AARP advocates for older adults
By Jay Nachman
Last January, $78 million in funding was awarded to make major safety improvements along Roosevelt Boulevard, one of the most dangerous roadways in Philadelphia. Since 2016, crashes along Roosevelt Boulevard have killed at least 75 people and seriously injured 119 others. Almost half of those killed were pedestrians trying to cross Roosevelt Boulevard’s 12 lanes.
Advocacy efforts by the Philadelphia office of AARP help raise awareness of issues affecting older adults that require attention and funding. Among the issues AARP works on are housing, caregiving, health care and transportation. The agency also works at “making sure that the citizens have all the information they need to make decisions,” said Yocasta Lora, AARP’s associate state director of advocacy and community engagement. Lora, who has worked at AARP for nine years, is responsible for leading strategies and engagement for volunteers, communities and partners across Pennsylvania’s southeast region.
“I have been able to have a seat at the table in conversations with developers, planners and elected officials to talk about how we can enhance our community, and how we build a city, while making sure we are intentional with the work we do serving the older population,” said Lora, who received a Community Service Award from the Emergency Fund for Older Philadelphians this year for her work to advocate for older adults. “To be able to have that opportunity through AARP has been a life changer.”
At its most basic level, what AARP does is empower people to choose how they live as they age, according to Lora.
Critical to AARP’s success is working in partnership with other agencies, such as Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), universities, the Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Philadelphia. Lora described it as “being engaged with local programming and getting more involved with the work that is happening in the community so we can use that information to elevate the work that we are doing at the state and federal level.”
AARP partners with PCA on advocating for livable communities, which seeks to provide access to housing, transportation and green spaces in neighborhoods for people of all ages. The nonprofit organization also convenes leadership within the city to make sure its initiatives are beneficial for the local community.
Transportation includes pedestrian safety, items like sidewalks, lighting, benches and signage, all of which contribute to the safety of older adults as they walk within their communities or visit doctors and other providers.
AARP has been supportive of the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan 2025, which calls for zero traffic fatalities by 2030. The Roosevelt Boulevard improvements are being implemented as part of Vision Zero.
“The work that AARP has been doing in Vision Zero is to make sure we have a safe transportation system for not only the older population but also for the multi-generational and intergenerational communities,” Lora said.
A current challenge in the city is access to affordable housing for older adults. With the rising costs of medication and food, many older adults find it harder to pay their mortgage or rent and are at risk of losing their homes.
AARP is partnering with local elected officials to help create better and more affordable housing. The agency has also supported home repair legislation that provided resources for older adults to make home improvements so they can age in place.
Looking ahead, the need for aging services and advocacy will continue to grow. Philadelphia has a large population of older adults, which will only increase as millennials begin to turn 50 by 2030.
“The vast majority of people aged 65 or older want to remain in their current home or community as they age,” Lora said. “AARP is at the forefront of making sure there are resources in our cities and towns to make sure they can do just that.”
Jay Nachman is a freelance writer in Philadelphia who tells stories for a variety of clients.
