Title
Presentation by Rafi Nazarians, AARP California's Advocacy Director, on Age-Friendly Cities Designations
Body
To: Honorable President Scott Means and Members of the Social Service Human Relations Board
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In honor of May as Older Americans Month, Rafi Nazarians, the Advocacy Director for AARP California, will be presenting on May as Older American's Month and AARP's network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. This presentation is for information and discussion purposes only.
BACKGROUND
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families-with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment.
This year's theme for Older Americans Month is Aging Unbounded, which is aimed to inform the general public on the positive aspects of growing older, why everyone has a role to play in combating ageism and age-related stereotypes, and how we all benefit when older adults remain engaged, independent, and included in their communities.
DISCUSSION
AARP's Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities is the United States affiliate of the World Health Organization Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, an international effort launched in 2006 to help cities prepare for a rapid aging of the population and the parallel trend of urbanization. AARP's participation encourages older adults to take a more active role in their communities and have their voices heard on a variety of initiatives, including housing, caregiving, community engagement, volunteering, social inclusion and combating isolation among older resident. The program emphasizes both the built and the social environm...
Click here for full text