United
States. For more information, go to
www.nlc.org.
Partners for Livable Communities (PLC) - is
a national, nonprofit organization working
to restore and renew our communities. For
more information, go to
www.livable.com.
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