[Excerpt] How easy is it to live in the New Haven area if you’re a senior? How well can you get around, engage in social activities and civic duties or keep a good job and secure health care?
Questions like those were among a broad range of topics discussed Thursday at the Ives Memorial Library as part of a global effort by the World Health Organization to create an “age-friendly city indicator guide.”
New Haven is among cities such as Bilbao, Spain, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Shanghai and Washington that are taking part in the project. About 25 people from local and state organizations gathered to critique the WHO’s findings in an effort to improve the final report.
“If you look at the population over 85 ... that population has grown from about 64,000 a few years ago and it’s projected to be about 100,000 in 10 years,” said Mark Abraham, executive director of DataHaven, a nonprofit agency that has conducted surveys about topics such as mass transit, health care, mental health, economic and food security and community engagement.
A Community Wellbeing Survey of up to 15,000 state residents will be expanded from a regional poll to a statewide survey, and be conducted from May to September, he said.
“We have about 100 partners, including foundations across the state, and more than 20 hospitals and health departments are involved in the project,” Abraham said.
