Tuesday morning's Board of Selectmen meeting focused primarily on an hour-long presentation by the team in charge of researching the health care and housing issues facing New Canaan's ballooning senior population.

The New Canaan Senior Health Care & Housing Policy Development Team presented a thorough investigation into New Canaan's aging demographics as well as the accommodations currently offered by the town to ensure senior citizens will be able to find affordable care and housing in the later years of life.

The presentation titled, "Senior Trends, Insights & Options Towards Building an Optimal Livable Community for All New Canaan," was met with praise by the Selectmen as well as audience members who seemed impressed with the study's thoroughness, which touched on everything from the value of retaining a senior population to the biggest issues facing New Canaan residents over the age of 64.

According to the presentation, the senior policy project impacts 75 percent of the town's population, with 23 percent already over the age of 65 and 52 percent of the town's population composed of baby boomers passing the 65-year mark within the next two decades.

The Senior Health Care & Housing Policy Development Team, which includes Jim Lisher and Kathleen Corbet, described some of the issues facing senior citizens living in New Canaan, such as: high cost of living, limited availability of smaller, single-level homes and difficulty finding local nurses to aid those with sensory, mobility or cognitive disabilities. According to the team, 25 percent of those aged 55 to 59 in the year 2000, had left town by 2010.

This migration rate could be detrimental to town revenue streams when considering 33 percent of charitable donations originate from senior citizens as well as nearly $20 million annually in property taxes. The presentation also touched on the cultural value of retaining an aging population.

According to the presentation, the issue of aging and finding continuing care for our senior relatives is one of the "great traumas of life," both for parents and their children. The issue of assisted living and/or weekly health care is also very prevalent in those aged 65 and older, with nearly half of the senior population having at least one physical or cognitive disability that requires routine visits to doctors and a higher level of care.

The issue of caring for seniors is complicated by the fact nearly 80 percent of senior citizens wish to remain in their own homes, living independently, as they grow older. It can be difficult to find help for independent, elderly individuals with disabilities due to the distance of most skilled caregivers.

While the study found New Canaan is among the best towns for senior services in Southwestern Connecticut, with facilities such as the New Canaan Inn for housing and the Waveny Care Center for health needs, there is a lack of housing for aging couples as well as a scarcity of smaller, more manageable dwellings.

The presentation concluded by seeking the Board of Selectmen's agreement, in principal, of the issues presented in the study, which was granted. The Board of Selectmen were also asked if they'd permit for further steps to be taken by the committee, which include: conducting focus groups to identify key issues in serving seniors, exploring ways the town can change policies to better meet senior needs and to discuss and identify major health care and housing options, among other steps.

The ultimate goal of the New Canaan Senior Health Care & Housing Policy Development Team is to ensure, "New Canaan, Connecticut is an optimal livable community where everyone can grow up and grow old with maximum independence, caring support, safety and well being."

The group's presentation has been posted in full along with this story.