NNORC trying to make community more liveable

NNORC (Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) project is about making the community more livable as its residents age.

In an interview last week, Local NNORC Coordinator Nadine Roush went over the basics of the recent meeting.

"What we're doing is trying to find out from people what it's going to take to make it a more livable community as we age," she said. "The focus is on the baby boomer tsunami."

It is expected that there will be an increase of 3,387 older adults in Greene County by the year 2035, she said.

The objective is to take a three-pronged approach to improve mobility through transportation, home modification and physical wellness.

With that said, the NNORC project has three goals.

The first goal is to form partnerships with the city, Shepherd Communities and local churches to implement a voucher transportation program.

The second is to implement a "Labor of Love Society" program -- which consists of a database with individual home modification needs and providers to assist with these needs, she added.

The third goal is to enhance and promote community and wellness center and fitness programs.

Through the project, much data has been collected, Roush noted.

According to the data, 94 percent of adults age 60 or older would prefer to remain in their homes and active in their communities for as long as possible.

But only 31 percent of these adults are confident they'll be able to accomplish that goal.

The current year has been devoted to planning, but next year will be about implementation, she said.

So far, Roush is pleased with the project.

"We've been pleased with the progress. We're accomplishing our goal by obtaining the information needed. We're listening to the residents. ... It's important to communicate because we're all going to be affected," she added.