Broome Age-Friendly Community Plan Update on Southern Tier Close Up

Lisa Schuhle, director of Broome County Office for Aging, is on the weekly, local public affairs show, Southern Tier Close Up and provides an update on the work to make communities in the county "Age-Friendly."

Several months ago Broome County was listed as part of the American Association of Retired Person (AARP) Age-Friendly Communities listing for areas that seek to ensure quality of life needs and interests of residents are addressed.  The focus of the program is on residents age 55 and older.

Schuhle says, while the project is not funded right now, Office for Aging, local governments and other groups have been hard at work identifying the community needs facing those older residents in order to put out a survey for the general population.  That survey is expected to be made available in February at libraries, Department of Motor Vehicle offices, senior centers and other locations.

Eight dominate issues have been selected as relevant to Broome County, narrowed down from a longer list identified by AARP.

Not surprising, some early input locally has put housing, transportation and health high on the list of those dominate topics.

Information about the project, where and when the surveys will be available can be found at the Office for aging website at www.gobroomecounty.com/senior.

Schuhle lists all those concerns, talks about the next steps toward implementing solutions to issues and looks at unique populations that the project is looking to target on Close Up.

Southern Tier Close Up is heard Saturdays at 12:10 p.m. on News Radio 1290 WNBF.