Group meets April 3
The final Brown Bag presentation at Pennington Presbyterian Church will be held on Friday, April 3, at 12:30 p.m.
Phillipe Khouri, a geriatric psychiatrist, will discuss “Aging and Depressions: Am I Just Feeling Blue?” The church is located at Delaware Avenue and Main Street in downtown Pennington. The public is welcome to attend.
At a recent Brown Bag lunch, Abigail Waugh, Hopewell Valley Senior Services coordinator, talked about the growing senior population.
”A silver tsunami is just over the horizon,” Ms. Waugh said, “and we need to be ready to handle its consequences.”
She told the senior audience at Pennington Presbyterian Church that the baby- boomer generation, those born between 1946 and 1964 , are beginning to hit their sixties. According to the US Census, in 2005 this group was 78.2 million strong. And in 2006, 7,918 people turned 60 each day. That amounts to 330 every hour.
”Most.” she added, “will continue to work either out of desire or necessity, but the time will come when retirement is a fact.” She said most surveys show older adults would prefer to stay in the communities in which they live because of the network of relationships they have developed. Financially and physically this can become more and more difficult. Countering this trend has been the realization of the value of helping seniors remain as contributing members of the community as long as possible.
Ms. Waugh listed challenges to be faced by any community, including Hopewell Valley, as given in a report, “Livable Community for All Ages.” Not surprisingly, housing and taxes were at the head of the list. Planning and zoning came under criticism for the general lack of senior involvement in the process. Transportation in a driver-oriented area also received scrutiny. Poor roadway design and signs challenge many older drivers. Needs also include more flexible and customer-oriented transit services.
As for information about local health and support services, there should be a single point of entry. Vaccinations and preventive screenings should be provided. Another vital step would be exercise and active living programs tailored to older adult’s preferences. The community should promote a range of programs that enable older adults to contribute to the cultural life of the community.
Increased technology training opportunities also are key in this ever-changing electronic world.
Older adults should feel safe and Neighborhood Watch programs and mail carrier alert programs would be of assistance. The report also says older adults are looking for a broader array of civic engagement options than most communities provide.
”These are the challenges we face. There is no doubt about it,” Ms. Waugh concluded. “We have no option to ignore the future. The steps we take now will determine whether older adults can or will want to remain in the community that has been their home for so long.”