Getting Ready for a Maturing America from RWJF Public Health

Getting Ready for a Maturing America | Public Health
Shared from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Public Health
 
A recent article from the The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Public Health blog explores the challenges our nation faces as the population ages and how communities can be designed to be healthier and more accessible to individuals of all ages. A panel convened at the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference explored these challenges in depth. Panelists included

• Rebecca Hunter, M.Ed. of the University of North Carolina Institute on Aging and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Healthy Aging Network; 
• Mary Leary, a.v.p. Easter Seals Transportation Group;
• Joan Twiss, Center for Civic Partnerships; and
• Chris Kochtitzky, CDC Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services.

The connection between health and transportation is growing. As Leary, stated "Transport helps us get to everywhere that matters to us. When someone can no longer drive, it can cause depression. We’re a driving-centric society and we need to redefine mobility." Partnerships across all sectors of the communities - housing, environment, transportation, public health - are important for creating a safer environment that supports the mobility needs of older adults.