By Crystal D. Swann and Annie Finch
July 4, 2011

The Conference of Mayors and Philips, jointly conducted a best practice forum on June 17 entitled “Healthy, Vibrant Cities in an Aging America.” The forum, moderated by Pembroke Pines (FL) Mayor Frank C. Ortis, included panelists: Conference of Mayors Vice President Philadelphia (PA) Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Portland (OR) Mayor Sam Adams, Philips Electronics North America Chief Executive Officer Gregory A. Sebasky and Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Professor and former CEO of AARP William D. Novelli.

The forum focused on best practice programs, initiatives, innovative approaches and targeted technologies that promote successful aging and vibrant living. Statistics show that 12 percent of the total population in the U.S. is age 65 or older, but incurs 34 percent of total health care spending. Those numbers are increasing fast. As a consequence, chronic disease is growing too, and has replaced infections as the primary cause of death and disability. The numbers are staggering, and the current path is just not sustainable.

The increasingly older population includes baby boomers, the first of whom turn 65 years old this year. Together boomers and older adults represent a vital constituency and voting block, and represent the heart, soul and identity of our cities.

Nutter shared several innovative initiatives currently underway in Philadelphia to help promote healthy aging. To address the needs of the expanding aging population in Philadelphia, Nutter created the position of Deputy Manager for Aging within his government. The Deputy Manager for Aging is responsible for representing the senior perspective at city meetings. Nutter also supports the Serve Philadelphia program, which is a volunteer program, designed to keep seniors involved in the community through different volunteer initiatives and projects such as tutoring school children across the city. Nutter believes that extremely valuable intergenerational learning takes place between children, adults, and seniors through volunteer initiatives like tutoring.

Adams shared several innovative initiatives currently underway in Portland. Portland, one of two U.S. cities invited to participate in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Age-friendly Cities Guide, was able to significantly improve the cities age-friendly infrastructure and services. Adams expressed “…that one of the most important and effective ways to protect individual health is to create community environments that provide for safe active transportation. This is a health issue; this is an aging issue, and an equity issue. These types of communities create the opportunity to be more active and healthy while walking safely to the store, the community center, or a bus or streetcar stop.”

Adams has focused on prioritizing low'stress bike routes and safer places to walk — “neighborhood greenways” — all across Portland, with special attention to disadvantaged areas of the city. Providing more senior friendly infrastructure has been very successful in promoting more activity among Portland’s large aging population. Some examples of senior friendly infrastructure provided by Adams include installing more street lights, building more paved walking trails, and placing buttons in elevators at lower heights making them more accessible to seniors.

As the former CEO of AARP, Novelli offered good advice to mayors for promoting healthy aging in their cities. He advised mayors with large aging populations within their cities to first and foremost consult the research on senior needs. According to a study by AARP, the most important issues to seniors include: healthcare, financial security, community development, and recreation. In addition, Novelli advised the mayors to take this conversation to the people, convene local meetings to engage the aging community on what it means to be independent and healthy.

Sebasky offered his perspective on why a lighting company like Philips would be engaged in the healthy aging discussion. “We are a health and well-being company. Everything we do is driven by our desire to improve the quality of people’s lives with meaningful innovations in the areas of lighting, but also in healthcare and consumer lifestyle,” he said.

Sebasky discussed a recent survey conducted by the Rand Corporation highlighting the inevitable intersection between technology and healthy aging, “Among a majority of aging Americans there is a desire to remain independent. In fact, surveys show that older people fear nursing homes more than they fear death. And at Philips, we believe that homecare can, and must, play a critical role in the evolution of our global healthcare system. We create and deliver home healthcare products and solutions that help people live better, more comfortably, and as independently and autonomously as possible.”

In closing, the experts agree that these first generations of baby boomers face a unique set of issues as they are sandwiched between multiple roles and three realities. Often they are caregivers for their parents; and at the same time thinking about independence for themselves; and also the desire to avoid being a burden on their children. In addition, they are tech savvy, and have very strong opinions and desire to age independently, be active and secure, and cities need to be ready to embrace them.