Two council committees are holding a joint hearing on the city-run health program for senior citizens. Ald. Tom Tunney (44), chairman of the Council’s Special Events and Cultural Affairs Committee, and Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1), chairman of the Council’s Human Relations Committee, had introduced a resolution in January that called for hearings on, “the city’s ability to assist with senior residents’ stabilization program.”

In the preamble of the resolution, they note that according to the 2010 Census, 10.3% of the city’s population are 65 years or older, and that number is projected to double by 2040. It also cites a study from the U.S. Surgeon General that touts the health benefits of exercise for seniors as a way for reducing risks of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and other ailments associated with aging.

Tunney and Moreno have asked the Director of the city’s Department of Family and Supportive Services and leaders of the city’s Senior Services Area Agency on Aging to appear before their joint hearing today to “discuss the city’s ability to help our Senior Residents ‘age in place,’” and promote programs that encourage “cultural enrichment, health and fitness.”