A year after Princeton was designated an Age-Friendly Community (AFC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Association for Retired People (AARP), Princeton Senior Resource Center Executive Director Susan Hoskins says it’s time for each sector– business, civic, academic, health services, non-profit – to insure that the “age friendly” description is meaningful and lasting. 

Ms. Hoskins is also looking forward to PSRC’s annual gala dinner on Sunday, October 18, where Mayor Liz Lempert and Princeton Council, along with Rush Holt and Margaret Lancefield, Heidi Joseph and Dave Saltzman, and McCaffrey’s Food Markets, will be honored as “people who have done so much for supporting older adults in this community.”

Features of an Age-Friendly Community include a “walkable” downtown, access to cultural activities, safe and affordable transportation, and a range of housing options. Princeton fits the bill nicely in some of these areas, but needs to do some work in others.  While Ms. Hoskins credits Princeton for passing ordinances that permit options like “mother-in-law” apartments, “more thought needs to be given other creative housing solutions.”

 She also points out that the features associated with AFCs make a town “livable” for others as well.  Sidewalks that are user friendly to senior adults with walkers also make it easier for kids to walk to school and for parents and caretakers pushing strollers to get out and about.  Parks with benches and good lighting are a boon for everyone.

 A recent conference of representatives from AFC designees reporting on their progress to date was an eye-opener for Ms. Hoskins.  She was pleased, she says, to see that their numbers have grown, from just several major cities to over 60 places representing a variety of urban and suburban sizes and concerns.

 Sharing their respective experiences in designing and implementing AFC initiatives was, she says, invaluable: “Other communities are doing some amazing things.” The conference and a shared website are evidence of AARP and WHO’s interest in having communities collaborate and keep each other informed. Montclair for example, has a full-time coordinator overseeing how that New Jersey township fulfills its AFC mandate. Other communities, like Portland, Oregon, have university-based research centers guiding the process. Princeton University does not have a formal gerontology department, though students from area colleges and universities are more than welcome to help with  “creative problem-solving,” says Ms. Hoskins. For the most part, though, Princeton, “relies heavily on volunteers,” and so Ms. Hoskins is hoping for lots of people with good ideas to turn out for the two focus groups at the Suzanne Patterson Building on September 24 at 10 a.m. and September 29 at 7 p.m.

“People want to be a part of a community, and that’s a big part of our success here in Princeton,” Ms. Hoskins observed.  “People could take an online course, but they choose to come in for Evergreen Forum courses,” she said, referring to the daytime study program based at PSRC. Observing regulars who participate in the center’s lively ping pong games each day and bringing each other gifts for special occasions reinforces her sense that “people need contact.”

“PSRC is about building community,” she added.  “We fit in perfectly with a national and global community that shares ideas and is committed to being age-friendly with good transportation, good housing, good health care, and sustained attention to the day-to-day needs of its aging citizens.”

For details on the Gala, visit princetonsenior.ejoinme.org/gala2015.