While it’s important to understand the unique challenges faced by older Americans in rural or suburban areas as they seek to age in place in their own homes, there can also be unique challenges for those seeking to age in place in urban parts of the country.
This is according to a look at the hurdles faced by Philadelphia residents by the city’s NPR and PBS affiliate, WHYY. According to data from the United Nations, more than half of the global population lives and ages in urban areas.
An estimated 21% of Philadelphia’s residents — or roughly 329,000 people based on a 2022 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau — are at or over the age of 60.
But while many older city residents express a desire to age in place, cities — like many other areas — are not typically built with older residents’ needs in mind.
“[P]eople could face issues with transportation, higher rents and gaps in social support,” the report said.
Changing that will require better coordination between cities, local resources, city programs, educational opportunities and socialization options according to aging advocates and seniors.
“As seniors, we’re all really in the same place,” according to Sandra Harmon, outreach and community engagement specialist at the nonprofit Energy Coordinating Agency in a WHYY interview. “We talked about isolation, but sometimes the isolation is right here in our minds, because we don’t know or we don’t have access to other seniors.”
Isolation and loneliness are key problems faced by older Americans aging in their own homes. Some cities, like New York, have aimed to combat this with technology, reporting some success. Others have aimed to create new technologies specifically for the purpose of fostering easier connections between older adults and friends or family.
But cities can do more, according to perspectives shared at a recent local event at the city’s Parkway Central Library earlier this week hosted by WHYY.
At the event, Harmon said it was eye-opening to hear about the kinds of resources older residents simply don’t know they have access to.
“I was amazed when I was talking to people who don’t know about social security and the rules for Medicare or other things that are entitlements to us at this time in our lives,” she told the outlet. “I’m walking away today to know that I am not by myself.”
“Sometimes, the problem can come down to not knowing what kinds of assistance or support exist at all,” the report said. “While at Tuesday’s event, Harmon shared that the nonprofit she works for helps people at risk of losing utilities like heat because of payment issues or broken systems.”
The outlet is holding another dedicated event about aging in the city on March 18 at the Cobbs Creek Library and March 25 at the Lawncrest Library, and interested Philadelphia residents can register for them online.
