Chesapeake 55+ Comprehensive Plan - page 38

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Action Area E: Quality of Life
Older adults are producers, consumers, leaders, community and family members, and when
their potential is maximized, people of all ages benefit. The ultimate goal as people age is to
maintain their quality of life. This can mean anything from a trip to a beauty parlor to something
profound like communicating and preserving personal stories to create a special family legacy.
It means being as mentally and physically active as possible. It also means continuing to
make a contribution to their community, family, and friends.
To help the older population continue their quality of life will take a broad array of programs
and services. One key is to provide public awareness of available services. How do we get out
the word to insure people know what services are available to make seniors’ lives livable?
Access to aged care services can sometimes be complicated when people do not understand
what is available or how to access services.
In a nationwide effort to simplify access and to provide a single point of entry into the long-term
supports and services system for seniors the Administration on Aging and the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services fund Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)
programs across the country. In Chesapeake, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia is the
ADRC.
While being physically active is rated high relative to quality of life, the actual extent of physical
activity significantly diminishes with age. Regular physical activity is essential for healthy
aging. Adults aged 65 years and older gain substantial health benefits from regular physical
activity, and these benefits continue to occur throughout their lives. Promoting physical activity
for older adults is especially important because this population is the least physically active of
any age group. Older adults are a varied group. Most, but not all, have one or more chronic
conditions, and these conditions vary in type and severity. All have experienced a loss of
physical fitness with age, some more than others. This diversity means that some older adults
can run several miles, while others struggle to walk several blocks.
Dietary intake affects the health of older Americans, because poor diet quality is associated
with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some types of
cancer. People living in a food desert have a much poorer diet quality due to lack of nutritious
food. A food desert is defined as an area where populations live more than one mile from a
supermarket or large grocery store if in an urban area or more than 10 miles from a
supermarket or large grocery store if in a rural area. Ownership and access to a vehicle may
be the best marker for access to healthy and affordable food, regardless of the socioeconomic
status of the individual or family. Factors such as travel time, travel costs, awareness of
access, and cultural factors impact how people utilize transportation to access food.
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