To help cities and counties more effectively plan for the impacts of an aging population, several national organizations (The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the International City/County Management Association, the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities and Partners for Livable Communities) jointly launched a project entitled “The Maturing of America: Getting Communities on Track for an Aging Population.”

Funded by a grant from MetLife Foundation, the project’s first phase was a 2005 survey of 10,000 local governments to determine their “aging readiness” to provide programs, policies and services that address the needs of older adults. The survey found that only 46 percent of American communities have begun to address the needs of the rapidly increasing aging population.

A complete description of the survey results are in the report The Maturing of America: Getting Communities on Track for an Aging Population.  Follow-up on the same topic are also available on the Partners for a Livable Community site: Maturing of America II: Getting Communities on Track for the Baby Boomers and The Maturing of America—Communities Moving Forward for an Aging Population.