{"id":114964,"date":"2022-12-01T18:00:46","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T23:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=114964"},"modified":"2022-12-01T18:00:46","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T23:00:46","slug":"age-friendly-lehigh-valley-releases-action-plan-to-improve-social-connection-overcome-inequities-and-combat-ageism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=114964","title":{"rendered":"Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley Releases Action Plan to Improve Social Connection, Overcome Inequities and Combat Ageism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pictured (left to right)<\/i><\/b>: Kellie VonStein (AARP), Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong, Carmen Bell (United Way), Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, David Lewis (UWGLV), Becky Bradley (Lehigh Valley Planning Commission)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley, under the direction and leadership of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, announces an Action Plan to ensure that older adults in the community can thrive mentally, emotionally and physically.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Allentown, PA December 1, 2022 \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>In an effort to create age-friendly environments in the Lehigh Valley that acknowledge diversity, fight ageism and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate fully, United Way and Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley have launched an Action Plan in partnership with Lehigh County, Northampton County, AARP, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and many community partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur environments play an important role in determining how we age and how we respond to disease, loss of function and other forms of adversity that we may experience at different stages of life, in particular in later years,\u201d said Carmen Bell, Healthy Aging Director, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley (UWGLV). \u201cThe goal of this plan is to continue to build communities that treat all residents and visitors with respect, regardless of age, income or physical ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of the plan\u2019s creation, the Lehigh Valley became the nation\u2019s first dual-county community to receive certification in the World Health Organization\/AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lehigh Valley has a history of success when we work together, and this effort is no exception. With a growing number of residents age 65 and older, we must work together to ensure the Lehigh Valley can best serve all our populations,\u201d added Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong.<\/p>\n

Residents who are age 65 and older currently represent 15% of each county\u2019s population, as compared to 13% nationally. Projections suggest that seniors will grow to 22% of the Lehigh Valley population by 2040.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe offer our continued support and commitment as we launch this action plan. We applaud the leaders and stakeholders who have become champions in the field of aging and are proud to see a growing network of partners who recognize that age-friendly communities benefit everyone,\u201d remarked Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

According to AARP, well-designed and age-friendly communities foster economic growth and make for happier, healthier residents of all ages.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAt AARP, we recognize that neighborhoods are where we care for our families, launch new businesses, and plan for the future,\u201d said AARP Lehigh County Associate State Director for Outreach Kellie VonStein. \u201cWe are pleased to work in partnership with residents, community leaders and public officials to promote local action so that our communities provide the space, services and opportunities that support people of all ages and abilities as they seek to live healthy, productive, and civically engaged lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Action Plan Goals and Cornerstone Initiatives<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Plan is a \u201cliving document\u201d developed and vetted by an active and engaged community and serves as a collective community pivot from programs and services targeted to the individual to initiatives designed to serve our community as a whole.<\/p>\n

\u201cProviding barrier-free and attainable housing, accessible public spaces and transportation that\u2019s welcoming to walkers, rollers, drivers and transit users enables people to stay independent and active in their community,\u201d said Becky Bradley, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.<\/p>\n

The Plan serves as a call-to-action to change attitudes toward ageism, equity and inclusion and outlines the community tools needed to ensure that age-friendly programs, services and policy are available and accessible to all. It highlights several key strategies and focus areas, including:<\/p>\n

Outdoor Spaces and Buildings:<\/strong>\u00a0Increase accessibility to the social and physical health benefits provided by parks, trails, open spaces and public buildings.<\/p>\n

Strategy:<\/strong>\u00a0Identify, map and communicate key points of access to outdoor spaces and public buildings that organically serve as gathering places and informal sources of information. Conduct walk audits.<\/p>\n

Transportation:\u00a0<\/strong>Increase awareness about transportation options that are in place Valley-wide, including public and private transit and ride-share. Increase safety and accessibility of public bus stops.<\/p>\n

Strategy:<\/strong>\u00a0A visible transportation services campaign that provides relevant information in multiple languages and engages the community with positive messaging about staying connected. Increase safety and accessibility of public bus stops.<\/p>\n

Housing<\/strong>: Equity in access to housing for all residents.<\/p>\n

Strategy:<\/strong>\u00a0Assess the current state and develop viable solutions for equitable and affordable housing.<\/p>\n

Civic Participation and Employment<\/strong>: Encourage a positive attitude toward hiring seniors and recruiting volunteers.<\/p>\n

Strategy:<\/strong>\u00a0Visibility campaign celebrating older adults and their ongoing contributions. Highlight the benefits of engaging with older adult workers and volunteers. Research attitudes on aging in the region. Create opportunities to showcase the talents of older adults.<\/p>\n

Community Support, Food Security and Health Services:<\/strong>\u00a0Increase awareness about healthy aging in place. Keep individuals connected with family and community. Promote expanded access to services that help ensure that residents\u2019 full range of emotional, social and physical needs are met. Increase food access.<\/p>\n

Strategy:<\/strong>\u00a0Visibility campaign for area-wide communication and policy change that supports designation of family members and friends as essential caregivers.<\/p>\n

Safety and Emergency Preparedness:<\/strong>\u00a0Ensure the safety and reassurance of older adults in the event of a personal or large-scale emergency.<\/p>\n

Strategy:<\/strong>\u00a0Convene an emergency preparedness coalition utilizing a cross-section of organizations and develop a plan\/website.<\/p>\n

Visit\u00a0www.agefriendlylehighvalley.org<\/a>\u00a0to view the full Action Plan.<\/p>\n

The Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley Leadership Team is a mix of community leaders who volunteer their time to engage the Lehigh Valley in the Age-Friendly Communities Program under the direction and leadership of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Committee members work together to expand awareness of opportunities for residents to voice their opinions on age-friendly efforts. This committee also assists with the oversight, creation and implementation of the Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley Action Plan and will collect feedback in preparation for the next steps.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

About United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley<\/strong>
\nUnited Way fights for the health, safety and education of every person in the Greater Lehigh Valley and envisions communities where every person belongs and every person thrives. We strive to achieve this goal by assessing community needs, raising funds, investing in solutions and mobilizing our community to action. For more information, visit\u00a0www.UnitedWayGLV.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nLaura McHugh
\nVice President, Marketing and Communications
\nUnited Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
\nwww.unitedwayglv.org <\/a><\/p>\n

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\n

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Pictured (left to right): Kellie VonStein (AARP), Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong, Carmen Bell (United Way), Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, David Lewis (UWGLV), Becky Bradley (Lehigh Valley Planning Commission) … Continue reading Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley Releases Action Plan to Improve Social Connection, Overcome Inequities and Combat Ageism<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":114965,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/age-friendly.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114964"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=114964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/114965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=114964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=114964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=114964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}