Lakewood is their present, but can it also be their future? Such was the question at hand during LakewoodAlive’s latest community forum.
With assistance from Lakewood Public Library, LakewoodAlive hosted a community forum entitled “Aging in Place: Wave of the Future” on Thursday, November 9, at Lakewood Congregational Church. This community conversation sought to create insightful dialogue regarding how Lakewood can best prepare for an aging population, as it’s estimated that one in five Americans will be older than 65 by 2030.
LakewoodAlive’s Aging in Place Community Forum sought to address how the community can best prepare for an aging population.
Following introductory remarks from Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers and LakewoodAlive Executive Director Ian Andrews, moderator Katie Kurtz, Clinical Manager, Department of Human Services for the City of Lakewood, oversaw a discussion exploring how to better understand the concept of aging in place in one’s home, the barriers to this lifestyle and the opportunities it presents. The conversation’s focus was to bring to light challenges our community is facing and will continue to face as the Baby Boomer population ages, as well as solutions and resources that residents can use to make the process a safe and effective one.
A distinguished panel of experts from across a range of related fields participated in this community conversation. Panelists included Curt Brosky (LSC Service Corp.), Janice Dzigiel (Senior Transportation Connection), Mark McDermott (Enterprise Community Partners) and Allison Urbanek (LakewoodAlive).
“As the age demographics of our region change, it’s vital that our community demonstrates the foresight necessary to ensure that Lakewood remains a desirable and accessible place for an aging population to live,” said Andrews. “This community forum represents a starting point for having this ongoing conversation within our city.”
If you are considering having a discussion with a friend of family member on this topic, check out this helpful handout, the Aging In Place Resource Guide put together by the City of Lakewood, Division of Aging.
LakewoodAlive thanks Community Forum Committee volunteers for spearheading the planning process: Cindy Einhouse, Cindy Friedmann, Katie Kurtz, Rachel Kribbs and Mark Thomas.
LakewoodAlive hosts community forums pertaining to topics relevant to Lakewood citizens. For more information, please visit LakewoodAlive.org/Forums or contact LakewoodAlive at 216-521-0655.