In Plymouth, 41% of the population is aged 55 plus…this according to Michelle Bratti, the town’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services, who spoke to the Select Board at their meeting on February 27th. And, knowing that the town is becoming a retirement destination she and the Senior Task Force decided to pursue an Age and Dementia Friendly Designation—a title given by the state. And why is that important?
WATD’s Bobbi Clark has more…
Commissioner Bratti says the Age and Dementia Friendly Designation is endorsed…
“…by the World Health Organization. It means that we will be perceived and honored as a community that truly appreciates and looks to make sure that our community is one that thinks about aging in place, the importance of senior issues and the importance of dementia issues as it pertains to our residents.”
So, what does that actually mean for our seniors:
“So that means we take all the data. We take a hard look at it and say: this is what our residents have said, so out of this what action plans do we want to create now and move forward. Also, with this designation, it opens grant opportunities for our community as we look towards aging.”
Bratti says that in order to receive an Age and Dementia Friendly designation by the state…
“…you are required to have an in-depth needs assessment done of your community. UMass Boston Gerontology has done that for us.”
And, Caitlin Coyle, Ph.D, Director at the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging at UMass Boston, presented those findings to the Select Board. The key takeaway is the fact that Plymouth residents love where they live and they want to be able to afford to age in place in their community.
Selectman Harry Helm involved from the beginning with the Senior Task Force expressed his support for the pursuit of the Age and Dementia Friendly Designation. The Select Board was unanimous in its support.
In Plymouth, Bobbi Clark, WATD News.
