By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The proof was in the pictures. Bowling Green’s elder citizens feel pretty good about their community’s accessibility, safety and affordability.
But there are areas for improvement, such as the pedestrian lights that change faster than seniors can walk, the lack of handicap parking on Main Street, and the lack of a public transit system.
The results of an age-friendly survey of Bowling Green were presented last week during a meeting at the Wood County Committee on Aging. The survey was conducted by some of the city’s young residents teaming up with some of the older residents.
Dr. Wendy Watson’s gerontology students at Bowling Green State University paired up with senior citizens to take photos and write in journals about ways the community supports seniors, and the ways it places barriers to them.
Dr. Wendy Watson presents senior survey
“We wanted to see what residents of Bowling Green thought of their own community,” Watson said. “The goal is to promote a community that supports all ages.”
The seniors were instructed to look for ways the community helps or hinders older resident from staying independent in their homes.
Some of the challenges identified to aging well in Bowling Green include:
- No handicap parking on Main Street.
- Traffic can be overwhelming when there’s a lot going on in the city.
- Not a walkable city, some areas lack sidewalks.
- Hard to get around without a car.
- Cost of taxis not affordable for everyone.
- No public transit system.
- Some senior housing is not close to stores or activities.
- Problems will accessibility with stairs, doors, crossing streets.
- Streets not safe for pedestrians.
- No tax incentives for older adults who rent.
- Cost of long-term care.
- Lack of attention paid to age-friendliness of buildings.
- No planning for aging population, with the focus on youth.
Some of the supports to aging well in Bowling Green include:
- Affordable services such as van to grocery store, events.
- Scholarships available through Wood County Committee of Aging if people can’t afford programs.
- Senior discounts.
- Automatic doors, ramps, railings at fairground, chair at pool.
- City doesn’t allow bikes on some sidewalks, walking trail, large street signs.
- Numerous programs through senior center, Community Center, BGSU, Wood County library.
- Medical services, churches, parks.
- Can be involved in government, which respects people’s input.
- Opportunities to volunteer, contribute to community.
- Have seen positive changes over time.
- Community friendly to all ages.
- Community has benefits for aging and disabled.
Results presented to Wood County Committee on Aging
There is a feeling among some seniors that the community focuses the vast majority of its attention and planning on younger residents – which may be more common among college communities.
“We may forget about the people who have been here 68 years,” Watson said.
Watson noted that the seniors surveying the community saw it more positively than the students.
“They felt it was a really supportive community for aging well,” she said of the seniors. “On a positive side, they felt welcome here.”
And they pointed out improvements made over the years, such as railings installed at the fairgrounds and a chair lift at the city swimming pool.
In contrast, “the students’ pictures were far more negative than those at the senior center,” Watson said. It’s not that the older generation was oblivious to the barriers, but rather that they also noticed ways the community is supportive of seniors..
“They were also able to see some real positives,” she said.
