An "elder friendly" community is one that provides opportunities for people to age in place by making resources available for day-to-day living. It means that grocery stores, pharmacies, medical care, transportation, social supports, and churches, for example, are within easy reach of and accessible to older citizens so they may continue to live in and make contributions to their community. It means that human services are available when needed, such as home delivered meals. And it means that the community is safe, that housing is affordable, and that the community environment is one in which older citizens may live with dignity and independence. The most important point is this: a community that is livable for older citizens is a livable community for all ages.

These resources offer valuable assistance and insight into this innovative concept:

• Michigan Livable and Elder Friendly Community Projects
• Creating Aging Friendly Communities
• Partners for Livable Communities
• National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Aging in Place Initiative
• National AdvantAge Program
• AARP Livable Communities
• "Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide". World Health Organization (WHO) guide to engaging cities to become more age-friendly.