We’ve been hearing a lot about our community and its readiness in caring for its aging population, whether they are residing in assisted living or not. There is good news for those who plan to remain in the area after age 65!
Out of 359 “small” and “large” metro areas, the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton metro area in the “Large Metros” category ranked 24th overall on the list “Best Cities for Successful Aging.” According to the recent Columbian article, criteria included “cost of living, crime rates, employment for the 65 to 79 age group, living arrangements, health care, wellness, financial, transportation and community engagement.”
While we have made great progress in some areas, we know that there is work to be done in better preparing our community for the numbers of baby boomers and their parents and the non-profit Santa Monica-based think tank, Milken Institute, agrees. We do better for the 80 and older category than the 65 to 79 category. But overall, at nearly 84 percent, our highest score was for wellness. At nearly 66 percent, our lowest score was for transportation.
There are advantages to living in an assisted living housing option and transportation is one of them. And, while we do have diverse senior housing choices, it is expected that without further development, shortly there will be a senior housing shortage. Currently, about 11 percent “of the metro area’s population of 2.2 million is age 65 and older.” This number is rising.
