 |
October 2007
“O beautiful for patriot dream, that sees beyond the years...”
This refrain, from one of our country’s most beloved songs, America the
Beautiful, was the theme of the swearing-in address in 2003. In Anticipating the Future: A
Discussion of Trends in Fairfax County (PDF) (March 2006) we opened
the report with this same reference and it seems fitting to do so again
as we anticipate an aging-friendly county in the future – Fairfax 50+. We
have challenged ourselves as a Board and the community to “see beyond the
years,” to look beyond today and to do the hard work together to build
our community for tomorrow.
In keeping with this spirit, the Board of Supervisors’ Committee on
Aging was formed to look to the future of Fairfax County in light of our
increasing older adult population: What steps must be taken to ensure
that Fairfax County has the opportunities and services in place to
welcome the “silver tsunami” to come?
Why 50+? Many of us in our 50s and older are the caregivers of
the generations that came before. Many of us 50 and older are actively
involved in our community, some retired, some not. More of us want to
“age in place” where we raised our children and made our friends. For
some of us, age is accompanied by needs we did not have when we were
younger. For all of us, the community we are building today must become
the community we want to live in as we grow older.
Committee members have taken turns chairing discussions with experts on
the impact of this demographic shift on the interdependent issues of
housing, community planning, care giving, health, mental health,
transportation, technology, and diversity.
This action plan is an opportunity for us to share with the public the
key trends, highlight current and planned initiatives, and to set forth
our agenda for the future. It is not the completion of our work – it
is the beginning. A vital part of our shared success in the future
will be the ongoing work of the Commission on Aging to keep this plan a
living document. Every county department will also play a role in
implementing the initiatives planned for the next three years and beyond
that will enhance services for older adults while also tapping the
talents of this valuable resource of people. A sampling of these
initiatives is included in this report and the full matrix.
Those persons with specific questions should call the Planning Unit at
the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging at 703-324-5403. We appreciate the
superior staff work of the Department of Family Services’ Area Agency on
Aging in supporting the work of our committee.
Gerry Connolly
Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Dana Kauffman
Lee District Supervisor, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Chair of the Board’s Committee on Aging
Joan DuBois
Dranesville District Supervisor, Fairfax County Board of
Supervisors
Vice Chair of the Board’s Committee on Aging
Sharon Bulova, Braddock District Supervisor
Michael Frey, Sully District Supervisor
Penny Gross, Mason District Supervisor
Cathy Hudgins, Hunter Mill District Supervisor
Gerry Hyland, Mount Vernon District Supervisor
Elaine McConnell, Springfield District Supervisor
Linda Smyth, Providence District Supervisor