TITLE
Title
AGE-FRIENDLY GUILFORD INITIATIVE - RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT AND MOA WITH SENIOR RESOURCES
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Victor Isler, Assistant County Manager / DHHS Director and Sharon Barlow, Social Services Director
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BACKGROUND
Background
The population of North Carolina including Guilford County is aging - there are currently over 1.7-1.9 million residents state-wide and about 100,000 in Guilford County who are age 65 or older based on State estimates from 2023. By 2030, that number is expected to grow state-wide to over 2.3 million, an increase of over 20%, and over 110,000 in Guilford County - this growth rate will mean 1 in 5 or 20% of residents will be over 65 in 2030. These projections also mean that there will be as many or more residents over age 65 as there will be under age 18.
Guilford County, in collaboration with Senior Resources, recognizes this increasing growth of the aging population as well as the need and opportunity it presents to provide access to needed services and opportunities ensure that residents of all ages are able to live healthy, safe, and active lives. County staff and Senior Resources recommend joining the AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons) Network of Age Friendly States and Communities in order to benefit from their research, established library of best practices, peer network, and technical expertise. Joining this network also requires committing to an assessment and continuous improvement process that begins with engaging older adults and other impacted residents and involves conducting a community needs assessment, developing and implementing an action plan, evaluating the progress and impact of the plan, and then sharing solutions and best practices before beginning the cycle again.
The County and Senior Resources initially began conversations about starting this work in 2018 before it was paused by the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This work has re...
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