Age-Friendly City

Background

The Live Well Springfield Age-Friendly Cities Initiative works with community based partners and city residents to assess the racial inequities and access issues for older adults in the age-friendly domains of housing, transportation, health, and community services. 


Through funding from Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Fund and Tufts Health Plan Foundation, now Point32 Foundation, we're working to assess the health impacts of older adults living with a CORI. The Health Impact Assessment report highlights the lived disparities of having a CORI and provides recommendations for policy and practice change. We aligned this detailed report with lived experience of resident advisors who are most impacted by this barrier. 


As the nation’s first triple designated city, the coalition is working with age-friendly partners to advance health care at home options for older adults while addressing digital divide barriers. Motivations for an Age-Friendly Ecosystem stem from the findings of the 2019 Age Friendly City Report  and Terry Fulmer's Moving Towards a Global Age-Friendly Ecosystem report. 


The Live Well Springfield (LWS) Age-Friendly City initiative aims to make a community where older adults can thrive and lead healthy, productive lives. Check out our work over the past few years, in the 2019 Age Friendly City Report  and Age Friendly Transportation and Housing Assessment findings.


For more information, contact Samantha Hamilton, Live Well Springfield Coalition Director, via email. 

Age-Friendly News

Springfield Declared Nation’s First Triple Designated City

June 9, 2023
State Representative Bud Williams presented the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts with a citation at our Age-Friendly Health & Tech Showcase, in the end of May, 2023, for advancing the goals of our age-friendly initiative in Springfield.

Age-Friendly Health & Tech Showcase in Honor of Older Americans Month

June 9, 2023
On May 31, 2023, the Live Well Springfield Age-friendly Coalition, in collaboration with the Aging Unbound Department of Alder Affairs Outreach Division, hosted an Age-friendly Health and Tech Showcase for over 125 older adult residents and community participants at the Raymond A. Jordan Senior Center. In the morning attendees participated in two workshops for older adults and caregivers. Tech Spring and Live Well Springfield hosted a workshop with 30 - 40 older adults and caregivers to understand their motivation and hesitation about health solutions at home. The Alliance for Digital Equity hosted the second workshop introducing a cyber senior peer-to-peer model. Participants had the opportunity to visit vendors specializing in health, tech, wellness, and the digital divide throughout the duration of the event. Attendees heard remarks from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Commissioner of Health and Human Services Helen Caulton-Harris, State Representative Bud L. Williams, Public Health Institute's Executive Director Jessica Collins, and Eliana Gutierrez of the Department of Elder Affairs. Press Coverage : Masslive: Age-Friendly Health and Tech Showcase in Springfield WWPL 22 News Age-Friendly Health and Tech Showcase in Springfield Mayor Sarno, HHS Commissioner Caulton-Harris, State Representative Williams and City Councilor Walsh attend Public Health Institute Special Age-Friendly Health and Tech Showcase