Sarah Toevs, director of the Center for the Study of Aging, and Tami Cirerol, graduate research assistant for the center, will present findings from an age-friendly city assessment of Boise, which was conducted through the Center for the Study of Aging last year, at the annual conference of the American Public Health Association in Denver, Colorado, this fall.
The findings also were presented to the Boise City Council this year. Overall, survey and focus group participants viewed Boise as a friendly community, where people are courteous to older adults. There was high praise for local organizations, such as the friendly staff at the Fort Boise Senior Center and the age-friendly activities at the Idaho Botanical Garden.
Gaps identified by key informants were related to inclusion, accessibility and affordability. For example, almost 40 percent of older adults reported not being “regularly consulted by public, volunteer and commercial services on how to serve them better.”
Overlaying maps of demographic distributions and income levels with available services and transportation routes identified gaps in access to social and health related resources.