Resources

University of Delaware Institute for Public Administration (IPA)

Partnership between UD IPA and the Delaware General Assembly

This program helps the Delaware General Assembly make grant-in-aid fund-allocation decisions. In the past, nearly $8 million has been allocated annually to approximately 45 senior centers located throughout the state. The funding formula, modeled and facilitated annually by IPA staff, considers geographic, demographic, and programmatic factors to provide a fair and efficient assessment for funding the state’s eligible senior centers. The primary goal of the funding formula is to encourage centers to better serve Delaware’s older adults.   Project publications include:

University of Delaware IPA (2011). Complete Streets: A Guide for Delaware Local Governments.

University of Delaware IPA (2013). Transportation Services in Delaware for Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens.

University of Delaware IPA’s Senior Center Grant-in-Aid Project

The site provides resources to assist senior center directors and others interested in seeking information about the older adult population, such as senior center best practices, additional senior services and programs, demographic projections, aging fact sheets, health resources, and elderly assistance. This site also provides a list of University of Delaware resources related to the state’s aging population:

Delaware Resources

Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center

The Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is a resource of the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities within the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. It is a one-stop access point for information and services for older persons and adults with physical disabilities throughout the State.

Delaware Aging Network

The Delaware Aging Network (DAN) is an aging-in-place initiative. Established in 2005, DAN is a consortium of over 50 agencies across the state of Delaware committed to improving the quality of services older adults receive in the state. Through initial funding from the Delaware Community Foundation, Astra Zeneca and the United Way of Delaware, DAN began to create coordinated services for seniors specifically in the areas of transportation, health care and housing. DAN now advocates for statewide policy changes that benefit the aging population and provides educational opportunities for aging service providers.

CARE Delaware

This resource provides information on assistance for caregivers. This includes needs assessment and care planning, organization of support groups and caregiver training, respite care, and community-based caregiver resource centers.

Guide to Services for Older Delawareans and Persons with Disabilities

A publication of Delaware’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, the guide contains a wealth of information about Delaware services and programs for older adults and persons with disabilities. The guide is organized into sections that provide information on a specific subject, such as a type of service or program. Most sections contain a short description of the service and a list of service providers along with their contact information.

Healthy for Life

Healthy for Life is Delaware’s Health Education and Disease Prevention Program developed specifically for older adults. The goal is to help people stay healthy and independent through good nutrition, physical activity, and healthy behaviors. A Healthy for Life handbook provides participants with useful information to help them understand and care for many common physical and mental health issues.  Specifically, it helps participants to recognize symptoms; to provide self-care when appropriate; to know when to contact a health care professional; and to know how to be a wise consumer of health care. Copies of this handbook are available at no charge from the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD).

National Resources

65+ in the United States: 2010 (2014)

This 2014 report from the U.S. Census Bureau provides the latest, comprehensive look at the nation’s population aged 65 and older, comprising 40.3 million in 2010.

AARP Public Policy Institute

The vast majority of older adults want to continue to live in their own homes or communities. This report examines state policies that are needed to help older adults age in place.

Age-Friendly Communities: The Movement to Create Great Places to Grow Up and Grow Old in America (2013)

This publication introduces private philanthropies and local, state, and federal funders to a new, transformative way of thinking about aging and community development.

Aging in Place—A Toolkit for Local Governments

Created by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), this toolkit is designed to provide guidance for local governments that are planning and preparing for their aging populations. The toolkit emphasizes specific techniques for coordinating housing and healthcare supports to help seniors remain in their homes and communities as they age. The framework of the toolkit is based on three critical issue areas—healthcare, environment, and planning and zoning—that are essential components for aging in place.

Aging in Place, Stuck Without Options (2011)

An analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology that explores the future numbers of seniors who will live in neighborhoods with poor access to transportation options other than driving.

American Planning Association

Centers for Disease Control and Health Prevention

CDC’s Healthy Aging Website includes a Healthy Aging Data Portfolio that provides easy access to CDC data on key indicators of health and well-being, screenings and vaccinations, and mental health among older adults.  Includes data from the The State of Aging and Health in America 2013 report, as well as other hard-copy reports from the Healthy Aging Program.

Creating a Livable Community: Engaging All Generations and Improving Quality of Life (2013)

A guide from Met Life designed to provide guidance for those at the local level to identify new ways to implement programs that enhance lives across all generations and create a livable and positive environment for community members.

Housing an Aging Population—Are We Prepared? (2012)

A report from the Center for Housing Policy explores the effects of the coming demographic change on the demand for housing and policies that could help communities respond to the dual challenges of providing older adults with affordable housing and adequate services.

Housing America’s Older Adults—Meeting the Needs of an Aging Population (2014)

A report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University that explores the urgency in planning for housing for older adults as the 50-and over population is projected to increase about 20 percent by 2030, to 132 million. The report website includes video coverage and resources such as infographics and an interactive map of the aging U.S. population.

Livable Communities for All Ages

This brochure provides research findings, resources and case studies on how all facets of the community can contribute to a more “older adult –friendly” environment.

Livable Community Indicators for Sustainable Aging in Place (2013)

A report from Met Life that identifies an initial list of indicators that can be measured using information readily available to local governments, providing a low-cost way for cities and towns to begin to examine the needs of their aging population.

Making the Right Moves: Promoting Smart Growth and Active Aging in Communities (2014)

An article from the Journal of Aging & Social Policy that describes an award program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for excellence in smart growth and active aging.

Planning for Multigenerational Communities (2013)

An issue brief that is part of the Planning Across Generations Project in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. The briefs in this series outline key points on how planners can successfully adopt multigenerational planning to expand choices for families, increase the independence of people of all ages, and create stronger communities.

Sustainable, Visitable, and Universal by Design

This resource looks more closely at the principles of universal design and visitability; the demographic and environmental challenges that can be addressed through their implementation; and steps that have been taken to promote sustainable and independent spaces and places. It also includes examples from the U.S. EPA Awards Program, Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging (BHCAA) that illustrate what can be done and has been done to promote independence and environmentally sound living places.

 

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