Environments for Aging - Fall 2016 - 27

Instead, he envisions a new "Main
Street" that puts senior living, retail,
and healthcare services-opportunities
for interaction-together in an accessible place. "Why not put people where
the action is?" he said. One way to
help facilitate this idea, he offered, is
to get policy makers to see how more
integrated and connected communities
can keep seniors and other populations
healthier. "The right community should
enrich your well-being," he said.
One city on the path to change
is Boston, which began addressing
the issue as part of the World Health
Organization's Global Age-Friendly
Cities project, said Harris, a founding member of the Boston Society of
Architects/AIA Designing for Aging's
(DFA) committee. As part of the project,
Boston will release its first master plan
in 50 years, which will include ideas on
improving housing options for seniors.
"People want to stay in their homes and
in their neighborhoods," Harris said.
DFA is helping shape the conversation and "add a face to the issue" by
hosting listening sessions with residents to learn their stories and needs,
as well as serving as a resource for city
departments, such as housing, parks
and recreation, or transportation committees, to make sure they account for
seniors in their policies and planning.
"We're making sure it's on their radar,"
she said.
Farther down the east coast, Kohn is
also advocating for change as part of
Age-Friendly DC. "It's been a journey," Kohn said. The district's strategic plan includes 18 goals, including
streamlining, expanding, and promoting programs that support affordable
housing and aging in place. "We have a
community that wants to age in place,"
Kohn said. "We want to make that possible for them to do."

To increase the amount of housing that's accessible, affordable, and
healthy, Kohn said smaller assisted
living communities could be located
within existing neighborhoods where
seniors live, so that their friends and
support networks can stay in touch.
While each of the panelists' ideas
for changing the face of senior housing
is in different stages of development,
the group recognized that they face
some common challenges, including
achieving buy-in from local governments and promoting policy changes to
support new models. "Someone needs
to stand up and talk about it," Kohn
said. "Get the majority to focus on this."
Affordability is another challenge, and
Frederick suggested looking for ways
to unleash the private market to "build
what we need."
"We have a different consumer who's
'moving the cheese,'" Harris said,
"and we need to move with it."-Anne
DiNardo

CLOSING KEYNOTE

Rick Moody, "The Power
of Positive Aging"
During his closing keynote speech to
the EFA audience, Harry "Rick" Moody,
former vice president for academic
affairs with AARP, didn't mince words
when it comes to the inherent challenges faced by senior living providers.
Seniors don't want to live in these E

EFA HONORS
DESIGN AWARD
WINNERS
During an awards
luncheon held on the
first day of the event,
Environments for Aging
magazine honored the
winners
from its
2016 Design
Showcase
and 2015
Remodel/
Renovation
competitions. For details
on the winning projects,
see EFA's Spring 2016
(Design Showcase) and
Fall 2015 (Remodel/
Renovation) issues;
digital versions of the
issues can be found at
EFAmagazine.com.

http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Fall 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Environments for Aging - Fall 2016