Age Friendly Communities: The Future is Now

Age Friendly Communities: The Future is Now
The UMaine Center on Aging conducted a mixed methods assessment of Bangor’s livability for older adults, made possible by the City of Bangor and the Bangor Livable Community Steering Committee. Through a series of eight community based focus groups, the Age Friendly community assessment analyzed the Bangor area in accordance with the World Health Organization’s eight domains of livability: Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Transportation, Housing, Social Participation, Respect and Social Inclusion, Civic Participation, Communication and Information, and Community and Health. After each focus group a brief survey was distributed to collect demographic information. A total of 79 participants completed the survey, with a mean age of 69.8 years. The community assessment found that Bangor has a variety of existing strengths including a multitude of accessible outdoor spaces, its high quality health care providers, and its opportunities for senior engagement in the community. The Age Friendly community assessment also uncovered areas for growth in the city; these areas included the city's walkability for older adults and the city’s public transportation system. The second component of the assessment involved an online survey distributed to 4,170 members of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, with a response rate of N=61. The results from the survey indicated that 59% of respondents believed that their business was handicap accessible and 90% felt as though the Bangor business district offered suitable parking. Only 45% of the Chamber members surveyed rated the sidewalks around their business as “good”, which matched the walkability concerns highlighted in the first part of the project. The assessment was completed in December 2016 and the final report was submitted to the Bangor City Council. The findings from the assessment will be used to guide the city’s future efforts towards becoming a more age friendly community.

Faculty Mentor: Lenard Kaye

Co-authors: Timothy Price