Mayor Corey D. Woods | City of Tempe Official website
Mayor Corey D. Woods | City of Tempe Official website
Tempe, AZ – Services for older adults in Tempe will be more inclusive and improve quality of life through expanded access to technology, dementia support and meaningful volunteer opportunities.
A new initiative, Enhancing Community Connectedness, is designed to meet needs in both Tempe and neighboring Guadalupe with a focus on serving Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Plans include a new slate of bi-lingual programs and services, activities that can help reduce social isolation and wider outreach efforts to make sure that a diversity of residents is connected to the city’s offerings.
The new effort aligns with Tempe’s status as an Age-Friendly Community, a national AARP designation awarded to the city last year.
“As an Age-Friendly Community, we are continually working to enhance the health, vibrancy and livability of our community for all ages,” said Mayor Corey Woods. “With this new initiative, we are strengthening and accelerating services to meet even more needs, especially in marginalized communities. Greater access to technology, more support for those with memory loss and new opportunities to stay active will be life changing for older adults in Tempe.”
The city’s Office of Education, Career and Family Services is leading the Enhancing Community Connectedness initiative. Tempe will focus on strengthening three existing programs, and new offerings will be phased in throughout 2023 and 2024.
- Through the Connect Tempe program the city helps make technology more accessible to low-income older adults using an age-friendly approach. New plans call for more loanable laptops and hotspots for Tempe and Guadalupe residents, more technology classes in high-needs neighborhoods and increased classes in Spanish.
- Participants who regularly attend Dementia Friendly Tempe’s Memory Café are connected to engaging activities, community resources and opportunities for socialization. Building on this success, Memory Café will now be expanded to include support groups in Spanish.
- The AARP Foundation Experience Corps program pairs tutors age 50 and older with Tempe students struggling to read. New plans include recruiting volunteers who represent the population of the students served, with a focus on the Town of Guadalupe. The city will also create activities in partnership with the town’s Frank Elementary School for older adults who may appreciate more socialization.
“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted serious inequities within our communities that led to increased social isolation and negative health outcomes,” said Naomi Farrell, director of the Office of Education, Career and Family Services. “By enhancing our programming and engaging a diversity of older adults, we can greatly impact the overall health of our community.”
Tempe is engaging multiple community partners, including the Town of Guadalupe, Tempe Elementary School District, Oak Street Health South Tempe Primary Care Clinic, Meridian @ 101 Senior Living, Desert Marigold Senior Living of Tempe, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and Higher Octave Healing.
The new initiative is Tempe’s latest effort to support older adults and improve their quality of life.
Tempe was the first Dementia Friendly City in Arizona, beginning Memory Café support groups and programs in 2016. The Experience Corps Tempe program, in its 17th year, serves as the national model for this tutoring approach. Last year, Tempe was selected by AARP to launch the Digital Skills Ready@50+ digital literacy classes.
The AARP Age-Friendly Community designation, awarded in November 2022, advances Tempe’s work through a comprehensive and strategic action plan to addresses myriad needs. Led by the Office of Education, Career, and Family Services, the city is implementing that plan through activities such as a new Aging-in-Place Resource Guide.
Learn more about the city’s Age-Friendly work: tempe.gov/AgeFriendly.
Original source can be found here.
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