Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor:

With the recent additions of Old Orchard Beach and Stonington, Maine boasts a total of 40 towns and communities to have joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities (NAFC).  In fact, Maine leads the nation in the number of towns, large and small, that are making a difference in the lives of residents of all ages through creative and collaborative efforts.

Using the structure of NAFC, towns adopt such features as safe, walkable streets, better housing and transportation options, access to key services, and opportunities for residents to participate in community activities. These are just some of the ways a community can become a great place to live for residents of all ages.  

I hope that other towns in Maine will seize this same opportunity to learn more about age-friendly options for their own communities. AARP Maine will work closely with towns, businesses and non-profits to provide guidance, technical support, tools and resources to help put good ideas into action. To get started, we suggest ordering our free guide, “The Maine Guide to Building Age-Friendly Communities”, by sending an email to me@aarp.org.  

The momentum to embrace a livable community concept continues to grow. It is exciting to see how cities and towns across Maine are embracing age-friendly planning where age itself is not a barrier to being as active in community life as people want to be. We have a vibrant older population in Maine. Cities and towns of all sizes—from Portland to Gilead—are tapping into the economic, civic, and social power of their residents 50+ to make the community a better place for everyone.

Patricia Oh

AARP Maine Age-Friendly Consultant