Aging in Suburbia: An Assessment of Senior Needs

Abstract

To date, there have been no surveys focusing on older adults living in suburban communities. As the majority of American seniors reside in suburbia, it is important to understand factors that impede successful aging in these settings. This study surveyed 1,151 seniors to examine the needs of seniors living in a large suburban community across two counties in the northeastern United States. Specific areas of query included the following: transportation, health status, social support, self-sufficiency, and economic factors. Findings revealed that seniors over 85, minorities, those reporting poor health, and those who do not drive were at especially high risk of service access problems and social isolation.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a HEALNY grant from the State of New York. The authors gratefully acknowledge study support from the New York State Department of Health and the Long Island Center for Health Policy Studies. The State of New York had no role in the conception, study design, collection of data, analysis of data, interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.