DECEMBER 8, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015, 2:22 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Local seniors can still have a voice in helping the community make changes for the betterment of not only their own age group, but Ridgewood as a whole through a survey currently being circulated by a village committee.
A subcommittee of Ridgewood’s Community Center Advisory Board (CCAB) has taken on the task of helping older adults stay in Ridgewood and provide avenues to better engage them in the community.
The survey has been available since early October and features a variety of questions focusing on housing, transportation, service needs, social participation, civic engagement and how seniors stay informed of village news and events.
As of last week, 455 seniors have taken the survey, which is slightly less than half of the set goal of 1,000 responses. Among those 455 people, many of them have been in the age range of 70 through 85, noted Sheila Brogan, one of the subcommittee members, meaning younger seniors aged 55 to 70 years and the oldest have not had their voices heard.
The CCAB subcommittee is interested in seniors’ opinions on the village’s current housing stock – whether or not options are available in town if they decide to leave their house; on transportation options for seniors; social engagement – what clubs and organizations in which seniors are actively involved; and how seniors get their information and what the best way would be to reach them.
The survey will also allow the advisory board to tailor programs currently on-going in the Community Center, such as the various exercise programs, to the needs of the village’s seniors.