2022-23 Age Friendly Salem Action Plan

This is a supplemental document to the Age Friendly Salem Assessment, completed in 2018. The Action Plan is updated annually.

Download or view a pdf of this Action Plan here.

DOMAIN GOAL(S) ACTION ITEMS DATES ASSIGNED STAFF/GROUP
All Provide community wide education. (What is an Age Friendly Community and Why is this important for Salem now and in the future?)
  1. Speaker’s Bureau:
    • Create Age Friendly Salem Script.
    • Recruit and train volunteers/staff to speak at local opportunities.
    • Create a list of community agency partners, business community, and general population groups.
    • Share vision of Age Friendly Action Team.
2022-2023 Center 50+ Advisory Commission and Age Friendly Action Team.
All Raise TOMA surrounding Age Friendly vocabulary and goals - through speaking engagements and regular and consistent messaging surrounding Age Friendly mission and goals.
  1. Recruit senior volunteers to serve on a variety of boards and committees to represent the goals of an Age Friendly Community.
    • Recruit members to serve on Age Friendly Salem Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.
  2. DEI to work on addressing all barriers identified and discussed in the Salem Age Friendly Assessment.
  3. Speak at a minimum of two outreach events each month for the course of 12 months.
TBD TBD
Transportation Increase awareness of available community transportation resources.
  • Increase usage/comfort with walking and bike riding.
  • Increase usage/comfort utilizing public transportation.
  1. Support on-going outreach efforts to educate seniors on public transportation, walking, biking and carpool options.
    • Partner with local transportation and mobility experts to create an annual senior-friendly mobility event.
    • Hold regular and consistent walk/ride events. » Support Seniors utilizing technology now used in transportation services.
  2. Perform Walk-Audits in every geographic Village area annually.
    • Assist with identifying assets of health, wellness, and socialization in each neighborhood; and walking, bike, and bus routes to support living independently in their neighborhood.
  3. Consult with Age Friendly Salem DEI Committee.
Summer 2023
Social Participation Assist the community in creating events that are accessible and inviting to people of all ages and all abilities.
  1. Recruit volunteers to serve on a variety of committees and boards to represent the needs of older adults in the creation of community-wide events.
    • Center 50+ Advisory Commission appoints one member to serve on committees or boards representing the needs of local seniors and to provide input on mobility issues, restroom demands, and parking limitations.
  2. Recruit a team that includes people of all ages and abilities to create an Age Friendly Event tool box.
    • Find donor/sponsor so that tool box can be provided free of charge to all (Accept donations when appropriate). Distribute 50 event tool boxes annually.
  3. Consult with Age Friendly Salem DEI Committee
Fall 2022
Housing Support older adults in remaining in their homes and neighborhoods as long as they choose. » Recognizing that seniors need a “village” to support their desire to remain in their homes.
  • Also, recognizing that the concept of “living independently” includes some personal responsibility and behavior changes.
  1. Create the framework for Center 50+ Villages Network. Support geographic areas in creating a network of seniors, volunteers, faith community, and schools to create a “Village”.
    • Create a peer-lead Village in every geographic area throughout Salem. Roll-out 3 villages per year.
      • Within the structure of the Villages, provide education, resources and supports which assist seniors in remaining in their homes- focusing on accessibility and home safety.
      • Recruit churches, schools, and volunteers to be a “friend” to seniors in each village.
  2. Offer emergency preparedness and resources that promote resiliency as a foundational piece in each village area - a part of every new Village member’s orientation includes: emergency prep kit, added to reassurance call-phone tree, and support in creating a support system.
  3. Consult with Age Friendly Salem DEI Committee.
March 2020 Heidi Miller/C50+ Staff and Volunteers.
Housing Deliver programs, activities, services, and resources through a mobile senior center model. Taking services to neighborhoods and front porches through the Wellness-on-Wheels Program provided by Center 50+.
  1. Recruit and train volunteers to provide Outreach Services: Friendly Caller, Canine Corp, Friendship Brigade, Fix-it Brigade, and Tech Tutors.
Center 50+ staff and volunteers, agency partners.
Community Support and Health Services Insure that older adults have access to community supports and health services.
  1. Deliver programs, activities, services, and resources through a mobile senior center model. Taking services to neighborhoods and front porches through the Wellness-on-Wheels Program provided by Center 50+.
  2. Identify barriers to accessing supports/health services - resolve those barriers.
  3. Deliver services to seniors where they live.
  4. Support access to Technology - education, equipment, and Internet access.
  5. Consult with Age Friendly Salem DEI Committee
March 2020 Center 50+ staff and volunteers, agency partners.
Community Support and Health Services Create an Age Friendly Business Certification Program, Preferred Age Friendly Business/ Resource Director.
  1. Educate businesses on the value of becoming an Age Friendly Business.
  2. Help seniors connect to Age Friendly businesses and resources.
  3. Recruit Committee to process Age Friendly Business Applications, provide required trainings, and perform site-visits.
  4. Recruit 50 businesses to become Age Friendly Certified by end of year one.
  5. Work with Retirement Connection to recognize Age Friendly Businesses in their Directory with a special asterisks and details on what it means to be an Age Friendly Business.
September 2023 Age Friendly Business Committee and Retirement Connection Resource Guide.
Community Support and Health Services Improve and expand Technology Classes and Support.
  • Purchase 50 Chromebooks w/ full Internet Access
  • Expand to 25 Volunteers to provide tutoring and tech support
  • Acquire funding to support monthly Internet Expense (needed by July 2022)
  • Offer classes to 20 seniors per month on using today’s technology.
  1. Fund and operate tech lending library and on-going tech tutoring and classes.
March 2020 Tech Team, Volunteers, City of Salem, Grantors
Civic Participation and Engagement
  1. Increase volunteer opportunities in Salem.
  2. Increase the percentage of older adults in the workforce.
  3. Identify and overcome potential negative stereotypes of older workers.
  4. Have seniors and the community recognize that planning for civic engagement is a key component of retirement planning.
  1. Develop promotional messages and materials to educate agencies and municipalities on the value of hiring seniors.
  2. Hold Annual Senior Career Fair and Hiring Event - creating an event that connects non-profits to local seniors.
  3. Hold annual conference on finding passion and purpose as you age.
  4. Create benefit structure or stipend program to support volunteer participation. Remove barriers for low-income seniors to volunteer.
  5. Create Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee focused on employment after 50 and barriers to civic engagement.
September 2022 Tech Team, Volunteers, City of Salem, Grantors
Communication Create a Communication Team
  1. Assist Center 50+ in creating an Age Friendly Communication Plan.
  2. Serve as a consultant to other agencies seeking to create an Age Friendly Communication Plan.