Grassroots Program Helps Seniors Stay Independent

Dear Savvy Senior,

I recently read an article about a new community-based elder care program called "villages" that provides in-home services to seniors that help them remain living in their own home. My husband and I are retiring in a few years and are interested in starting up a program like that in our small town. What can you tell us?

Retiring Homebodies

Dear Homebodies:

According to an AARP survey, nearly nine out of 10 Americans over the age of 60 want to live out their lives in their own homes. The program you're asking about can help.

Aging at Home

Seniors faced with the prospect of leaving their homes for a retirement community or assisted living facility because driving or household chores have become too difficult or dangerous should be aware that there's a new kind of elder care program/ concept that can help them stay put.

These programs are called "villages". They can serve many of the functions of a hotel concierge, with seniors one phone call away from a wide variety of services that help them remain living in their own homes. While there are currently only a dozen or so of these programs in the United States, the village concept is growing rapidly as more people learn about it and because these programs can be started by individual community members and neighborhood groups as well as businesses and municipalities. The services offered come from local businesses, community resources and volunteers, and typically include transportation; errand running; grocery shopping; home-delivered meals; help with household chores; home repairs; home health services, and a variety of social and cultural activities at local churches, schools or community centers.

To receive these services, a senior becomes a village member and pays yearly dues. The membership fees cover the concierge service and connections to reliable, pre-screened services, along with some basic services such as information assistance, rides from volunteers and group activities such as exercise classes and lectures. The costs of services provided by for-profit businesses, which may include home repairs, household chores and home healthcare, are extra in addition to membership dues. However these are generally discounted from what members would pay on their own.

To find out if your community offers a program similar to this, call your Area Agency on Aging (call 800-677-1116 to get your local number). If one doesn't currently exist, encourage the agency to get one started.

A Good Role Model

Beacon Hill Village in Boston, which pioneered this home-care concept about six years ago, is the best model on how to develop a program for your community. To help, they offer a how-to manual to guide you through the details of creating a business plan, surveying your community needs, marketing and recruiting service providers. The cost for the manual is $300 for nonprofits and neighborhood groups and $500 for for-profits and municipalities. To order a copy, visit www.beaconhillvillage.org or call 617- 723-9713. Meanwhile, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Form a committee. Get together a group of 10 or so neighbors with diverse skills and backgrounds who are interested in supporting or developing the project.

• Do some research. Find out the number of elderly residents living in your neighborhood or community, their average income, etc. You can use census data to find this information.

• Know your customers. Do a survey to find out what kinds of services people will want and what they will pay for them.

• Search for services. Contact key local businesses and health providers, from hospitals and home care agencies to repair services, to gauge their interest in working with your group. Look for volunteer help, too.

• Make a plan. Draw up a business plan, estimating membership income and costs.

• Fundraise. You'll need some money to get started. Interested residents may help as well as may businesses that are prospects for providing services.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to "The NBC Today Show" and author of The Savvy Senior books.

The Gazette does not endorse the contents of The Savvy Senior. Check with professionals about the contents of this column.