Senior Livability Initiative

"Youth is a gift of nature, but age is a work of art" - Stanislaw Lec

"Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been" – Mark Twain

The West Orange Department of Health adheres to the recommendations of the CDC https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html and the State Department of Health https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml.

Older adults and people with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable and should avoid large gatherings

• Best strategies and preventive actions:
• Stay home if you are ill
• Wash hands frequently
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Cough into elbow, not hands
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects, including telephones
  
  Additionally:
• Call your medical provider with any additional inquiries regarding specific health care needs
• Additional resources for older adults are available on the web page Senior Resouces

ABOUT THE WEST ORANGE SENIOR LIVABILITY INITIATIVE

Welcome to the new Senior Livability Initiative page.

The West Orange Department of Health received a grant from the Partners for Health Foundation to implement the West Orange Senior Livability Initiative.

This mission of this exciting Initiative is to help create an age-friendly community in West Orange and a great place to live for senior residents and people of all ages.             

Population growth, demographics and the desire for seniors to “age in place” (that is, to remain in one’s own home and community safely, independently and comfortably for as long as possible), has created the need for greater senior programs and resources. The Senior Livability Initiative seeks to explore and address challenges of the Township’s growing 55-and-over population - 29%, as of 2010. 

The Initiative provides greater collaboration among the Township, community partners, funding sources and working groups to connect Seniors with appropriate services and establish additional programs.

In late 2017, many senior residents completed the West Orange Survey of Older Adults and provided helpful feedback on their future plans and various Township programs and services, 2018 Senior Survey Summary Results.  Although West Orange offers many services and programs, too many residents remain unaware of the Township’s available resources and referral services. We will improve communication channels to distribute the information in a user-friendly, informative and easily accessible manner. Also, it is very important to reach the Township’s diverse and underrepresented populations, as well as or younger “seniors” who work full-time, and want to enjoy more varied programs and educational seminars.

Dorothy Sanders, Senior Livability Coordinator, is the point person for this Initiative. She will assist West Orange in following the key guidelines of the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities “8 Domains of Livability.” These 8 areas strongly influence the quality of Life of older adults. 8 Domains of Livability Chart 

The 8 Domains - community and health services, transportation, housing, communication and information, social participation, respect and inclusion, civic participation and employment/volunteerism, and outdoor spaces and buildings – serve as a framework to connect seniors to current and future resources and services in the Township. This will allow senior residents the opportunity to remain physically, socially, and mentally engaged and help to make West Orange a great place to live.

To date, through collaboration with the Department of Social Services and the WO Public Library, we have provided educational programs on aging, health, safety and quality of life. In partnership with WO High School, we are expanding fun inter-generational programming. We continue to work with the Township’s 4 Senior Residence Houses to offer free seminars on healthy living. 

In 2020, we hope use the Senior Livability Initiative page and the comprehensive on-line Senior Livability/Senior Services Events calendar as another way to share useful information and resources, and to keep you - our senior community - connected and informed. We encourage each of you to join us and participate in the innovative programs and events that are designed specifically with you in mind!

We value your ongoing ideas, thoughts and input on ways to make West Orange a great place to live for seniors and people of all ages.

"If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it" – Toni Morrison

To translate this page into Spanish, Italian, French, Russian or other languages, please hit the Select Language button located at the right corner below: