Aging in Place Initiatives Gain Recognition With Small Grants

"Aging in Place" has become a recognizable term since the 1st Boomers reached age 60 in 2006 and will be 65 in 2011. That means there will be twice as many of us, 1 in every 5 Americans in 2030. Wow! There are a lot of us.

Whether you're a Boomer with aging parents who want to stay in their own "place," or you yourself recognize the merits of doing that, you might have an idea of how to make that more feasible. Perhaps you can get a small grant to make it happen in your community.

3 organizations have collaborated to award small grants to innovative projects around the country. MetLife Foundation (see photo), Partners for Livable Communities, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging have recognized these creative projects:

 - San Diego's La Mesa Park & Rec Dept sponsor an all-age drumming project to underscore the benefits of rhythm and movement and a healthy lifestyle

 - Kansas City's TJ Brown Foundation recruited home repair and lawn maintenance pros to help older adults stay in their homes

 - Arizona's Pinal-Gila Council organized Chambers of Commerce to create age-appropriate jobs for older people

If you have a burning desire to implement some little project that you know will improve the well-being and "stayability" of your parents or yourself in their own homes, you might get in touch with the sponsoring organizations to see how you can partner with a community project in your neighborhood to get a "JumpStart the Conversation" grant in place.

What ideas do you have to make it feasible, comfortable, and safe for older people to stay in their homes?