MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND
AN AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY FOR A LIFETIME
• County population: 1,052,567
• Senior population (60+): 21.7%
(Source: US Census American Community Survey 2018 1-year – Table DP05)

THE VISION:  Together with our community partners, the Montgomery Age-Friendly Advisory Group envisions Montgomery County as a wonderfully diverse Community for a Lifetime, where all residents can remain and thrive as they age and be a powerful resource in making our County a better, stronger, more inclusive community for everyone.

Montgomery County, Maryland, has a long-demonstrated record over many years of commitment to serving its older population of active, vital older adults as well as the more vulnerable. In concert with that commitment, the County enrolled in the AARP Age-Friendly Network of Communities in December 2015.
Montgomery County is home to a large, diverse, and rapidly growing older population that makes enormous contributions to the community. Montgomery County’s senior population is expected to increase by 130% between 2000 and 2030. Older adults, along with their families and communities, are vital and important to the County’s success. It is critical that we focus on livability for all ages and that that our increasingly diverse communities have access to all available and necessary resources.

A Subcabinet on Senior Vital Living, in collaboration with the Montgomery County Commission on Aging, served for many years as the primary vehicle within County government for advancing the age-friendly mission. Under the leadership of County Executive Isiah Leggett, a 2008 Senior Summit of more than 350 attendees comprised of County seniors, caregivers, public and private providers of senior services, the Senior Subcabinet, faith communities, business and academia and community stakeholders, prioritized the most critical needs for older adults in eight areas and created an action plan to address those needs moving forward. This work became the Senior Initiative, a multi-year, cross-department effort to improve coordination, community outreach, and promotion of programs designed for older adults.

In the years that followed, the eight workgroups, each with its own chair, goals, and agendas, worked together under the leadership and coordination of the Subcabinet. Their work has embodied core principles of the WHO Age-Friendly cities framework. The groups were: Communication and Outreach, Housing and Zoning, Transportation and Mobility, Health and Wellness, Civic and Social Engagement, Home and Community Support Services, Safety, and Employment.

In addition, the County Executive and County Council also adopted a 2012 Senior Agenda, developed by the Montgomery County Commission on Aging. The Senior Agenda has served as a framework for the long-range goal of transforming Montgomery County into a “Community for a Lifetime” where older adults can live safe, healthy and vital lives.
Since that time, the County has seen exciting changes. Not only has the older population grown and become more diverse, but also there has been enormous expansion of programs and services for older people, including: significant growth in the Villages movement as more and more communities organize to help older residents age in the homes and communities they love; improvements in accessibility to transportation, expanded library hours and services, improvements in affordable rental housing and design for senior living; expanded access and programming in our five seniors centers and recreation centers; expanded and engaging opportunities for volunteerism and lifelong learning; and a myriad of new programs and series to keep seniors health, safe, and protected against financial and other forms of elder abuse.

In December 2015, the County Executive convened a second Summit on Aging. At that time, it enrolled in the AARP Age-Friendly Communities program. At the same event, the County also enrolled in the Dementia Friendly America initiative to address the needs of person with cognitive impairments and their caregivers. Age-Friendly and Dementia Friendly work is being integrated to support shared areas of effort.

Today, Montgomery County Age-Friendly is championed by an Advisory Group, led by Department heads and community leaders who guide the County’s Age-Friendly work in 10 domains considered essential to age-friendly communities. These 10 workgroups include:
• Civic and Social Involvement
• Communications and Outreach
• Elder Abuse Prevention
• Employment
• Health and Wellness
• Home and Community Based Services
• Housing
• Planning, Open Spaces, Parks, and Community Buildings
• Senior Public Safety
• Transportation and Mobility.

The County actively promotes the Age-Friendly messages via presentations (see sample presentation) to outside organizations and the public and is proud assist other area jurisdictions in developing their own, unique approaches to officially becoming Age-Friendly localities.

RECENT INNOVATIVE AGE-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS
County government works closely with its Commission on Aging, its community partners, Age-Friendly Advisors and members of the ten domain work groups, and its own departments to create innovative and effective initiatives designed to improve the lives of our older residents and their families.
Examples of some innovative activities begun since enrolling in the Age-Friendly initiative include:
• Dementia Friendly Montgomery County.
• Senior Center Plus, a program for people with mild cognitive impairment who want to remain active but are unable to navigate regular senior center programs
• Home health and other services for frequent callers to 911, designed to help them stay safe and healthy and avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room. This program is coordinated through Health and Human Services, Police, and Fire and Rescue Departments.
• A monthly insert in the local newspaper, The Beacon, highlighting services for older adults and translated into Chinese and Spanish.
• The 50+ Volunteer network, which pairs skilled, retired older volunteers with local nonprofits in need of those skills
• Certification Course for managers of senior residences in conjunction with Montgomery College; the course covers management skills for addressing issues that commonly arise with older residents.
• A database of local nonprofits with Age-Friendly workplaces and hiring practices for older workers and jobseekers and a new County workshop on Age Discrimination.
• Initiation of an age-discrimination workshop for area employers.
• Funding to initiative a pilot home-sharing project to screen and pair people who need a place to live with residents who have rooms to rent in their homes.
• Medicaid Adult Dental Waiver Program, a pilot program with Maryland Dental Action Coalition, which enlists volunteer dentists who provide dental services to adults who are Medicaid eligible.
• Through States Attorney’s Office, initiation of a new unit for prosecution of crimes against seniors and vulnerable adults.

RECENTLY CREATED POSITIONS TO SUPPORT THESE AND OTHER COUNTY EFFORTS:
• A Mobility Manager to ensure that residents have and know about a huge variety of transportation options for getting around our large County, especially those that are no- or low-cost, older residents.
• A Village Coordinator, who supports and informs the large and expanding village movement in the County and who collaborates with the larger village movement in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area.
• A Caregiver Support Coordinator to serve the enormous and diverse population of individuals, both family and friend, who care for our rapidly growing population.
• Continuation of the County’s unique Senior Fellow Program, which employs retired residents with expertise and skills needed for specific projects and tasks throughout County government—including a senior fellow manager for Age-Friendly Montgomery.
(Details about these and other Age-Friendly programs and activities can be found in the Progress Report https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/senior/Resources/Files/Age-Friendly-Montgomery-Progress-Report_2018.pdf on our Age-Friendly website and on the County’s Senior website.)

SURVEY OF AGE-FRIENDLY STAKEHOLDERS
Recently, the County surveyed members of the Age-Friendly Montgomery partners, Advisory Board and participants of domain workgroups to examine the impact of the initiative on the County’s effort with and for older adults. Survey feedback showed a high level of satisfaction on their ability to work outside of their silos, to learn, interact, and coordinate among domains and outside organizations, and to better conduct outreach and education in the community.
As Montgomery County embarks on its next five years of participation in the global Age-Friendly initiative, it is focusing efforts in areas of activity that support and nurture not only our older residents, but those of every age and background to ensure that Montgomery County continually strives to be a Community for a Lifetime for all.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES:

• Montgomery County FY 22 Budget: Services for Seniors
• Age-Friendly Montgomery County, MD 2020 and Beyond
• Age-Friendly Montgomery: Domain Action Plans (2020)
• Montgomery County Age-Friendly Website
• Sample Age Friendly Presentation
• Age-Friendly Progress Report
• Montgomery County Maryland Age-Friendly Three-Year Action Plan
• Fact Sheet: Age-Friendly Montgomery County
• Montgomery County Senior Website
• Montgomery County Services for Seniors FY 2020
• Montgomery County MD Senior Agenda
• Montgomery County 2015 Summit on Aging
• Montgomery County: Summary of Accomplishments 2008-2016
• Montgomery County MD 2008 Senior Summit