Lifelong Montclair is an aging in place initiative of the Township of Montclair focused on transforming Montclair into a great place to grow older.

The initiative is housed in the Township’s Department of Health & Human Services and is funded in part by a grant from the Partners for Health Foundation. It was initially established in 2014 through an initiative of the Partners for Health Foundation in collaboration with the Township’s Department of Health & Human Services.  The intent is to address the barriers that prevent older Montclair residents (aged 55 years and older) from being able or wanting to age in place. It addresses several themes that emerged from a 2012 assessment, such as transportation, health care access, housing, activities, food, finances and employment, outreach and education, safety, and community.

Under the Lifelong Montclair umbrella, partner organizations work collaboratively in concert with the Project Director to implement senior-focused strategies, programs and policies that complement Montclair’s existing resources. The initiative coordinates and develops the strategies by optimizing existing programs and resources, re-directing efforts to reduce duplicative services and collaborating with key partners to plan and implement strategies.

Lifelong Montclair currently has over 30 partner organizations spanning the community. These partners include:

• AARP West Essex 131
• The Adult School of Montclair Department of the Montclair Public Library
• Aging in Montclair, Inc.
• AngelaCares
• Bike&Walk Montclair
• Care About You
• Chrill Care
• Clara Maass Medical Center
• Connections at Home New Jersey
• Crawford Crews American Legion Post #251
• Eat Play Live Better
• Garden State Equality
• HackensackUMC Mountainside
• HomeCorp
• HomeSharing
• Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris Counties
• Montclair Ambulance Unit
• Montclair Art Museum
• Montclair Community Farms
• Montclair History Center
• Montclair Memory Clinic
• Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation
• Montclair Public Library
• Montclair Senior Citizens Advisory Committee
• Montclair Shared Housing Association/The Montclair Inn
• Montclair State University
• Montclair YMCA
• PineRidge of Montclair
• RSVP of Hudson and Essex Counties
• Toni’s Kitchen
• United Way of Northern New Jersey
• Vanguard Medical Group
• WanderPolo & Siegel
• YMCA of Montclair

To address the needs and assets of older adults in Montclair, the township has joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities and the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. As part of this venture, Lifelong Montclair organizes its efforts using the World Health Organization’s eight domains of livability that impact the overall quality of life of older adults.