Fremont City Council Meeting: 09/17/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Presentations
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5240) DOC ID: 5240
Updated: 9/12/2024 9:26 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
AGE FRIENDLY FREMONT ACTION PLAN - Age Friendly Fremont Action Plan for 2025-2030
Contact Persons:
Name: Karen L. Grimsich Christina Briggs
Title: Family Services Administrator Assistant City Manager Div/Dept: Human Services Department City Manager's Office Phone: 510-574-2062 510-284-4022
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: In 2017, the City of Fremont joined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Age-Friendly Network and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Age Friendly network. In 2020, the City Council adopted the City of Fremont’s inaugural Age Friendly Plan, that included an age friendly policy platform. The purpose of this report is to provide updates to the Age Friendly Fremont Plan recent data collection.
BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization’s Global Age-Friendly Network was launched in 2008 to foster an exchange of experiences and provide a forum for mutual learning worldwide. In the United States, the Age-Friendly effort is a partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
Currently, there are 1,500+ cities in 51 countries who are members of the WHO Network.
There are 875 AARP Age-Friendly members, including 93 AARP members in California.
WHO established eight domains as points of livability affecting the lives of older adults to help guide the development of local action plans. The City of Fremont Senior Citizen Commission recommended the addition of a ninth domain to address the specific concerns and needs of individuals with dementia and their caregivers. The domains addressed in the City of Fremont Age Friendly Action Plan are:
• Health and Wellness
• Outdoor Spaces and Parks
• Transportation
• Housing
• Social Participation and Inclusion
• Employment and Learning Opportunities
• Volunteering and Civic Engagement
• Community Information
• Dementia-Related Support
The City of Fremont joined the WHO/AARP effort in 2017, and completed the City’s Age Friendly Action Plan, which was adopted in 2020.
COF Age Friendly Policy Platform
• Seek to improve older adults’ quality of life by promoting the development of safe, accessible and vibrant age-friendly environments.
• Promote positive, purposeful roles for older adults in civic engagement.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5240) Meeting of September 17, 2024 Updated: 9/12/2024 9:26 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
• Promote positive images of aging which seek to affirm the aging process as a natural progression of life.
• Support County, State and Federal legislation that advances livable environments for older adults and adequate benefits through Social Security and Medicare. • Promote the creation of neighborhoods with a strong sense of place, where neighbors support each other and share their skills and support to navigate the challenges and opportunities of aging.
• Support reliable, affordable and high-quality telecommunication for all. • Promote social networks and services which allow older adults to age safely and successfully, enjoying strong community connections, less isolation, increased independence and enhanced purpose of life.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: In order to understand the current state and needs of our older adults and to update the City’s Action Plan, Human Services Department staff conducted sixteen community focus groups held in seven languages; evaluated two recent community surveys; and held one-on-one interviews with City department directors from the Community Services, Community Development, Fire, Police, Public Works, and the Information Technology Departments. All departments reported an increase in requests for services from older adults. Opportunities to coordinate among departments to meet the growing needs of older adults in our community were identified and are incorporated into this update to the Age-Friendly Action Plan.
The Fremont population is aging. Between the 2010 census and the 2022 community survey data, as the overall City population grew, every age group over 55 years increased as a percentage of the city’s population (see graph). It is important to note that Fremont residents over the age of 85 years increased by almost 70% during this time period.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5240) Meeting of September 17, 2024 Updated: 9/12/2024 9:26 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 3
Survey data indicate that overall older Fremont residents feel Fremont is a good place to age. However, older adults also indicated that they were significantly impacted during the COVID pandemic, and many indicated increased isolation and less opportunity to interact with family, and to engage in outside events. Action steps suggested in the Age-Friendly Action Plan update are supporting increased technology use by seniors to assist with digital connections, and providing opportunities for socialization and civic engagement.
During the focus groups staff heard from seniors on what an ideal Age Friendly Fremont would look like, about their current challenges, and about their ideas for effective Age- Friendly action steps. The Age-Friendly Action Plan update presents specific action steps for each of the nine domains.
Older adults want to lead purposeful lives and have their voices heard. Being valued by their community and being included in making decisions were their highest reported concerns.
Older adults see themselves as part of the solution to meet Fremont’s growing older population needs. They bring expertise and willingness to help others to the Fremont community.
The Age-Friendly Action Plan update incorporates action steps that target specific, vulnerable populations, such as older Asian American Pacifici Islanders who are underserved by mental health services; older adults with complex medical conditions who can benefit from health screenings, medication reviews, service linkages to live health y lives for as long as possible, and; and LGBTQ+ older adults who have experienced a lack of community connection.
Interdepartmental Opportunities for Better Services Fremont’s Aging Population .
Some action steps are better accomplished through interdepartmental collaborative efforts that best serve aging Fremont residents. Examples of these efforts include: working with first responders to help older adults prepare for emergencies; assisting older adults with connections to supportive services; having outdoor space and infrastructure that meets the needs of older adults who may have ambulatory or other physical challenges; and supporting the growing need to interface with technology to access medical care, services and purchasing of goods.
State Master Plan on Aging Interface
In 2021, the State of California released a Master Plan on Aging that is a ten-year blueprint for advancing a California that is age friendly. The Master Plan has five domains: Housing for all Ages & Stages; Health Reimagined; inclusion & Equity, Not Isolation; Caregiving that Works; and Affordable Aging.
Since the state plan provides a conceptual layout to guide future growth and development of aging programs, the Age Friendly Action Plan update integrates the City of Fremont’s nine domains and the state’s five goals. This will position the City to align with state initiatives and possible future funding opportunities.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The updated Age-Friendly Action Plan is an organizational, and/or administrative governmental activity that is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 and pursuant Council Staff Report (ID # 5240) Meeting of September 17, 2024 Updated: 9/12/2024 9:26 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 4
to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) in that the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed amendments may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Age Friendly Action Plan Update 2025 Final
RECOMMENDATION: Receive overview and provide comments on the Age Friendly Action Plan update.