AGING IN PLACE
Aging should not be something to fear; it’s a privilege to get older!
But the reality is, aging is often full of fear and insecurity and the unknown. That's what we heard in our 2024 listening process - stories about...
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the difficulty of navigating and connecting to the right senior services, or
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worrying about losing one's dignity or independence, or
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having to move into a long-term care facility - a move that is often impossibly expensive.
Most of us, when we reach this later stage of life, want to live safely and happily in our own homes for as long as we can. Our question is: How can we make sure that we have the support, the resources, and the independence necessary to age in place?
Did you know...
Kansas is one of the worst states in the nation for “low-care” residents
in long term care facilities, meaning that more people end up in professional
care institutions than need be according to their actual level of need.
These are folks that, with just a little more strategic support, could stay in their homes!
CAPABLE: A model for aging in place successfully!
An individual's needs - at any age! - are unique, necessitating a comprehensive, well-coordinated community approach.
In the winter of 2024, our Eldercare Committee began looking for an approach that addresses the clinical needs - which frequently get more complicated as we age - but also the FUNCTIONAL needs, which are often forgotten. Things like dressing, bathing, toileting, food preparation, and getting around - these are the things that are fundamental to living on your own, continuing to engage in the community, and keep doing the things that bring you joy and give life meaning.
In our quest for effective models, we discovered CAPABLE—Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders. This program, developed originally at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, embodies the interdisciplinary, person-driven approach we envisioned. CAPABLE is already being implemented at nearly 40 sites around the country, and has a decade of research behind it, supporting its effectiveness.
Led by the older adult client, they set goals and create action plans to enhance health, independence, and safety. Participants learn new skills, exercises, and utilize tools and home modifications to improve function and safety.
To learn more about how CAPABLE works, check out the CAPABLE National Center website here:
Some of the research on CAPABLE:
52.9%
of participants had
fewer depressive symptoms
74.8%
of participants had
less difficulty with
Activities of Daily Living
$30,000
= the average savings in medical costs per participant