Livable community indicators for aging in place

Aging in place is the ability to remain in one's own home or community in spite of potential changes in health and functioning in later life. The concept of livable communities calls attention to the ways the physical, social, and economic infrastructure of cities and towns can promote or hinder older residents' ability to age in place. Aging in place has the potential to benefit not only older adults, but also their families, their communities, and their governments. Based on an extensive review of the literature and interviews with aging in place experts, we developed an initial list of indicators that can be measured using information that is readily available and adaptable to local governments, providing a low-cost way for local governments to begin to examine the specific needs of their aging population. We identified indicators for aging in place within the areas of community engagement, housing, neighborhood infrastructure, safety, social resources, and transportation. Given the heterogeneity of resources and environments in communities across America, indicators must be practical and adaptable enough to provide local government officials and service providers with a tool to accurately evaluate the overall effect on residents' options for aging in place. Although there are limitations to data access and uniformity, general indicators can be adapted to communities' unique needs and resources. Future research will evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of this indicator system, and contribute to the growing yet still limited research on community-level effects on aging in place.