Introduction
Older adults’ lives can be more in need of adaptable, well-designed infrastructure in their local communities for comfortable living. The current assessment will analyze the present neighborhood and evaluate its characteristics based on older residents’ lifestyles and needs. Such parameters as accessibility, safety, the opportunity to live independently, and entertainment facility variety and availability will be assessed. The condition of these elements will be further analyzed by their practical implications for older adults’ mental and physical health.
Accessibility
Older adults’ comfort and wellness heavily depend on the neighborhood’s characteristics. As more older people tend to live alone or without all-time available to help younger family members, supporting a contented way of living becomes more difficult (Gillick, 2020). Every-day activities and needs might not be age-friendly, complicating older adults’ lifestyles. The present community under assessment can be considered to fulfill most of those requirements: all of the commonly-visited destinations are present in the neighborhood, and most are within walkable distance or accessible transportation. The local area can be traversed with the help of well-paved, not highly elevated, sidewalks during warm seasons (Sidewalks, 2016); however, walking can be a risk in winter due to poorly-managed ice buildup (Wang, 2022). Due to this, even such short walks to significantly important places as the hospital or dentist can prove to be challenging or even result in serious injury.
Independence
Being independent in movement and accessibility is an essential factor in older adults’ lives. Maintaining a daily routine or a house alone can become more difficult the older the person gets (Gillick, 2020). In such cases, the present neighborhood can be considered suitable for an independent lifestyle. The nearby pharmacy and the grocery store offer delivery services, which are useful when a person is unable to travel. An older adult may also request assistance from housecleaning or mowing offices, providing excellent help with maintaining a house. However, the neighborhood is not age-friendly to people with pets since the nearest dog park is not within walkable distance, and pet supplies do not offer delivery.
Safety
Safety is an essential characteristic of a local community that needs to be present for anyone’s comfortable living. However, unlike other demographic groups, older adults’ safety includes not only crime and emergency but injury probability as well (Gillick, 2020). As stated above, the presently assessed neighborhood is suitable for safe walking during warm seasons; the abundance and low elevation of sidewalks create a risk-free environment. During winter, the lack of a proper drainage system results in a much less safe ability to walk (Wang, 2022). Denver’s crime rates are generally low, excluding property rate of 23.3 and car theft of 8.3 crimes per 1,000 residents (The Denver Post, n.d.). These offenses are the highest among others, and they can be considered the most dangerous for older adults since they spend more time at home and are likely to get injured. In case of such emergencies, police may take a longer time to arrive since the closest police station is 5.6 miles away. However, the fire station and EMT are near, within 0.6 and 1.7 miles. As such, the neighborhood may not be very safe for older adults.
Entertainment
Entertainment is a crucial element affecting the quality of life, especially of older adults. The present community offers only two leisure facilities for older citizens. The senior center, where visitors can dine, golf, or dance, is located 3.3 miles away, which is not a walkable reach; however, the system of public transportation provides a sufficient opportunity to traverse the distance. Excluding the center, the only other entertainment an older adult might indulge in is walking the dog in the nearest dog park, which is not close enough for walking, being located 2.7 miles away. Seniors that do not own a pet are not offered an adequate variety of leisure activities in the community.
Physical and Mental Health Implications
Based on the characteristics listed above, the present neighborhood can be assessed in the way it affects the mental and physical health of local older adults. Han et al. (2018) state that crime rates, perceived safety, and park availability significantly affect residents’ mental health. Since the assessed community’s crime rates are higher among offenses relevant to older adults, and no parks are located within walkable distance, local seniors may develop signs of depression and anxiety. On the contrary, the neighborhood’s overall attributes may contribute to healthier aging. According to Cerin et al. (2018), both public transportation and pedestrian infrastructure positively impact the resident’s well-being. Since these environmental attributes are available in the local community, alongside accessible various medical facilities, older adults may notice a significant improvement in health-related issues. However, winter season risk of injury, park and entertainment availability, and overall safety are in need of addressing.
Conclusion
The current assessment analyzed the present community to support comfortable and healthy living for older adults. As a result, several major beneficial and disadvantageous elements were identified. The neighborhood is mostly accessible to older residents and provides an opportunity for an independent lonely life. The pedestrian-friendly local infrastructure can contribute to the citizens’ physical health. However, the area is not entirely safe for older adults due to the crime rates and high risk of injury during cold seasons. A lack of a sensible variety of entertainment and park availability, together with safety issues, may negatively affect the older residents’ mental health.
References
Cerin, E., Conway, T. L., Adams, M. A., Barnett, A., Cain, K. L., Owen, N.,… & Sallis, J. F. (2018). Objectively-assessed neighborhood destination accessibility and physical activity in adults from 10 countries: An analysis of moderators and perceptions as mediators. Social Science & Medicine, 211, 282-293.
Gillick, M. R. (2020). The caregiver’s encyclopedia: A compassionate guide to caring for older adults. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Han, B., Cohen, D. A., Derose, K. P., Li, J., & Williamson, S. (2018). Violent crime and park use in low-income urban neighborhoods. American journal of preventive medicine, 54(3), 352-358.
Sidewalks. (2016). City of Aurora Open Data. Web.
The Denver Post. (n.d.).Denver crime rates: Denver crimes. Denver crime statistics and neighborhood crime rates: Denver Crimes.
Wang, B. (2022). ‘It’s breaking bones’: South Aurora residents say drainage system causes dangerous, icy sidewalks. KMGH.