Fishers unveils age-friendly action plan
FISHERS, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Fishers has finished its Age-Friendly Fishers Action Plan after a near two-year process. Fishers became the first Indiana community to join AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities in 2018 and was tasked with creating a three-year action plan to improve the quality of life for residents.
City staff and community members were chosen to form the Age-Friendly Committee who developed the action plan after gathering feedback from residents.
“One of the great strategies about this plan is that we did not create it in a vacuum,” said Tish Biggs, a member of the Age-Friendly Fishers Committee and a volunteer with AARP. “It was created with the input of lots of folks around the city. We went to the Fishers Farmers’ Market and solicited input, we went over to Del Webb to meet with folks over there, we had a meeting at City Hall where we invited people to come in, and we just used those as listening sessions to hear what the community wanted.”
The plan focuses on 2020-2022 and prioritizes needs expanding upon the goals of Fishers 2040 to find community needs and opportunities. The committee was able to identify five strategies for the plan:
- Create innovative facilities, amenities, and resources that enhance the use of the park system for all ages and abilities.
- Promote aging in place efforts in housing development that allow residents to remain in their home and community as they age.
- Develop age-friendly strategies for transportation improvement and maintenance.
- Simplify access to healthcare and services.
- Increase access to information regarding community programs, services, and social events by providing a centralized location for resources.
The entire action plan can be found here.