Aging & Social Change: Eleventh Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Reducing environmental exposures, improving the built environment and keeping a ‘healthy home’ are proven sustainable environmental health strategies. The New York University Grossman School of Medicine (NYU GSoM), Department of Environmental Medicine’s Community Engagement Program (CEP) has partnered with two NJ communities- the City of Garfield and Boro of Fair Lawn- to engage residents around the concept of age friendly environmental health. They are two similarly-sized, although demographically different, communities that have grant-funded age friendly initiatives working to better understand community needs. Aging-in-place is one of the most common requests made by older adults, and a healthy, sustainable ‘built environment’ is vital to their ability to do so. In other words, accessible transportation, good housing, nutritional food options, adequate community space and healthcare. A community needs assessment survey was developed with residents and the NYU CEP. In Garfield, the 55+ Community Survey was offered both online and in-person. One hundred fifty-two responses were collected in 3 months. The Fair Lawn for All Ages Community Survey was administered online via Redcap, and 447 responses were collected over 4 months. Results from both IRB-approved surveys were reported back to the communities to outline future goals for their respective age-friendly initiatives. Integrating practical solutions to self-reported needs of older adults into the goals for the age-friendly initiatives, and also the community at large, reflects the commitment of community leaders to a healthy environment that is welcoming, engaged, and prioritizes well-being. S Doherty Lyons, D Reveille, J Stewart, C Cutrone, L MacClements, JT Zelikoff

Presenters

Shannon Doherty Lyons
Research Scientist and Community Engagement Core Associate, Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States