Editorial: Make way for Boomers

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | 7:32 a.m.

C ities across the country are working to better accommodate aging residents as U.S. Census figures predict that by 2030 the nation's population of people 65 or older will grow by 35 million.

According to a story by USA Today on Monday, streets with brighter lights, wider sidewalks, traffic signals set for people who walk slower and so-called "senior living zoning districts" that place homes and such services as grocery stores closer together are among the changes that could improve life for residents as they grow older.

The oldest of the nation's 79 million Baby Boomers - people born from 1946 through 1964 turn 65 in four years. Census figures predict that in 23 years about 19 percent of Nevada's population is expected to be at least 65.

A 2005 survey by the National League of Cities shows that 72 percent of city officials surveyed were more concerned about providing services for an increasing senior citizen population than they were about growth, immigration or an increase in school-age children, USA Today reports.

As a result, community officials are coming up with creative ways to address the older residents' needs. Reno, for example, has initiated the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition program, which uses federal money to give low-income seniors vouchers that they can use at farmers markets.

In Milwaukee, a public housing complex has added an on-site medical clinic and assisted living services so people can stay in their homes longer. And Santa Cruz, Calif., is designing residential units that people can add to existing homes to accommodate aging relatives.

Residents of all ages stand to gain from homes built closer to grocery stores and medical services, traffic lights that accommodate people who move at a slower pace and an increase of social services. A community that seriously addresses the needs of its oldest residents will end up being a good place for everyone to live.