Bay Area Senior Advocates (BASA) has met on a monthly basis for over 20 years and represents the Traverse City Senior Care Continuum. BASA is a unique blend of local representatives from non-profit, for-profit, government, higher education and interested consumers. The mission of the Bay Area Senior Advocates is to support and enrich the lives of older adults through advocacy, collaboration, and education.
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Here are some of the general issues the Bay Area Senior Advocates work to address, in both general and specific ways, that support the current Traverse City: Aging in Community Initiative:
Connection to Community
Many seniors live in social isolation and are unable to fully participate in their community. Community engagement is connected to improved feelings of satisfaction and quality of life. Affordable and accessible housing, transportation, and designing elder friendly communities help provide the infrastructure for community connection. Encouraging seniors to engage in their community through volunteerism, civic participation, leadership, and mentoring enhances the feeling of attachment and successful aging.
Transportation
For many seniors, lack of affordable, safe, accessible transportation prevents individuals from partaking in daily living activities such as getting to and from medical appointments, shopping, as well as participating in social and recreational activities. While public transportation services exist in our Northern Michigan counties, there are some individuals that require more specialized assistance and cannot access the demand-response services or who may need to cross county a line outside of the provider’s service area. Many seniors find the direct route bus service confusing to use and have a fear of being stranded. Also, communities that provide walkable and bikeable sidewalks and streets provide an additional option for seniors to be mobile.
Housing
The majority of seniors would like to “age in place.” That is, to live in a home that will serve their needs throughout their lives. Unfortunately, most of the homes that are built do not incorporate accessibility as a standard design feature; instead it is thought to be the exception. Building homes that are “visit-able” is to incorporate simple design features that ensure that if an individual comes to a point in life when they need a wheelchair or a walker, that home will not become a barrier to that person’s ability to live there. Simple changes in building design such as a no-step entry, wider door and hallways, wider floor areas in kitchens and bathrooms will ensure that the home will be usable for people of all ages and abilities.
Elder Abuse and Exploitation
Every year we hear stories about seniors who are abused and exploited. Senior abuse includes, not just physical abuse, but also emotional, and mental abuse. Many seniors are vulnerable to physical abuse and financial exploitation. To better protect seniors from criminal activity it is important to educate seniors, their families, and community groups about fraudulent consumer practices, abuse and exploitation, and senior rights. This also includes electronic media and identity theft issues.