Community Partnership on Aging

Falls can be a major safety hazard for mature adults. An older couple, served by the Community Partnership on Aging, found themselves in need of emergency services on several occasions after one partner fell and could not get back up. Once the main caregiver, the other partner was finding it increasingly difficult to help. The Community Partnership on Aging team got involved and discovered that the couple had no safety devices, like grab rails and bathroom bars, in their home. Thanks to the organization’s biggest fundraiser—a firefighter chili cookoff—safety devices were installed free of charge, increasing the couple’s safety and capabilities. During the visit, another critical discovery was made. The couple was malnourished due to dental problems. The Community Partnership on Aging put them in touch with affordable dental care. In time, they were able to enjoy their food more. As their nutrition improved, so did their health.Group of smiling older adults sitting around a table with trays of food in front of them. Enriching older residents’ lives The Community Partnership on Aging is a unique collaboration of six cities that work together to help older city residents. The organization provides practical support and resources to help people stay in their homes, with safety and dignity, as long as they can. It also provides a welcoming place for older adults to meet with friends, have lunch, exercise and enjoy a greater quality of life. Many older people are now anchored in the community they discovered through the organization. In addition, the Community Partnership on Aging offers community meals, food distribution, social work services and transportation, as well as educational and enrichment programs. It also provides volunteer opportunities for city residents to provide services, like raking leaves and lawn care. Cooking for a cause with reusable giveaways Every year, the city fire departments challenge each other to a chili cookoff. A big community gathering, this event raises funds to purchase and install home safety devices. For this past year’s event, Wendy Sattin, executive director at Community Partnership for Aging, purchased reusable food bags with a one by one grant. “Every year, we struggle to decide what to give as a memento of the cookoff. It can be an expensive endeavor,” Sattin explained. “The grant allowed us to give out the reusable food storage bags as our memento and save a lot of money, which lets us turn over even more money for our Safe-at-Home program.”

For more information about Community Partnership on Aging, please visit https://www.communitypartnershiponaging.org/ opens in new window