The Role of Mobility in Alameda County s Aging Society. July 27, th Annual Senior and Disabled Mobility Workshop

Transcription

1 The Role of Mobility in Alameda County s Aging Society July 27, th Annual Senior and Disabled Mobility Workshop

2 Aging in Alameda County Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) start turning 65 in 2011 Senior Baby Boomers in Alameda County are expected to grow from approximately 150,000 to 390,000 by 2030 The magnitude of this expected growth has economic, health, transportation, and social support implications that all communities in Alameda County must address

3 Aging in Alameda County I. Overview of the 65+ years old population in Alameda County II. III. IV. Importance of Mobility Positive Impacts of Mobility Types of Mobility V. Issues and Barriers to being Mobile VI. Solutions

4 I. Aging in Alameda County: Overview Population 65+ years old by County Alameda Contra Costa Marin Napa San Francisco San Mateo Santa Clara Solano Sonoma Approximately 150,000 residents in Alameda County are age 65 and older Data Source: American Community Survey

5 Aging in Alameda County: Overview Percentage of 65+ years old reported with any disability by County 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Alameda Contra Costa Marin Napa San Francisco San Mateo Santa Clara Solano Sonoma Approximately 40% of the 65+ years old reported a disability in Alameda County This accounts for 61,868 sixty five plus years old in Alameda County Data Source: American Community Survey

6 Aging in Alameda County: Overview Percentage of 65+ years old living below poverty by County 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% Alameda Contra Costa Marin Napa San Francisco San Mateo Santa Clara Solano Sonoma 8.2% of the 65+ years old are living below 100% of the poverty level This accounts for 12,682 sixty five plus year olds in Alameda County Data Source: American Community Survey

7 Aging in Alameda County: Overview The 65+ years old population in Alameda County is extremely diverse 34.8% of the 65+ years old population in Alameda County speaks another language as their primary language and majority of them speaks English less than very well Source: American Community Survey

8 II. Importance of Mobility Mobility for an older adult in Alameda County is vital Living an active and independent lifestyle versus living a homebound and dependent lifestyle

9 III. Positive Impacts of Mobility Quality of Life/Active Aging Socialization Health/Nutrition Independence Options/Access

10 IV. Types of Mobility 1. Pedestrian (Walking, Biking, Wheelchair) 2. Public Transportation (Fixed Route, Paratransit) 3. Private (Driving, Friends, Cab)

11 V. Issues and Barriers to Being Mobile 1. Pedestrian (Walking, Biking, Wheelchair) - Health Barriers/Mobility Status - Sidewalks: Lack of sidewalks and/or curb cuts/ramps, uneven/noncontinuous, obstructions - Bike Lanes: Lack of, narrow, non continious bike lanes, potholes, obstructions - Intersections: Long intersections, lack of islands, short timers - Crosswalks: Lack of crosswalks, faded/poor design - Destination: Lack of grocery stores, desirable desirable destinations - Safety Barriers: Aggressive Drivers, Neighborhood

12 Unpaved Sidewalk ADA Ramp to Nowhere Obstacles to Walking, Traveling, Biking Obstacles to Traveling Lack of Bike Lane Wide Intersections

13 Faded & Nonexistent Crosswalks Lack of Healthy Destinations Obstructions & Safety

14 Issues and Barriers to Being Mobile 2. Public Transportation (Paratransit, Fixed Route) - Health Barriers/Mobility Status - Knowledge: How to use the system(s) - System Ineffectiveness: lack of frequency, long waits, lack of service, inability to accommodate needs, inflexible scheduling - Restrooms/stops: lack of restrooms, shelters, benches - Inter and intra county connectivity: lack of information, confusion, walking/traveling distance between transfers - Senior/disabled/multilingual friendly information and assistance: lack of live assistance/information in multiple languages, ineffective automated/touch tone/voice answering service, small font - Bus/shuttle design: Not senior/disabled/rider friendly - Etiquette & Courtesy: Non sensative drivers and/or passengers - Safety Barriers: Neighborhoods, pedestrian mobility

15 Issues and Barriers to Being Mobile 3. Private (Driving, Cab, Friends/Relatives) - Outliving Driving Ability: Study comparing average life expectancy and the maximum driving age for the 70+ years of age suggest that the majority of older drivers in the US will outlive their ability to drive by 7 to 10 years - Health Barriers: Medication side effects - Cost: Car maintenance, insurance, fee - Responsibilities when driving: alertness, train tracks, pedestrians, speed limits, other drivers - Dependence: Depending on friends/relatives Source: Foley, D.J., Heimovitz, H.K., Guralnick, J., and Brock, D. (August 2002). Driving Expectancy of persons aged 70 years and older in the United States. American Journal of Public Health 92(8):

16 VI. Mobility Solutions Pedestrian and Land Use Coordination & Connectivity - Examples: Eden Area Technical Advisory Committee - Improve/implement coordination strategies between agencies/organizations of all levels - Coordination can save money and time - Coordination creates accessible communities and mobility and options

17 VI. Mobility Solutions Effective Land Use Planning that produce communities that are mobility friendly to seniors and persons with disabilities - Addressing health disparities - Public health elements for General Plans Encourage Transit Oriented Development (TOD) for seniors and persons with disabilities near transit, parks, trails, services, housing (build communities around transit and provide connectivity between communities/towns/counties)

18 VI. Mobility Solutions City Bus Shuttles - City Flex/Round-About Shuttles (i.e. Emery Go Round, Hayward Round-About, San Leandro Flex) - Shuttles that provides a service that compensates for locations where fixed route is unavailable allowing for more transit options and less transfers between systems - Customize route to have pick up/drop offs by major destinations (senior housing, shopping, library, transit hubs, hospitals)

19 Curb to Curb/Door to Door VI. Mobility Solutions - Curb to Curb/Door to Door service (i.e. San Leandro Flex, VIP Rides Program) - Caters residents within the city limits that picks up and drops off at a specific location, where the time is determined by the rider - Out of town medical appointments - Ability to provide a companion who will assist the rider Volunteer Driver - Rides & Smiles, main component of the On the Go program delivered by San Diego s Jewish Family Service, uses volunteer drivers to transport isolated older adults Programs that Assist with Maintaining Driving Skills/Competency - Drive Well, Carfit

20 VI. Mobility Solutions United Seniors Walkable Neighborhoods for Seniors (WN4S) - Walk Clubs - Create a walk club to encourage socialization, exercise, health, neighborhood watch, identifying barriers, addressing, finding solutions for a walkable neighborhood, provide incentives for Walk Club leaders, as well as participants Hiking/Biking Clubs - Trails, Regional Parks, Urban Greenways Encourage Biking as a Lifestyle (i.e. Amsterdam, China, Japan) - Provide bike lanes and sidewalks in neighborhoods for seniors and others to get parks, transit, desirable destinations Encourage Healthy Living and Active/Successful Aging Events - Healthy Living Festival - Healthy Aging Fair

21 Travel Training VI. Mobility Solutions - Expand your options - Learn how to use Alameda County s public transit (i.e. AC Transit, BART, WHEELS) - Travel Trainers will train and provide you skills for trip planning, schedule/map reading, entering/exiting public transit trains and buses, landmark identification, fares, connections/transfers, obtaining assistance from driver, managing emergency situations, traveling in different types of weather - Provide free or low cost for seniors and persons with disabilities

22 Thank you!! Questions?