Also discussed here: Best U.S. Cities For Seniors Not What You'd Expect, Says New Study (Eric Miller, Vox Civitatis: the New Colonist Webog, Dec. 20,2011)
The focus today is on a study which ranked 50 US cities in terms of quality of life for seniors who are rising to the top priority in many countries for several reasons, the most pertinent being sheer numbers- in 20 years, there will be more people over 60 than under 20 and they will make up double what they do now- and they all can vote and health care is uppermost in their minds, although the criteria used go well beyond health care. The chosen criteria, for people who live outside the US are perhaps the most significant aspect as the same ones probably could be applied to assess other cities with altered weighting. The quality of the air and its link to mortality seems to be an underlying, if not explicit, factor affecting several criteria. The top rated US city was Minneapolis and the lowest, Riverside California.
Key Quotes:
“the July 2011 study ranked 50 cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas on a universal set of criteria, from transportation and housing to healthcare and the environment:
Healthcare - availability of physicians specializing in geriatric issues—such as cardiology, oncology and orthopedic…hospitals per capita and their ratings based on patient reviews, the number of nursing homes per capita and their ratings, and the presence of continuing care retirement communities.
Economy - average consumer prices and sales tax to the local unemployment rate.
Health and Longevity - depression rates and mortality from cancer and heart disease in addition to life expectancy at birth and at age 85.
Social - seniors’ social and emotional well-being and satisfaction with life, along with data on the number of four-year colleges, libraries, restaurants and performing arts venues in the area.
Environment - number of sunny days per year, local air and water quality, presence and accessibility of bodies of water, and the number of local and state parks.
Spiritual Life -the number of religious congregations per capita and the percentage of the population with a religious affiliation.
Housing - median home price, property tax rates and rental
Transportation - accessibility of the city’s public transportation system.. percentage of commuters who use mass transit.
Crime - rates of property crimes and violent crimes.”
“1. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN .. high scores for life expectancy and healthcare.
2. Boston, MA .. An extensive public transportation system
3. Pittsburgh, PA .. robust economic development in the healthcare, technology and financial sectors.
…..
| 49. | Las Vegas, NV |
50. | Riverside-San Bernardino, CA” |
Related articles
- Sustainable Transportation and Mobility for Seniors (pollutionfreecities.blogspot.com)
- Campaign works to reduce use of individuals' cars for transportation (fox13now.com)
- Baby Boomers Short on Medicare Knowledge (momentumtoday.com)
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