Aging Boomer Generation sparks changes in Fairfax

WASHINGTON –Facing an aging baby boom generation in which residents over 70 are expected to increase nearly 90 percent by 2030, Fairfax County is trying to plan before it becomes a problem.

On Tuesday Sept. 23, the county’s board of supervisors adopted the 50+ Community Action Plan, which was developed in large part by residents after a year- long public outreach, and includes 31 initiatives. The goal: for the county to become more friendly to its growing aging population, with a focus on affordable housing and transportation.

Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity, 50+ Committee Chairman, tells the Fairfax County Times, that some of the initiatives are already getting started. “It’s critical to make Fairfax County a more aging-friendly county,” he told the paper.

One transportation program getting underway is Northern Virginia Rides.It matches volunteer drivers with an older adult who no longer drives to get them to doctors’ appointments and other errands.

“It’s like Uber but without the fee,” Supervisor Herrity says.

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