Jeff Johnson, Karen Deigl, Susan Adams and John Moore [Photo: Denise Ritchie]

Indian River County officially launched Livable Indian River at an event last Wednesday afternoon at the IRC Intergenerational Center, joining roughly 450 communities nationwide as a member of the AARP Age-Friendly Network – the United States affiliate of the World Health Organization Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.

Recognizing that residents aged 60 and above represent around 38 percent of the county’s adult population, the Indian River County Commission and the Senior Collaborative of IRC have committed to a five-year process to create a more livable community for all ages, by developing supportive features and services.

“Over time this county has grown, and done remarkable things,” said attorney John Moore, event emcee.

He noted that according to sociologists, communities grow in four phases of development: chaos, infrastructure, vision and mature. Locally, he said, the 1880s to the 1920s marked our chaos phase; major infrastructure was developed through the 1960s; philanthropic efforts began through the 1980s during the vision stage, leading to today’s mature phase.

“This effort here today, represents a step forward as a mature community,” said Moore, adding that by joining the network, we can determine what more can be done to continue developing a community as vibrant, special, welcoming, positive, helpful and giving as it is today.

Jeff Johnson, AARP state director of Florida, said the goal of AARP is to connect communities with similar challenges and opportunities so they can learn from one another. In Florida, there are currently 35 cities/counties in the Age-Friendly Network.

“The goal of this work is really to try to make this a great community for people to live at any age,” said Johnson.

He explained that there are eight domains of livability:

Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, such as intergenerational indoor and outdoor public gathering spaces;
Transportation, including public transit and safe walking/biking areas;
Housing, with safe and affordable options for differing incomes, ages and life stages;
Social Participation, making accessible opportunities to socialize in affordable activities;
Respect and Social Inclusion, where young and old can learn from and honor each other;
Work and Civic Engagement, encouraging older people to work or volunteer their skills;
Communication and Information, recognizing that not everyone has access to the Internet;
Community and Health Services, ensuring care is accessible and affordable.

Of the five-year implementation process, Johnson said, “What happens next is to listen to your residents. If you don’t stop and ask everybody, then you have a chance of having a really significant blind spot.”

He stressed that through needs assessment surveys, the first year is all about listening. Based on those results, the next year is focused on developing an action plan, and years three through five are dedicated to implementation and evaluation.

Johnson presented Susan Adams, chair of the Indian River County Commission, a formal certificate recognizing Indian River County as a member of the Age-Friendly Network.

“Indian River County is such an amazing place, and having this distinction is just another feather in our cap,” said Adams, adding that a community that is welcoming and livable for all ages is also an economic development driver.

“This launch is a hallmark for our county,” said Karen Deigl, Senior Collaborative chairman and president/CEO of Senior Resource Association. She said the County Commission voted to join the Age-Friendly Network in June 2019 and asked the Senior Collaborative to be its lead agency.

“That means that our county leaders are committed to creating a change that makes our community safer, more accessible, more supportive and more livable for people of all ages, especially older adults,” said Deigl.

For more information, visit ircsc.org or AARP.org/livable-communities.