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Aging in Place in Door County

It’s important for people to plan for their elder years, no matter where they live. But it’s especially important in Door County, given its remote location and limited access to aging resources, said Do Good Door County (DGDC) president Cynthia Germain. 

“We suffer from the same things that many communities, particularly rural communities, come across: lack of home care and lack of people to do those supports,” Germain said.

That’s why DGDC has organized a series of community forums to discuss aging in place on the peninsula. These forums will present data collected from a survey by DGDC and St. Norbert College that seeks to assess which resources Door County residents want as they age. The preliminary data summary for the survey is expected to be ready by Nov. 4.

This data will represent the county as a whole, but the community forums will give DGDC a better understanding of the specific needs within each community.

“What is important and needed on Washington Island is different from Sturgeon Bay, which is different from Brussels,” Germain said.

New research on the topic is finding that aging in place is less expensive and leads to better physical and mental-health outcomes, but it requires planning. The goal of the DGDC’s community forums is to start a conversation about how people want to live during their elder years and the special considerations that aging in place requires.

The organization will also expand on the knowledge gained in 2016, when the Door County Community Foundation held Discuss Door County forums over the course of five months to understand what participants wanted the community to be like as its residents grew older.

“That information was actually kind of the cornerstone of Do Good Door County and everything we’re doing now,” Germain said. “But in conversations with the ADRC [Aging and Disability Resource Center] and other community partners, we thought we needed to get a little more detail.”

Find a Forum Near You

Each location offers two sessions: 2-4 pm or 5-7 pm.

Nov. 8

Door County Community Center/ADRC, 916 N. 14th Ave. in Sturgeon Bay

Nov. 9

Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department, 2258 Mill Road in Sister Bay

Nov. 10

Forestville Town Hall, 7705 Cty H in Forestville

Nov. 14

Baileys Harbor Town Hall, 2392 Cty F in Baileys Harbor

Nov. 15

Trinity Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 1763 Town Line Road on Washington Island

Nov. 16

Sevastopol Town Hall, 4528 Hwy 57 in Sevastopol

Nov. 17

Kress Pavilion, 7845 Church St. in Egg Harbor

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