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Presentation on the Orange County Master Aging Plan
PURPOSE: The purpose of the presentation is to update the Board on the elements of the MAP.
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DEPARTMENT: Economic and Community Development
CONTACT INFORMATION: Annette Lafferty, AICP ECD Director alafferty@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:alafferty@townofcarrboro.org> (919) 918-7319
INFORMATION: Janice Tyler, the Executive Director of the Orange County Council on Aging will present the recommendations of the plan. The following is the executive summary from the Orange County Master Aging Plan (Attachment 1).
The 2017-2022 Master Aging Plan (MAP) marks the fourth cycle of strategic planning for the Orange County Department on Aging (OCDOA). However, this is the first MAP based on the AARP Framework for an Age-Friendly Community (AFC). The AFC framework contains 8 domains of livability that influence the quality of life for older adults: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community and health services.
The goals included in the 2017-2022 MAP are intended to make Orange County an age-friendly community, a place where structures and services are adapted to be accessible to and inclusive of older adults with varying needs and capacities. For this reason, the plan covers a wide range of topics, from communication and information to housing and outdoor spaces and buildings.
The 2017-2022 MAP was developed using the AARP Age-Friendly Community Framework as a guide. The goals, objectives, and strategies represent the work of a variety of stakeholders throughout the MAP planning process. These stakeholders include Orange County residents, county and town leadership, major healthcare systems, faith-based and non-profit service groups, and older adult advocates. All of these stakeholders were involved at different times during the MAP’s development, beginning in summer 2016 with a community needs assessment survey and ending in spring 2017 with a period of public comment.
In the fall and winter of 2016, stakeholders participated in a community kick-off event, work group meetings, and periodic MAP Leadership and Steering Committee meetings. The inclusion of these diverse stakeholders in developing the MAP is essential to ensuring that the plan meets the needs of a growing older adult population.
The 2017-2022 MAP comes at a particularly crucial point in the history of Orange County. The proportion of older adults within the general population is growing rapidly at the national level as well as right here in Orange County. Orange County’s aging population is diverse, widespread, and representative of a variety of life experiences. Achieving the goals and objectives in the MAP is essential in preparing the county for the influx of older adults who will be using county and town programs and services.
The success of the MAP depends on continued collaboration and community involvement over the next five years. Without the participation of a variety of community members and organizations, an integrated countywide plan will not be successful. The achievement of this plan requires the recognition that we all are aging, this plan affects all of us, and an age-friendly community benefits our county as a whole. Through working together to meet the goals and objectives of the 2017-2022 MAP, residents and diverse organizations will help Orange County build capacity to support our aging population and ultimately improve the quality of life for everyone.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: Commitment of staff time to participate in workgroups
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommends the Board receive the report