There are more older people living in the Tavistock area than most places and in some wards almost one quarter of the population is aged 65 or over. This means that more ways need to be developed for keeping older people in the mainstream of community life so that they can contribute their skills towards building vibrant communities.

Achieving this aim will require a wider spread of voluntary and social opportunities, supported by a good exchange of local information. It also requires help in overcoming barriers when deciding where to live and how to travel, and there needs to be confidence that medical and support services are on hand should crises arise.

Against this background, the Tavistock and Villages Initiative will work to:

Strategic aims	Supporting Projects	Health Check references
Assist health and care providers with delivering key improvements		Proportion of population over retirement age Numbers of doctors and dentists Adequacy of social and health care services in the home
Increase the accommodation options open to older people	New sheltered accommodation	Proportion of households of elderly people living alone Availability of supported housing
Ensure transport provision takes account of older peoples’ needs	Bus shelters Tavistock Hoppa bus service	Proportion of population over retirement age Ease of access to non-emergency hospital services Accessibility of public transport to the mobility-impaired
Create opportunities to be involved with the community	Tavistock Town guided tours	Proportion of population over retirement age