CT Age Well Collaborative

Vibrant Communities and
Healthy Aging Go Hand-In-Hand

The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative is a partnership of public and private organizations, community groups and philanthropic aging and community leaders. We have a shared vision of creating an Age-Friendly Connecticut with communities throughout the state that are great places to grow up and grow old.

Age Well

AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Age-friendly communities provide affordable, accessible, diverse housing and transportation options and public buildings and spaces; supportive community features and services; and vibrancy and opportunities for community engagement. They engage residents in civic and social life and allow people to remain in their homes and communities. Done well, they enhance the quality of life for all residents, create tremendous economic value in towns and cities, promote healthy living and support environmental sustainability.

CT HEALTHY AGING DATA REPORT

The Connecticut Healthy Aging Data Report helps residents, agencies, lawmakers and community leaders understand the older people who live in their cities and towns. It provides data and recommendations to help advance healthy aging to aid in building vibrant, healthy communities that work for all ages. Connecticut is one of only four states in the nation to have such extensive data available for healthy aging.

Within this report, you will find interactive maps, in-depth charts, and comprehensive profiles that include nearly 200 indicators of healthy aging for each of the state’s 169 cities and towns, plus 12 neighborhoods in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford.

All data was compiled by researchers at the Gerontology Institute of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The work was funded by Tufts Health Plan Foundation.

ABOUT THE CT AGE WELL COLLABORATIVE

Building on the work of the Connecticut Livable Communities initiative, the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative is currently preparing an analysis of aging in the state, Connecticut’s history of livable community work coupled with priorities and best practices.

Our guiding principals

Emphasize access, equity, and inclusion.

Change the conversation about aging from “challenge” to “asset”.

Listen more and let everyone’s voice be heard.

Maintain a sense of urgency and accountability.

Ensure the nature of work is interactive and transparent.

Be responsive to evolving and emerging issues.

Promote a community of continuous learning.

Celebrate success among our partners.

CREATING AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Our Steering Committee Members:

Ellen Carter

Vice President of Program and Strategy Connecticut Community Foundation

Anna Doroghazi

Associate State Director for Advocacy & Outreach
AARP/CT

Maureen McIntyre

Chief Executive Officer
North Central Area Agency on Aging
CT Association of Area Agencies on Aging

Mag Morelli

President
Leading Age Connecticut

Margaret Gerundo-Murkette

Administration Manager
Connecticut State Department of Aging & Disability Services
State Unit on Aging

Steven Hernández

Executive Director
Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity

Sherry Ostrout

Project Lead, Connecticut Age Well Collaborative
Director of Government Initiatives
Connecticut Community Care

June Renzulli

Chair, CT Age Well Collaborative,
Retired Program Officer,
Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation

Julia Evans Starr

President
Connecticut Community Care

Deborah Stein

Chair, Connecticut Healthy Living Collective

Dianne Stone

Director
Newington Senior and Disabled Center
President
Connecticut Association of Senior Center Personnel

follow our work

Spring 2020

Awarded a 3-year Collaboration and Community Alignment grant from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation.

Fall 2020

Hired a consultant to conduct an environmental analysis of the great work being done throughout Connecticut and other states related to age friendly communities.

Spring 2021

Celebrate the release of the first-ever Healthy Aging Data Report in Connecticut, which offers insights about the health of older adults across the state. This report will help residents, agencies and all levels of government understand the older adults who live in our cities and towns and help prioritize needs and build on the many strengths of our CT communities.

Consultant continues interviews, research, and begins summarizing data to draft report.

Fall 2021

Committee reviews final draft of report. Final recommendations approved for new governance and administrative structure to implement report recommendations and support local communities in planning Age Friendly communities.

Summer 2020

Established a Steering Committee that developed a charter of work, governance structure to guide an analysis process which will produce the “Our Current State of Aging a Blueprint for the Future” report.

Winter 2021

Conducted interviews with community leaders across Connecticut and neighboring states engaged in age-friendly communities.

Summer 2021

Committee and consultant conduct outreach to gain input of the preliminary report from local and state stakeholders.

Committee begins formalizing draft recommendations for new governance and administrative structure to implement report recommendations and support local communities in planning age-friendly communities.

Winter 2022

Our "Current State of Aging, a Blueprint for the Future" report is published.

Next phase of the work begins on aligning and coordinating local, regional, and state efforts across the state through engagement, communication and advocacy.

AGE-FRIENDLY RESOURCES

Connecticut for Livable Communities

Communities across Connecticut all want to be thriving places for people to grow up and grow older. Connecticut for Livable Communities, an initiative of Connecticut’s Commission on Women, Children and Seniors (formerly run by the Commission on Aging), provides information and inspiration for community leaders to prepare for the changing demographics of our state.

AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities

World Health Organization Checklist of Essential Features of Age-Friendly Cities

Reframing Aging - Frameworks

Framing can help address negative attitudes toward aging. FrameWorks' research offers powerful ways to shift thinking about aging and older people.

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Vibrant Communities and Healthy Aging Go Hand-In-Hand