The City of Madison announced its induction into the AARP Network of Age-Friendly communities due to Mayor Rhodes-Conway’s efforts in creating inclusive facilities for residents of all ages.
Madison will be the sixth municipality in Wisconsin to partner with the Wisconsin AARP chapter, joining Sheboygan, Greendale, Shorewood, La Crosse and Wausau.
AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities, which is associated with the World Health Organization, strives to make participating municipalities exceptional places to live.
353 communities throughout the U.S. have already partnered with AARP in creating environments inclusive to all ages. Over 20 nations are participating in the World Health Organization’s Age Friendly Cities and Communities program.
Age-friendly communities are chosen based on the commitment of elected officials to “actively work toward making their town, city, county or state a great place to live,” according to the AARP’s website.
Sam Wilson, the state director for AARP Wisconsin, explained the target audience for this initiative in an interview.
“One of the things that AARP likes to highlight is that an age-friendly community should be great for anyone of any age,” he said. “This should entail making sure that you have a city to grow up in, raise children and retire.”
In addition to joining the Network of Age-Friendly Communities, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is partnering with the AARP Madison chapter to launch a new initiative designed to ensure Madison residents continue to have personal independence as they age.
Age-Friendly Madison will be led by a steering committee. This group will institute an action plan to guarantee residents of Madison can utilize resources designed to create community engagement.
AARP encourages members of any community to take an active role by participating in initiatives such as volunteering, community engagement and fighting isolation among older citizens, to name a few.
A press conference, which will formally launch Age-Friendly Madison, is set to take place on Jan. 30 at the Madison Senior Center where questions and comments will be welcomed.
