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Northampton Age Friendly Survey-final-PDF-5_28_20 1 / 48 AGE-FRIENDLY SURVEY OF NORTHAMPTON RESIDENTS SUMMARY REPORT (June 2020) Prepared for Age-Friendly Northampton Northampton Council on Aging, Northampton Senior Center, and Northampton Planning & Sustainability with funding from 1 / 48 INTRODUCTION Northampton is a vibrant and unique small city with a large commitment to all aspects of livability and accessibility. The city’s commitment in undertaking the Age Friendly Northampton Initiative is to highlight what age-friendly programs are already in place, determine what is missing, and provide a platform for even more collaboration and coordination of services and activities. Northampton has undertaken an Age-Friendly Survey of residents to assess how the city can become a more age-friendly place to live. Survey results and conclusions are presented in detail in this report. There is a strong commitment to engage and partner with older adults and those with dementia in all aspects of the Age Friendly Northampton Initiative: planning, gathering input, drafting recommendations for priority activities, and implementing services. AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES Northampton received designation as an Age Friendly Community in April, 2019 by AARP. The age- friendly lens will provide the focus for a shared perspective for all stakeholders in the City, along with enhanced understanding and access to current and future programs, activities, and services. The age- friendly lens supplements Northampton’s efforts to expand accessibility beyond Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and to expand our 8 and 80 complete streets perspective. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Age-Friendly Cities and Communities project was created to help cities prepare for the rapid aging of populations and the increase in urbanization. The program targets the environmental, social, and economic factors that influence the health and well-being of older adults. AARP and the WHO are working together with communities across the United States to encourage and promote age-friendly planning and policies that will allow communities to become places where adults can successfully age in place. The WHO has identified eight areas that influence the quality of life of those in a community, particularly older adults. The eight areas or domains are: Outdoor Spaces and Buildings; Housing; Transportation; Social Participation; Respect and Social Inclusion; Civic Participation and Employment; Communication and Information; and Community and Health Services. AARP Research developed a survey instrument that captures the WHO’s eight areas of an age-friendly community in order to help communities: (1) establish a baseline with regard to older adults being able to age in place, and (2) conduct a community needs assessment to identify and prioritize areas of focus. The survey findings reflect individual preferences and help policymakers, planners and others better understand the needs of an aging population in order to begin to brainstorm steps and policies that can be taken to improve livability for all. SURVEY LOGISTICS The Northampton Age-Friendly survey was administered from February through April 2020, using Survey Monkey as the vehicle for collecting and tabulating responses. A total of 304 respondents participated in the survey. Northampton promoted the participation in the survey through posting on the city website, direct email contact, physical distribution of survey forms, and social media. NORTHAMPTON AGE FRIENDLY CHARACTERISTICS Northampton is a small city, rich in services and commitments to the development of a vibrant and livable 2 / 48 community for residents of all ages. As the Hampshire County seat, Northampton is the home for a number of county-wide programs and services all with a long history of collaboration and coordination. The vibrancy of Northampton is reflected in many past and current designations: Best Place to Retire, Best Arts Community, Healthy Motion Award, Bicycle-Friendly Community (Bronze), Pedestrian Friendly Community (Bronze), STAR Communities-Five Star rating for Community Sustainability, Top 25 Arts Destinations, Great Cities for Simple Life (AARP), and Top Adventure Towns. There are a number of efforts underway that underscore the City’s commitment to being an inclusive Age Friendly community. To cite a few: • The Climate Resilience and Regeneration planning effort includes building social resilience with networks of how neighborhoods take care of all of their residents. • A “pavement to parks” program, Main Street redesign effort, North King Street Roundabout, and recently completed Pleasant Street complete streets effort are all focused on ensuring that Northampton is more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, safe, and desirable. • The development of a Rocky Hill Greenway includes the addition of many benches to be accessible for all ages and populations. • The creation of ValleyBike and its inclusion of pedal-assist bicycles serves a larger demographic than traditional human-powered bicycles. • The “complete streets on steroids” program planning is underway for the eventual reconstruction of Main Street • Participation in the Mass in Motion program addresses all ages and supports many of the Age Friendly goals. • Many of the City’s current housing efforts address the challenges of market-rate and subsidized affordable housing and aim to expand housing options, especially in a market heavily dominated by large single-family homes designed for families with children. The “Just Big Enough” effort seeks to make smaller units more acceptable, to serve those left out of the housing market, and to serve those whose housing needs are not necessarily met by traditional housing design. • The City has a long-standing commitment to ensuring that City buildings and services are accessible and has been a catalyst for many retail and private businesses doing the same. • There are numerous programs and services for older adults in place, many sponsored or coordinated by Northampton Senior Services. These include an enhanced and coordinated transportation system, the year-old EARN (Employment After Retirement Network) program, health and wellness support, and outreach and referral services to name a few. A newly hired food and nutrition professional will enhance and expand nutrition-based programs and services. The city’s commitment to ensuring that Northampton is an Age Friendly Community is partnered with a commitment to ensure that all efforts and recommendations include a Dementia Friendly component as well. The Age Friendly Northampton planning will assess what is in place and determine priorities for filling gaps and enhancing current services and programs. The objective is to ensure accessible and effective programs, activities, services, and user-friendly navigation and communications. COLLABORATION BETWEEN NORTHAMPTON AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS Under the leadership of Northampton Senior Services and the Northampton Council on Aging, Age Friendly Northampton is led by a core group that is reflective of the eight domains of livability. The list includes, but is not limited to, representatives from the Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Highland Valley Elder Services, relevant municipal departments (Planning & Sustainability, Recreation, Arts Council, etc.), the City Council, the Northampton Chamber of Commerce, Northampton Housing Authority, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, Healthy Hampshire, the real estate and business communities, Smith College, Northampton Neighbors, faith based organizations, Valley Community Development , and the Northampton Survival Center. 3 / 48 SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS The overall findings and trends from the survey are:  Most respondents have lived in Northampton for 30 years or more.  There are not many “snowbirds” among those responding, as 95% live in Northampton year-round.  Most residents want to stay in their current homes in Northampton after they retire and live independently.  Northampton is a good place to live as people age, as 82% of respondents think the city is either good, very good, or excellent.  The primary factors that might make Northampton residents move out of the city during retirement would be looking for an area with a lower cost of living or looking for a home that would help them live independently as they age. HOUSING  The majority of respondents are homeowners, live in single-family homes, and want to live independently in their own homes as they age.  Residents are likely to make home improvements to stay in their homes as they age, particularly bathroom modifications and home access improvements.  There was broad support for a variety of home accessibility and affordability options, with particularly strong support for affordability programs to allow residents to stay in their own homes, and for affordable home repair services. OUTDOOR SPACES AND BUILDINGS  The most important features to respondents are sidewalks in good condition and accessible public buildings and restrooms. TRANSPORTATION AND STREETS  Most residents get around by driving (94%) or walking (42%).  The most important transportation features to respondents are well-maintained streets and sidewalks (98% rated extremely or very important) and affordable convenient public transportation. HEALTH AND WELLNESS  Most respondents rated their health as excellent or very good, and 85% of respondents exercised at least several times a week.  Most respondents (81%) feel it is extremely important to remain physically active.  Respondents placed a high value on a wide variety of health and wellness services. The most highly ranked overall were: respectful and helpful hospital and clinic staff; a variety health care professionals; affordable home health care providers; and well-trained certified home health care providers. SOCIAL PARTICIPATION, INCLUSION AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES  The most popular locations for continuing education are: local organizations or businesses; online programs; senior centers; and universities/community colleges.  Respondents would like to see a wide variety of increased opportunities for social interaction and continuing education. The highest-ranking activities were: activities affordable to all residents; a variety of cultural activities for diverse populations; multi-age activities; activities with senior discounts; and continuing education classes. 4 / 48 VOLUNTEERING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT  Respondents placed a high value on a wide variety of opportunities for volunteering and civic engagement. The highest-ranking activities were: easy to find volunteer information; a range of volunteer activities; and transportation to and from volunteer activities. JOB OPPORTUNITIES  Opportunities to continue working into senior years are important for about three quarters of all respondents.  Respondents valued job assistance highly, including jobs adapted for people with disabilities, and a range of flexible job opportunities and job training for older adults. COMMUNITY INFORMATION  The most trusted sources of information about senior services are: family and friends; the internet; Northampton Senior Center; and the library.  The most valued sources of community information would be: free access to computers and internet in public places; community information in multiple languages; and information in one central source. 1 / 48 DETAILED SURVEY RESULTS PART ONE: YOUR COMMUNITY Q1 Do you live in Northampton (including Florence and Leeds)? Of the total responding, nearly all (300) live in Northampton. Answered: 301 Skipped: 3 Yes No 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Yes 99.67% 300 No 0.66% 2 2 / 48 Q2 How would you rate Northampton as place for people to live as they age? The most respondents (35%) rated Northampton as a good place to live as they age, with 33% rating the city very good. Only 6% rate the city poor. Answered: 297 Skipped: 7 Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Excellent 14.14% 42 Very Good 33.00% 98 Good 34.68% 103 Fair 12.12% 36 Poor 6.06% 18 297 3 / 48 Q3 How long have you lived in Northampton? The most respondents (43%) had lived in Northampton for 30 years or more. Answered: 302 Skipped: 2 Less than 5 years 5 years but less than 15... 15 years but less than 25... 25 years but less than 30 30 year or more 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Less than 5 years 11.26% 34 5 years but less than 15 years 15.56% 47 15 years but less than 25 years 19.21% 58 25 years but less than 30 11.26% 34 30 year or more 42.72% 129 302 4 / 48 Q4 Some people reside in places outside of their state for part of the year. Which of the following describes how you reside? A large majority of respondents (95%) live in Northampton year-round. Answered: 299 Skipped: 5 Year round, do not reside... Seasonally, reside outsi... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Year round, do not reside anywhere outside of Northampton 94.65% 283 Seasonally, reside outside of Northampton during Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall on a regular basis 5.35% 16 299 5 / 48 Q5 Thinking about your retirement years (when you retire from working), how likely is it that you will move to a different home in Northampton? The majority of respondents (58%) would not very likely or not at all likely move to a different home in Northampton when they do retire. Answered: 268 Skipped: 36 Extremely likely Very likely Somewhat likely Not very likely Not at all likely Not sure 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Extremely likely 7.09% 19 Very likely 9.33% 25 Somewhat likely 17.16% 46 Not very likely 25.75% 69 Not at all likely 32.09% 86 Not sure 8.58% 23 268 6 / 48 Q6 If you are already retired, how likely is it that you will move to a different home in Northampton? For residents already retired, most respondents (63%) are not very or not at all likely to move to a different home in Northampton. Answered: 202 Skipped: 102 Extremely likely Very likely Somewhat likely Not very likely Not at all likely Not sure 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Extremely likely 7.92% 16 Very likely 6.44% 13 Somewhat likely 14.85% 30 Not very likely 22.28% 45 Not at all likely 41.09% 83 Not sure 7.43% 15 202 7 / 48 Q7 If you were considering moving out of Northampton during your retirement (when you retire from working), would the following factors impact your decision to move? The primary factors that might make Northampton residents move out of the city during retirement would be looking for an area with a lower cost of living (48%) or looking for a home that would help them live independently as they age (47%). Answered: 246 Skipped: 58 Looking for a different ho... Fearing for your persona... Looking for a home that wi... Wanting to be closer to... Needing more access to... Wanting to live in a... Looking for an area that ha... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Looking for a different home size that meets your needs or budget 35.77% 88 Fearing for your personal safety or security concerns 6.10% 15 Looking for a home that will help you live independently as you age 47.15% 116 Wanting to be closer to family 23.17% 57 Needing more access to public transportation 26.83% 66 Wanting to live in a different climate 26.42% 65 Looking for an area that has a lower cost of living 47.56% 117 8 / 48 Q8 How important is it for you to remain in Northampton as you age? For the large majority (68%) of respondents, it is important to stay in Northampton as they age. Answered: 299 Skipped: 5 Extremely important Very important Somewhat important Not so important Not at all important 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Extremely important 29.10% 87 Very important 38.80% 116 Somewhat important 24.08% 72 Not so important 5.35% 16 Not at all important 2.68% 8 299 9 / 48 PART TWO: HOUSING Q9 Do you own or rent your primary home — or do you have some other type of living arrangement, such as living with a family member or friend? Most respondents (85%) are homeowners. Answered: 292 Skipped: 12 Own Rent Other type of living... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Own 84.93% 248 Rent 14.04% 41 Other type of living arrangement 1.03% 3 292 10 / 48 Q10 What type of home is your primary residence? Most respondents (65%) live in single-family home. Answered: 289 Skipped: 15 Single family home Multi-family home Apartment Condominium or coop Other, please specify... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Single family home 64.71% 187 Multi-family home 12.46% 36 Apartment 7.96% 23 Condominium or coop 11.07% 32 Other, please specify 3.81% 11 289 11 / 48 Q11 How important is it for you to be able to live independently in your own home as you age? This is a very important or extremely important issue for 90% of respondents. Answered: 291 Skipped: 13 Extremely important Very important Somewhat important Not very important Not at all important 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES Extremely important 64.60% 188 Very important 25.09% 73 Somewhat important 8.59% 25 Not very important 1.37% 4 Not at all important 0.34% 1 291