June 24, 2008
Contact: Barbara Schoof Conant
barbara.conant@aging.ks.gov
Director of Communications
(785) 296-6154
Note: Media coverage is welcome at this event
Secretary of the Kansas Department on Aging Kathy Greenlee will help unveil a highway sign officially designating Topeka and Shawnee County as a Lifelong Community, an initiative of the Kansas Department on Aging that assists communities to plan for and better serve citizens of all ages, including seniors.
The ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 1, at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10th.
“Achieving this status has taken hard work on the local level,” Greenlee said. “We at KDOA helped guide and promote this project, but it has taken great collaboration among local leaders, businesses, organizations and government agencies to get the job done. With the baby boomers starting to reach retirement age, the steps they have taken will be even more appreciated in the future.”
When the Lifelong Communities Initiative began in 2002, KDOA asked area agencies on aging to nominate communities for the demonstration phase of the initiative. Nine communities were selected. In addition to Topeka, the communities were Cottonwood Falls/Chase County, Great Bend, Dodge City, Concordia, Garden City, Hiawatha, Oberlin and Winfield. Signs were unveiled at Dodge City, Great Bend and Cottonwood Falls last year.
To participate, communities had to complete a community assessment focusing on six areas: business, community service, government, health care, housing and transportation. Then they had to develop and implement a detailed action plan to address areas needing improvement or expansion.
Kansas is the second state to implement the Lifelong Communities Initiative statewide, and that has garnered the program some national attention. It was recognized by the U.S. Administration on Aging as a 2007 Choices for Independence Program Champion. The state of Florida also has recognized it as a Best Practice for Seniors program.
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