By JOSH LEVIN
Observer contributor
April 23, 2008

According to a local study, the senior citizen population throughout Northern Virginia is expected to double within the next 30 years, and agencies say they are working hard to keep them mobile.

The study, which was completed in April 2006 by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, predicted that the number of seniors in Northern Virginia is expected to grow from one in 13 to one in seven residents.

In performing the study, the commission interviewed more than 1600 Northern Virginia seniors and conducted focus groups with long-term care professionals so they would be more equipped to make policy recommendations.

Based on the population data given in the study, population size will increase in counties all over Northern Virginia. Every county will have at least a 10 percent increase, with Loudon County projected to increase sevenfold.

Rick Taube, executive director of the commission, said that seniors living in urban areas were four times as likely to take public transportation as those living in suburban and ex-urban areas. He said that only four percent of public transportation taken in suburban areas is done by seniors, suggesting that transit companies need to market to senior citizens more effectively.

However, most of this growth is taking place in suburban areas, where there are less public transportation options and fewer sidewalks. According to the study, 82 percent of the expansion will take place in the suburban areas, while only 9 percent will take place in urban areas.

Taube said that the second phase of their study included training senior citizens who don’t know how to take public transportation. He said that the number of seniors who took transit after training more than doubled.

The study also predicts that by 2030 there will be 60,000 non-driving seniors, an increase from approximately 30,000 today.

According to Anita Stowell-Ritter, a surveyor for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), 91 percent of senior citizens already feel that non-driving seniors face a struggle to leave the house.

She said, “When you look at who is in the most need of transportation services it is the vulnerable elderly, and they have very few options.”

Tony Hylton, the Virginia AARP media representative agreed that the lack of transportation is a serious problem.

“They feel isolated, no way to get to the doctor’s office, no way to get to the grocery store, maintain their independence,” Hylton said.

Hylton did say that changes are starting to be made within the commonwealth. He said after the recent General Assembly session, legislation was approved and sent to the governor that requires long-term care facilities to have people on staff take care of senior citizen transportation.

With the backing of the state, certain agencies around the state are doing what they can to make life better for senior citizens.

Marianne Griffin, Director of the Alexandria Office of Aging, said that their group, with financial assistance from the state and non-profit organizations, provide various types of transportation for senior citizens.

She said that they have a senior taxi program, which is sponsored by Senior Services of Alexandria, a non-profit organization. However, Griffin said the program is inherently flawed because, although there are no limitations on how often a senior citizen can use the service, they can only use it to go to medical appointments and the grocery store.

“In a perfect world,” Griffin said, “There would be no limits on where these people could go.”

Griffin said that the group has programs which alleviate the problem. One of these is a group transportation system that takes busloads of people to fun places, such as shopping malls and bowling alleys.

Griffin said that other agencies have also formed partnerships with her Alexandria Office. She said the Arlington Area Agency for Aging is working with them on a program called Door-to-Door, which provides access between the two areas.

Hylton said this assistance is important for an aging society which prefers to avoid nursing and retirement homes.

“(This) is significant because we find in Virginia that between 85-90 percent of the people want to stay in their homes as long as possible.”

Chart by JOSH LEVIN
This chart shows the population growth of senior citizens in Northern Virginia over the next 22 years.