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Age Friendly Montgomery report urges better communication, transit access and an age‑friendly development checklist
Summary
A public health planner told the Montgomery Township Board of Health on April 8 that a $70,000 state grant-funded needs assessment found gaps in transportation, information access and senior services and recommended policy and planning changes to make the township more age friendly.
Montgomery Township Board of Health members heard the results of an Age Friendly Montgomery needs assessment on April 8, led by public health planner Emily Schreiner, who said the project—funded by a $70,000 grant from the State Department of Human Services—surveyed residents, conducted 23 interviews and held three listening sessions to identify needs for adults 55 and older.
Schreiner said 195 people completed the community survey (93 in the target group) and described key findings: adults 55 and over make up about 30% of Montgomery’s population and adults 65 and over make up about 14.7%; only 18% of respondents said they strongly agree that Montgomery is an excellent place to age. "We had a lot of comments about transportation, socialization and municipal infrastructure," Schreiner said, noting that many seniors do not know who to contact for caregiving help, transportation, or repairs.
The report used a SWOT framework and identified strengths—departmental collaboration and abundant open space—and weaknesses including limited public transportation coverage, confusing online communications and a senior center that is at capacity. Schreiner recommended a set of actions the township could pursue: adopt age‑friendly accessibility standards for new developments and a development checklist; create a formal cross‑departmental review for proposed projects; invest in sidewalks, safe crossings and benches; centralize senior resources on the township website; expand program offerings beyond the senior center; and explore incentives and streamlined permitting for home modifications.
"Most people that we talk to wanna stay in their own houses," Schreiner said when asked whether seniors prefer to age in place or move to new affordable housing. She added that the report will break down which recommendations can be addressed locally and which will require county or state partners, for example when seeking transit service changes.
Board members discussed implementation, funding and planning authority. One member noted that Montgomery’s master plan would likely need updating to accommodate large projects such as a new senior center or a YMCA redevelopment at a municipal site, and that such changes would require township‑council action and, in many cases, additional grant funding. Schreiner said the final report and slideshow will be posted and shared widely when the facilities assessment is complete.
The presentation concluded with a focus on near‑term steps: improve communications to boost awareness of existing services, pilot outreach to pockets of high need, and use the Plan for Health grant to begin integrating public‑health criteria into planning reviews. The board encouraged the department to post the slide deck in addition to the final report so residents can digest the findings more easily.
