According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health and well-being as we age "are determined not only by our genes and personal characteristics but also the physical and social environments in which we live our lives."Global Age-Friendly Cities: A Guide, "Older people are a resource for their families, communities and economies in supporting and enabling living environments. WHO regards active ageing as a lifelong process shared by several factors that, alone and acting together, favor health, participation and security in older adult life."The Newtown Bee recently, Mr Boccuzzi called the idea of Newtown as a livable community an "intellectual undertaking that will have a good payoff in the end."hoped to become the first community in Connecticut to be recognized as a livable community, but a lower Fairfield County city beat Newtown by one month."These Maine Communities Are Age-Friendly For Seniors and Students," September 2017), Mr Morelli also pointed out that The Greenwich Commission on Aging, which is leading the planning effort for that city, "made 'Livable Communities: A Vision for the Future' the theme of its 2017 Late Life Issues Professional Conference."Localized DataJune 2017 FONS conducted a survey, inviting residents age 50 and over to participate, to widen the net of those providing information to the grassroots organization.The Newtown Bee in June 2017.rides to polling locations on election day, seminars, a paper shredding event, a hot cider station on Main Street, a wine and chocolate tasting, and krav maga classes, among other offerings that have provided entertainment, educations, and fundraising - but April's program will focus on the core mission of the group.The Eight DomainsCivic Participation & EmploymentCommunication & InformationCommunity & Health ServicesHousingOutdoor Spaces & BuildingsRespect & Social InclusionSocial ParticipationTransportation[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-311114" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/FONS-collage.jpg" alt="FONS collage" width="750" height="536" /]Among those who will lead discussions during the Friends of Newtown Seniors Livable Community Seminar are, clockwise from upper left, Beth Ann Fetzer, Mary Ann Jacob, Pat Llodra, Steve Rosenblatt and Ned Simpson.  (Newtown Bee collage)The Table CaptainsReservations are requested for the FONS Livable Community program, and can be done by contacting the group at 203-430-0633 or info@friendsofnewtownseniors.org.

WHO is working to create age-friendly environments, or livable communities, so that senior citizens can continue to enjoy their lives and remain as independent as possible. Towns and cities are encouraged to tap into the potential offered by older people, whom WHO describes as those age 60 and older.

WHO has identified eight areas, which the organization calls domains, in urban living: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participating, respect and social inclusion, civic participating and employment, communication and information, and community support and health service.

Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) has been looking at those eight domains for a few years. Members now want to hear from residents on what they think Newtown is already doing and providing, and what needs to be done to improve life for its aging population.

A Livable Community Program has been scheduled for Saturday, April 28. The free event will run from 9 am until 2 pm, in the cafetorium of Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road. All residents are invited, and complimentary lunch will be provided.

According to the 2007 WHO publication

The guide also says, in part, "an age-friendly city adapts its structures and services to be accessible to and inclusive of older people with varying needs and capacities."

FONS Chair John S. Boccuzzi, Sr, said the overall mission of the day is for all participants to "have a really good dialogue around the idea of a livable community and its eight domains."

Speaking with

The FONS event will also use recent research from AARP, which has also been working with elected officials at all levels, as well as planners and citizen activists, to help towns and cities, counties, and states create age friendly, livable communities for all ages. AARP also follows the eight domains outlined by WHO in looking at what already exists and what is needed to improve livability.

"We will discuss the concept of a livable community, centered on the eight domains identified by World Health Organization as critical areas to examine when looking at the livability of a community," Mr Boccuzzi said on March 12.

Mr Boccuzzi said he and other FONS members had

"We presented the concept of a livable community to the Board of Selectmen a while ago, at a time when no communities were identifying themselves as livable communities in the state," he said. "But Greenwich beat us to it. They were the first ones."

Newtown is listed by AARP as having joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities as of January 2017. Membership denotes that a town's elected leadership has "made the commitment to actively work toward making their town, city, county or state a great place for people of all ages," according to the organization's website.

Greenwich joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities in December 2016, becoming the state's first community to do so, according to Peter Morelli, a freelance writer and livable communities consultant based in Portland, Maine. In writing for AARP (

As of March 13, the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities included 226 communities across the country. California was home to 19 such communities, Florida was at 18, but Maine dwarfed both with 50 communities dedicated to being age-friendly. Connecticut remains at two.

"They don't come in and certify you or anything like that," Mr Boccuzzi explained of AARP's network, "but they recognize that you are working on the livable concepts."

Mr Boccuzzi sounds envious when he talks about Greenwich and the steps that city has already taken.

"They have some really amazing programs going on," he said. "I go to meetings down there. They have an organization called At Home, and its main goal is to keep people who want to stay in their home, remain in their homes.

"They've set up services for transportation, chore services … they've got all kind of things going on, to support people so that if their wish is truly to stay in their homes, they can stay there," he added.

"Our feeling is we can do more in the town of Newtown, to help people in need," he said. "It's very complicated in this state. Currently the state is in such turmoil, and there has been so many cuts, and elimination of programs. Half the time people don't even know who to call when there's a problem, and then when they call there doesn't seem to be anybody on the other end of the line."

FONS would like to see dozens of Newtown residents participate in the upcoming seminar. It will be direct feedback from current residents that will help shape goals and realistic ways to meet them.

"I think more and more of this is going to fall to the local community," Mr Boccuzzi said of the idea that towns and cities should have stronger support in place to take care of its residents.

"This business of us sending money to the state, the state sends it to the government, the government sends it back to the state, the state sends it back to us, is just this crazy shell game that goes on," he said. "We really need to begin to let communities be the best they can."

Using guidelines from AARP, FONS has been looking into very localized data concerning Newtown, its residents, their needs, and what is already in place. In

The survey began with general questions - gender and age of each person responding. It also asked whether responders live alone, or still drove themselves, to establish base demographics. Topics also covered communication, including whether an information hotline of directory of services is available, whether programs for older adults are well publicized, and how communications with seniors could be improved.

Following areas of concern described by WHO and AARP, the FONS survey also considered transportation, civic engagement and employment, community and health services, outdoor spaces and buildings, social participation, and respect and social inclusion. While the response wasn't a large as organizers had hoped for, Mr Boccuzzi said the all volunteer nonprofit group received approximately 200 responses.

"We're working with what we received, and hoping to learn more," he said earlier this month.

FONS used the data from last year's survey and, combined with data collected by a Newtown Commission on Aging general survey done in 2014, began putting together "a plan for addressing the gaps that exist here in Newtown," Mr Boccuzzi told

Friends of Newtown Seniors was established in late 2016 with a mission of helping the Newtown community address issues that affect the lives and well-being of senior citizens. The group has held a number of special events since its founding -

As outlined by WHO and AARP, the issues and concerns for older people and those who serve older period around the world are the following:

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An age-friendly community provides ways older people can, if they choose to, work for pay, volunteer their skills, and be actively engaged in community life.

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Age-friendly communities recognize that not everyone has a smartphone or Internet access, and that information needs to be disseminated through a variety of means.

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At some point, everyone gets hurt, becomes ill, or simply needs a bit of help. While it is important that care be available nearby, it is also essential that residents are able to access and afford the services provided.

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Most older adults want to age in place. Doing so is possible if homes are appropriately designed or modified, and if a community includes affordable housing options for varying life stages.

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Parks, sidewalks, safe streets, outdoor seating, and accessible buildings - think elevators, stairs with railings, etc - can be used and enjoyed by people of all ages.

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Intergenerational activities are a great way for young and old to learn from one another, honor what each has to offer, and at the same time feed good about themselves.

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Regardless of one's age, loneliness negatively affects a person's health and sense of well-being. Isolation can be combatted by availability of accessible, affordable, and fun social activities.

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Driving should not be the only way to get around. Transportation options should exist that allow all members of the community to move about as needs and desires dictate.

"We'll be talking a lot about what already exists, what are the gaps, and can we articulate goals and tasks to meet those needs," Mr Boccuzzi said. "We are hoping to ultimately form groundwork, to be furthered by research groups, and then that material will be available" for town boards and commissions to work from.

While Mr Boccuzzi and other FONS members fully realize that the goals of making Newtown a recognized livable community will not be met by the end of the seminar, "we are hoping to start outlining them," he said.

The breakout sessions on April 28 will be the largest segment of the five-hour event. According to a draft agenda, the table captains will lead each group in reviewing local research and current findings; discuss desired situations, gaps, opportunities, challenges and examples; and identify desired strategies through task analysis and initial goals.

Following a break, lunch will be served while reports from each domain are presented to the full group. The afternoon will include a brief participatory exercise, and deciding the priorities and setting goals for Newtown, before adjourning at 2 pm.

Table captains have been set up and will include the following: Beth Ann Fetzer, vice president and community development officer for Savings Bank of Danbury (who will lead the discussion on Social Participation); Duane Giannini, vice president-human resources, Newtown Savings Bank (Respect & Social Engagement); Mary Ann Jacob, former Legislative Council chair and director of incentive management at Budderfly LLC (Civic Engagement & Employment); former First Selectman Pat Llodra (Outdoor Spaces & Buildings); architect John Madzula (Housing); Steve Rosenblatt, who retired following a career in advertising (Communication & Information); former First Selectman Herb Rosenthal (Transportation); and Ned Simpson, who retired in 2014 following a career in health care operations and systems (Community & Health Services).

Additional volunteer researchers have been enlisted by FONS to supplement the work of each table captain.

Bill Brimmer, a former town selectman, will open the program and serve as the day's emcee, according to Mr Boccuzzi.