By MAYA KOEPPEN — AARP State Director Hank Greenberg presented a plaque to Mayor Candace Hollingsworth recognizing Hyattsville as an Age-Friendly Community at a recent city council meeting.
Hyattsville is the first city in the state of Maryland to receive this recognition and one of 350 communities nationwide devoted to “encourag[ing] active aging by optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security in order to enhance the quality of life as people age,” according to the World Health Organization.
“With admission into the AARP network of age-friendly communities, the city of Hyattsville will benefit from inclusion in a global network of communities committed to giving their older residents the opportunity to live rewarding, productive and safe lives,” Greenberg said.
Hyattsville was first recognized as an age-friendly community back in 2017.
Since then, the community has expressed its continued commitment to the city’s aging population with a three-year Age-Friendly Action Plan, recently backed by the AARP. Future plans include efforts to ensure affordable housing options for seniors, combat elder abuse and publicize available health resources.
“We’re proud to be the first city in Maryland recognized by AARP as an age-friendly community. We also know there’s more work to do, and are excited to be making Hyattsville a more inclusive and friendly place for all our residents and visitors,” said Community Services Director Jake Rollow.
The city’s action plan can be found here.
