Honed in the wake of COVID-19, the Age Friendly Lehigh Valley Regional Plan addresses ongoing and emerging needs for reducing social isolation, overcoming inequities, and combating ageism in the Lehigh Valley. The plan is the culmination of years of community participation and planning, following the acceptance into the AARP Age-Friendly Communities Network as of June of 2018, becoming the first dual-counties to join the World Health Organization/AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, and kicking off a five-year planning, implementation, and evaluation cycle. 

For the first few  years, we  convened local leaders in committees and meetings, mobilized neighbors through workshops and forums, collected and organized data, and gathered feedback with listening tours. 

Bringing the plan to life is made possible by the continued dedication of our existing partners and cohorts and will depend on new partners joining the movement—local leaders, businesses, organizations, and residents—all contributing their strengths, resources, and unique perspectives as our region’s age demographics shift and opportunities arise. The plan outlines how we will leverage existing community strengths and programs while also championing new efforts. Together we are forging an age-friendly Lehigh Valley, empowering older adults and the stakeholders who serve them to bring about change at a community level.

After distilling what we have heard, the Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley Action Plan lists Action Items to be tackled over the next three years that will make our region more livable and inclusive for every generation by addressing key issues facing older adults, including ageism, social isolation, and equity.  The Action Items outlined in the plan are grouped into designated focus areas, or domains of livability.