Chatham-Kent’s quest to be named an age friendly community began in earnest recently.
The Chatham-Kent Seniors Advisory Committee unveiled plans March 25 to make communities in the municipality more age friendly.
A World Health Organization (WHO) initiative, age friendly planning helps communities become more inclusive, accessible and respectful to the aging population.
The first step in Chatham-Kent for the project is to obtain feedback from local residents. From April to October, anyone over the age of 50 is encouraged to participate by competing a comprehensive survey or attending focus groups to share opinions and experiences on a variety of age friendly topics.
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The survey will be available online at the Senior Advisory Committee’s new website, www.ckseniors.ca, or in print at municipal service centres, any C-K library branch, and in any of the 11 senior centres in the municipality.
To find out when a focus group will be coming to your community, and to register to participate in the focus group, visit www.ckseniors.ca or call 519-354-8103.
Devin Andrews, age-friendly plan project co-ordinator, told The Chatham Voice previously the WHO realized communities aren’t prepared for the aging population, but that must change.
“In 10 years, 20% of the population in Canada will be over the age of 65,” he said. “In 1950, 5% of the population was over 65.”
The problem is too few communities have evolved much in the past 60-plus years.
“What effect does a community’s design have on an aging person,” Andrews asked, adding infrastructure, community services and social programs all have an impact.
“It’s how we include or don’t include people as they age that is important.”
Andrews said there are only 255 communities around the world that are registered to be age-friendly. Chatham-Kent isn’t one of them.
I am now 81 years old and moved to Chatham 25 years ago. I was and am totally in love with my life here. My only complaints are there are not enough handicapped parking spots anywhere and it would be nice to have more restaurants to choose from.
I moved to Chatham 25 years ago and am now 81. I was and am totally in love with life in Chatham. My only request would be for more handicapped parking spots and more restaurants like Boston Pizza and Z Bistro and Mama Maria’s!