It was an intergenerational night in the Long Beach Civic Chambers, as youth and seniors envisioned what they need to lead a happy and healthy life, and how the City can help.
To represent the city’s senior needs, the Health Department’s Healthy Aging Center presented the Long Beach Age-Friendly Action Plan. This new document is roughly 100 pages and includes 24 goals and 108 action items focused on physical and social health.
Members of the Youth Advisory Council — many teens themselves — updated the council on year four of the five-year Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan.
View the four-year update on the Youth and Emerging Adults Strategic Plan here.
Senior Plan Centers on Social, Physical Health
The Long Beach Age-Friendly Action Plan, which focuses on making communities, buildings, services and systems more inclusive for seniors, includes 108 actions for the City to take. Key themes in the plan include creating a city that encourages an active social life through safety and opportunities to connect, along with allowing seniors to age in their own homes.
Actions laid out in the plan should be a priority, said Sofia Hodjat, manager at the Healthy Aging Center, especially since by 2034, the United States will have more people over the age of 60 than under 18 years old.
Multiple older adults and advocates from local nonprofits also highlighted the value seniors have in society, as they can share their expertise and life experiences to help us prepare for the future.
“Older adults are integral to civic success and cultural vitality, enriching society with their wisdom, skills, and historical perspectives,” the Long Beach Age-Friendly Action Plan states.
The plan includes three main areas of focus:
- Physical environment
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- Safe and accessible outdoor spaces and buildings that encourage active living and reduce isolation.
- A wide variety of public and private transportation options, as well as well-maintained sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly streets that connect to essential services.
- Diverse housing options such as intergenerational housing, mixed-use development and senior-only developments.
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- Social Health
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- Reducing social isolation by using diverse social programs with activities tailored to different interests and abilities.
- Reframing aging by educating the public on what aging is actually like, fostering awareness and sensitivity.
- More intergenerational activities such as volunteering and City-hosted events that are inclusive to all abilities.
- Encouraging older adults to take on leadership roles, volunteering or employment.
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- Services that are accessible, inclusive and comprehensive
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- Access to healthcare and wellness programs that include preventative care and holistic wellbeing.
- Communication and information about local resources in a variety of languages and methods, not just digitally.
- Safety at home and within the city, with programs that prevent and educate seniors on elder abuse, scams and financial exploitation.
The city has a long way to go, according to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), which gave Long Beach an overall livability score of 48 out of 100. This score is based on health, housing, transportation, opportunity, engagement, the environment and neighborhoods.
Businesses, nonprofits and neighborhoods can help implement this plan by checking in on their older neighbors, volunteering in programs that assist seniors, educating others on ageism and more, listed in the action plan.
The full Long Beach Age-Friendly Action Plan can be viewed here.
