Quality of Life
GOAL 5
QUALITY OF LIFE
The KIPDA region provides a blend of urban and rural life, a strong regional economy, and numerous recreational and cultural amenities. Our goal is to improve “quality of life” by working to ensure that all residents have access to these opportunities so they may live healthy and productive lives. A continued challenge is overcoming the social and economic inequalities that exist when it comes to access to employment, transportation, affordable housing, healthy food, and other needed resources. The need to improve accessibility to these resources will be further exacerbated due to the population growth the region is projected to experience.
Local municipalities within the region need to plan for the expansion of services required to care for an aging population. Using age friendly strategies to inform policy and development decisions regarding healthcare, building design, mobility, financial security, and community services will enable our senior and disabled populations to maintain a full and inclusive life in all our communities. Affordable housing was ranked as the top regional service priority in the KIPDA area. This ranking falls in line with the 2022 State of Metropolitan Housing Report that prioritizes creating and preserving dedicated affordable housing units, increasing the overall housing supply, helping households access and afford private-market homes, and protecting against displacement and poor housing conditions. It’s critical to expand economic development efforts to include assessment of affordable housing options in each county, promote increased affordable housing development, and assist in funding solutions for such projects.
Disparities in food accessibility are created by various economic, social, geographical conditions that leave many people without proper nutrition. One initiative to improve access to produce at farmers’ markets is the Double Dollars program. The program matches Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers’ spending, dollar for dollar, up to $20, and aims to make shopping at farmers’ markets more affordable for residents receiving government assistance. Farmers Markets in the Louisville area that participated in the Double Dollars program in 2022 were the Jeffersontown, New Roots Fresh Stop Market, and Phoenix Hill Nulu farmers’ markets.
Community connectivity and outdoor recreation contribute significantly to the quality of life of citizens. This is a two-pronged approach of having spaces available for public use, and providing the means of easy access to the area. A community that provides a high quality of life will have natural green spaces and outdoor recreation opportunities, compounded by easy access through safe and connected sidewalks and bike lanes, and efficient public transit. Planning with these goals in mind leads to a healthier population and a high quality of life.
STRATEGIES
- Provide technical assistance to local officials to encourage Age Friendly initiatives.
- Encourage Age Friendly business initiatives, such as providing training to employees to recognize signs of dementia in older adult consumers.
- Connect AARP’s “8 Domains of Livability” to new planning and development in the region.
- Promote local development of health care services to improve multi-modal transportation opportunities to access health care services.
- Encourage more collaboration between local planning and transportation to improve multi-modal transportation opportunities to access health care services.
- Provide technical assistance to local officials to improve internet and tele-health access.
- Continue collaboration with the Department of Aging and Independent Living to increase education and awareness of dementia, reduce stigma, and create welcoming communities.
- Encourage energy efficient development practices and resilient design features, while also promoting a variety of housing types and densities.
- Adaptable design elements, including universal design, are promoted to provide an age-friendly housing stock.
- Encourage and facilitate the maintenance and improvement of existing housing stock.
- Encourage planners and developers to incorporate intergenerational housing developments in new and existing communities.
- Revitalize local food economies to improve health and wellness in the region by promoting and supporting the implementation of local food movements in each county, provide technical assistance where needed to implement farmers market programming.
- Encourage shared use of public and private spaces to allow for community access to physical activity opportunities.
- Encourage communities to expand their network of outdoor infrastructure such as sidewalks to increase connectivity and provide more accessibility to citizens.
- Enhance the safety of citizens using bicycle and pedestrian travel.
- Promote use of outdoor recreation and natural green spaces in communities (parks, hiking trails, etc.)
- Encourage planners and developers to incorporate intergenerational housing developments in new or gentrified communities.
- Improve multi-modal transportation and increase public transit accessibility.
- Collaborate with partners, including local businesses, public services, local government, and other non-profit organizations to educate, prevent, and treat drug addiction and other relevant public health issues.
FUTURE MILESTONES
- Receive the AARP designation of an Age-Friendly community for the entire region
- Affordable housing choices are available in all counties
- The AAAIL works with local groups to develop funding sources to pay for home modifications and improvements for older adults who need assistance
- WIC and SNAP benefits are accepted at all farmers markets in the region, “Double Dollars” programs are also implemented
- Prevention and treatment programs for substance abuse are available to all in the region
- • Provide increased opportunities for outdoor recreation, green spaces, and access to nature
METRICS
- Number of Age-Friendly Communities
- Housing affordability by county
- Number of payment methods at farmers markets (e.g. cash, card, WIC, SNAP)
- Number of treatment centers per county
- Number of prevention activities per county
- Number of pedestrian-vehicle accidents in the region
- AARP Livability Index
SUCCESS STORIES
On October 10, 2016, Louisville was designated as one of AARP’s Age Friendly Communities. This designation was awarded to the city after a group of stakeholders prepared a plan for Louisville to infuse age friendly practices through the eight domains of livability: outdoor spaces & buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect & social inclusion, civic participation & employment, communication & information, community & health services. The designation was merely the start of a long journey to make Louisville a great place to thrive as we age.
The work of creating an Age Friendly city coincided with the release of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition’s annual report, which focused on “housing for people living with disabilities and our aging population.” The report offered a breakdown of the current status of housing conditions for older adults and persons with disabilities and it provided recommendations for moving forward and making housing access more equitable across the city. One of the recommendations included involvement in the update of Louisville’s comprehensive plan, which was being rewritten to guide planning for the city through 2040. The report also recommended adopting universal design standards and making new construction accessible to persons with disabilities.
The formation of an Age Friendly advisory group coupled with the release of the housing report allowed aging professionals and other advocates to have a seat at the table while Louisville planned for the next 20 years. AAAIL staff, AARP volunteers, and many other residents and professionals were able to join workgroups and make sure that planners were considering the needs of an aging population while formulating their goals and objectives. The work with the comprehensive plan update is just one part of a larger strategy to target the different domains of livability, and the work will continue for the next few years. While this work is still in its very early stages, it can serve as a blueprint for other communities in our region. We can draw upon the lessons learned in Louisville; adapt our approach to better serve rural counties, and work together to make our entire region Age Friendly.
In 2016 Fan Fair was started in response to an extremely hot summer where many seniors were calling Louisville Metro and KIPDA for assistance with cooling their home. In a coordinated effort to help the most vulnerable seniors (60 and over), and disabled citizens, the Fan Fair was started.
The Fan Fair in its first year was sponsored by Louisville Metro Office of Aging and Disabled Citizens and the KIPDA Aging and Disability Resource Center. During this initial event the two offices got media support from WLKY Media station for media coverage and the local Labor Union as the primary donor of fans and event location. On June 11, 2016, the first Fan Fair took place giving over 600 fans to seniors 60+ and disabled citizens. From this staring point the Fan Fair has grown to serve all seven counties, distributing fans to both urban and rural seniors alike.
Currently the Fan Fair is in its 7th year in 2022 and was able to collect over 770 fan and has expanded to offering not only free fans, but also a senior information setting where vendors can come and set up booths and Fan Fair recipients can gather important information about health insurance, senior Medicare patrol, and an opportunity to participate in prescription drug give back with Louisville Metro Police. This coordinated effort between KIPDA and Louisville Metro Office of Aging and Disabled Citizens has managed to distribute over 4000 fans to the KIPDA region and continue to partnerships with other community stakeholder to ensure no senior goes without a cooling device.