by Tobi Elkin
Older adults want to age in place. Can the Village Movement grow to meet demand?
The trend is clear: Adults in the U.S. are increasingly looking to stay in their homes and communities–
age-in-place–for as long as they possibly can. A 2018 AARP
survey
revealed that 3 out of 4 adults 50+ want to remain in their homes and
communities as they age. The Village Movement, a national
network
of nonprofit membership organizations, provides support and services
that enable older adults to continue living independently longer.
Villages focus on service
delivery. Members pay a monthly fee for access to and help with transportation,
small home repairs, household tasks, organized social activities and even tech
support. While fees vary across Villages, they tend to start at around $25-$50/month.
Most offer a sliding scale and financial assistance for those in need.
When members need support, they are
connected to vetted and trained volunteers, many of whom are also members. Volunteers
and staff who drive members also are insured. For larger projects, many Villages maintain lists of product
and service providers, while others negotiate discounts for members with local
businesses.
Local Partnerships Support Services
“Villages try to connect with service providers and partner with
existing organizations,” says Barbara Sullivan, national director,
Village to Village Network,
a nonprofit organizing body and resource for the Village Movement
nationally. “We’re not trying to make decisions for people, we’re trying
to give them choices.”
Beacon Hill Village
in Boston, the longest running Village founded in 2001, offers members
access to discounted service providers (lawn care, plumbers,
electricians, tax experts, etc.), restaurants, home health care
providers, fitness trainers and prescription drug cards that supplement
Medicare Part D coverage.
“We don’t do direct care but we have a list
of vetted services and providers, the vetting includes background checks. We
make sure agencies are licensed and we track quality,” said Laura Connors,
executive director, Beacon Hill Village.
In Los Angeles,
ChaiVillageLA,
a collaboration of two area synagogues Temple Emmanuel and Temple
Isaiah, offers lists of recommended businesses and community resources
for its members–though they’re not formally vetted. Instead, the
faith-based Village’s 218 members offer recommendations and reviews.
Services
Are Designed to Meet Local Needs
In rural Yancey County, N.C., transportation is the most in-demand service provided by the
MY Neighbors
Village. The all-volunteer Village launched in 2017 with 10 members and
20 volunteers and has grown to more than 75 members and 63 volunteers,
according to Chip Poston, Board Chair. In 2019, Poston is focused on
expanding the Village’s service area to neighboring Mitchell County and
recruiting more volunteers.
“I’ve traveled all over the world and I’ve
never seen a group of people like this that have a pioneering spirit of taking
care of their neighbors who are unable to do as well for themselves as they
used to do,” says Enid A. Alley, 74. Alley relies on MY Neighbors to take her
food shopping and to doctor’s appointments. Volunteers have also hung pictures
for her, taken her shopping for a new TV, and set it up in her home.
In suburban areas like Takoma Park, M.D., outside of Washington,
D.C., transportation is also a key service—but so are walking groups.
Members of this 220-member, all-volunteer Village range in age from 57
to 95. In addition to rides, personal shopping and home repairs, the
Village of Takoma Park offers members social activities such as a Senior Strolls program and regular group walks.
The Village Movement is Seeking to Scale
There are more than 200 Villages across the U.S. with more than 150
in development, according to Sullivan of the Village-to-Village Network.
In California, a coalition of nearly 50 villages and partners formed
Village Movement California
as a way to scale the grassroots model. The coalition was recently
awarded a planning and organizational development grant by the
Archstone Foundation to help raise public awareness of the movement, and increase the number and size of Villages.
One key to successful scaling is developing strong funding sources.
The Village Movement relies on foundation grants, individual giving and
membership fees to support operations. Beacon Hill Village also collects
fees from ticketed events to pay for a host of services and activities
for its 380 members, 140 volunteers and a paid staff of 6. The Village’s
Creative Kitchens Tour is an annual fundraiser supported by local
business sponsors.
Madge Sargent, 78, is a subsidized
member of Beacon Hill and a Creative Kitchens Tour volunteer. “There’s
something in it for everybody and for every stage in your life,” she says. As a
new member eight years ago, she signed up for day trips, conversations and
walks, and became an “ambassador” who offers guidance to new members. “What [the
Village] did for me, I could never repay them.”
Full Article & Source:
Can the Village Movement Scale to Support Aging in Place?
