Bucks County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Invites Residents 55 and Over to Participate in 2008 Transportation and Mobility Survey
Of the more than 620,000 residents who call Bucks County home, 16 percent have reached the age of 60. By 2020, the county’s population is projected to expand by seven percent, with residents over the age of 60 comprising 24 percent of that total.
During 2003, the Board of Bucks County Commissioners appointed a Senior Task Force to serve as an advisory group to the commissioners and the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging (AAA). In May, 2005, the Senior Task Force hosted a Summit on Aging to:
- Assess and determine issues of concern to older adults within Bucks County communities;
- Educate delegates and Bucks County residents regarding resources and collaborations that address elders’ areas of concern, and;
- Inspire the residents and municipal leaders to foster community initiatives dedicated to making Bucks County an elder friendly community.
Prior to the 2005 Summit on Aging, a survey of older adults identified transportation as a leading issue of importance that must be addressed. As Bucks County AAA Director Brian Duke explained during today’s bi-monthly commissioners’ meeting, some communities have regional transportation systems in place for older persons, but the majorities do not. This is especially true in rural parts of the county.
“Older individuals living in our communities who lose the skills necessary for safe driving may become isolated due to a lack of transportation services or a lack of knowledge of existing services,” Duke said. “This isolation can impact a person’s well-being due to decreased social interaction, a lack of access to health and social services, and limited ability to pursue daily living activities such as shopping.”
Accordingly, the Senior Task Force has designated transportation and mobility as its priority in 2008. The commissioners join with Duke and members of the recently formed a Transportation and Mobility Committee to ask residents age 55 and over to complete a transportation survey specifically designed to identify transportation and mobility needs.
“Recommendations from this survey, which will be conducted between the beginning of February and March 15, will form the agenda for a conference tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2008,” Commissioner Chairman James F. Cawley, Esq., noted. “This conference will explore ideas to enhance transportation and mobility options for older residents of our county. I encourage all residents who have reached the age of 55 to participate in this important research.”
The Transportation and Mobility Survey also will form part of the basis of a report to be compiled by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) to identify transportation and service options, unmet needs and provide priority recommendations to meet these needs.
The confidential survey requests no identifying information. It is available through the Bucks County AAA (215-348-0510), at the county’s 13 senior community centers, and online through the county Web site, www.BucksCounty.org. Simply click on the stop sign icon on the main page.
The Commissioners’ Senior Task Force recognizes that our communities are on the verge of profound changes, and continues to fulfill its mission of making Bucks County a place to age well.
Add comment February 12th, 2008