What We Want to Accomplish

Jefferson County, Colorado embarked on an Aging Well Project in the spring of 2008.  The Aging Well Project is a strategic planning project focusing on what Jefferson County needs to do to prepare for the increase in seniors in the next 20 years.

Some information regarding the aging population is as follows:

• Number of people 60 years and older is going to double in the next 20 years in the state of Colorado. Same is true for Jefferson County.
• The VERY OLD and POOR are populations of concern - mostly women in both groups.
• Most older adults would prefer to age in their communities and there is a critical shortage of affordable housing and other services.
• Communities are not set up for successful aging.
• Aging of baby boomers [those born 1946 to 1964] will only make the shortages more severe.
• Funding for all services has not kept pace with needs.

The multi-year project will focus on what Jefferson County needs to do to prepare for the increase in seniors in the next 20 years. A Leadership Committee was formed and met for the first time in August 2008. The Leadership Committee includes professionals from all areas of senior issues including housing, legal issues, congregate meal sites and home delivery, transportation, planning and zoning, law enforcement, etc. It also includes citizens.

Six Workgroups have been developed. The Workgroups consist of Leadership Committee members and other members of the community for a total of about 100 people. The six workgroups are:

• Transportation/Mobility (also known as Local Coordinating Council)
• Housing
• Health, Mental Health, Wellness and Prevention
• Social and Civic Engagement
• Basic Needs
• Caregiving and Supportive Services

The first year of the project focused on what resources already exist in the county as well as identifying the gaps, waiting lists or barriers to receiving these services.

The second year of the project focused on identifying promising practices and models that may be replicated in Jefferson County to make it a "thriving community for aging well."  We also looked at who we need to approach in order to implement some of the promising models such as mayors, city councils, planning and zoning departments, human resource departments, colleges, etc.  

Year three of the project began the implementation phase. The workgroups have taken their reports and strategic plans and have begun implementing them. The strategic plans outline activities needed to be done through 2030 so there is plenty of work to make Jefferson County the best county to age.

Please visit this website periodically for updates.  For more information about the project, contact Susan Franklin at sfrankli@jeffco.us or 303-271-4051.