Growing old and lovin' it!

The draft Clark County Aging Readiness Plan is out, and I can tell one thing just by the cover: It’s great to be old!

Seriously, check out the faces on the right:

These are not the people who show up to grump at meetings, that’s for sure. Who are these people?

Clark County Administrator Bill Barron — who can tell when I’m fishing around for a blog item — said yes, those are stock photographs and not actual people in Clark County.

Why not feature actual old people in Clark County? I asked.

“Because that would take time and we are trying to be efficient,” he said.

The stock photographs in the 93-page plan make being old look great: lots of time for yoga, riding bikes, walking, sitting around in a fuzzy robe while someone gives you pills, gazing out the window thinking, “Wow, Clark County commissioners really know how to plan for the future.”

In all seriousness, the plan has been the work of a 24-person task force appointed last year by the commissioners. The task force did extensive community outreach before coming up with ideas on accommodating the so-called Silver Tsunami.

“Clark County wanted to anticipate and meet challenges early on, so that the community is well-prepared to help the wave of baby boomers
stay in their homes and communities, if they wish, and remain active, healthy and engaged,” reads the introduction.

To see photographs of the happy old people and read the plan, which addresses housing, transportation, support services and other considerations for an older population, go here.

P.S. You’ll find these happy old people don’t refer to light rail as “loot rail” or “crime train.”

Nope, check a recommendation under transportation: “Strategy 4c (long term) – Provide bus rapid transit or light-rail transit service to areas where the density and ridership will support it. Bus rapid transit service on Fourth Plain Boulevard and light-rail transit service across the proposed Columbia River Crossing are included in the 20-year transit development plan. The plan outlines service expansions based on an increase in sales tax funding.”