Innovations in Aging Collaborative

Striving to become an Age-Friendly Community where individuals of any age feel valued, respected, and supported by their community.

News

City Council Candidate Forums

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We were delighted to help CONO and the Trails and Open Spaces Coalition partner with local community centers for candidate forums with the District 3&4 City Council candidates. Helen Collins, Yolanda L. Avila, and Deborah Hendrix of District 4, as well as Richard Skorman and Chuck Fowler of District 3 all participated.
These well attended events brought together a diverse crossection of the community to learn about the candidates, hear them speak about their positions, and ask questions. Thanks to all of the organizations, candidates, and citizens who participated! We’re looking forward to continuing our Age Friendly work in cooperation with the next City Council! Ballots will be mailed out starting on March 10th, and the last day to return your ballot will be April 4th. Don’t forget to vote!

State Plan on Aging

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As you may remember, the Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging, appointed by the Governor, spent most of last year working on their report and plan on aging in Colorado. The report was released in December and contains the overall vision for aging in Colorado, as well as nine specific recommendations. If you haven’t already, check out the exciting report here and look at how it overlaps with Age Friendly Colorado Springs’ goals and action items. Our whole state is beginning to address aging together!

Project Visibility!

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In February we were fortunate enough to have Ash Bell, from Boulder County visit and give us a local Project Visibility training. Project Visibility is an initiative that helps people who work with seniors understand how to create a more welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for LGBT elders. Senior industry professionals, Area Agency on Aging staff, and local senior advocates all attended the training. Thanks to everyone who participated in making our community more inclusive. If you have any questions about Project Visibility you can learn more here, or get in touch with us!

We are hiring!

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Join Our Team!

Innovations in Aging Collaborative (IIAC) is launching its first intergenerational Village in Colorado Springs’ historic Old North End Neighborhood (ONEN) and is seeking a part time Program Coordinator to design and implement the Village model.  The Old North End Neighborhood intergenerational village (ONEN iVillage) is intended to build and strengthen the neighborhood community in the Old North End and ensure that all residents can remain safe and happy in their own homes as they age in place. Although distinct in each implementation, an iVillage most importantly focuses on meeting the emerging needs of a neighborhood-specific senior population, recruiting volunteers to provide services and encouraging intergenerational interaction.

By organizing local resources and inspiring residents to support and serve one another, the iVillage model promotes intergenerational relationships and makes it easier for older residents to age in place responsibly while maintaining their autonomy and independence. The position is an opportunity to start a new program for older adults in Colorado Springs and to grow the program.

Download the position description by clicking on the link below:

IIAC-ONEN iVillage Program Coordinator Job Description

 

Age Friendly Colorado Springs Community Launch Celebration

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Thursday, September 8, 2016, 4:00 – 7:00 pm

Acacia Park, Downtown Colorado Springs

Join Innovations in Aging Collaborative, AARP Colorado and CO Springs Mayor as we kick off our new initiative, Age-Friendly Colorado Springs! This community celebration will demonstrate the feel and activities associated with making Colorado Springs a livable community for people of all ages! Performances, food, demonstrations, exhibitors and more! FREE and open to the public!

According to a recent study, the population of residents 65 and older in our region will grow by 160% by the year 2040. The factors which make a community “age friendly” are the same whether you are a senior or a millennial. Both groups want to live in a city that includes opportunities for social participation, beautiful outdoor spaces, excellent health services, respect and inclusion, as well as housing and transportation options that fit their lifestyle. This initiative is a win-win for all generations. And it’s something that we can all work together to achieve. 

If you love Colorado Springs then you’ll want to stay here as you age. 

As Olympic City USA, Colorado Springs has an opportunity to be a leader in the age-friendly movement and become a trailblazer in encouraging the success and accomplishment of residents of all ages.
Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1752438988307381/!

AARP new red logo PrintBBB logoFNL-LOGO -Age Friendly CS

Addressing Concerns About Aging in Place

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By Teelin Lucero, Community Outreach Director

We already know that remaining in their own homes and communities is a priority for people of all ages, and this tends to become increasingly more important to individuals as they advance in age. Older adults closely associate their ability to live independently, at home, with their ability to express autonomy over their lives and continue relationships that are important to them.

We also know that there are significant challenges to this continued independence, and that many small factors and barriers can turn into huge impediments to the ability to stay at home. Things that seem like very minor problems when we buy a home at a young age, or tasks which once seemed simple, can eventually make a home impossible to live in as a senior. At Innovations in Aging, part of our mission to create a new vision for aging involves addressing these housing concerns, both through preventative advocacy for people who may be buying and building homes now, and through modifications and adjustments that make it easier to age in place. Furthermore, we are committed to advocating for affordable housing and having a voice in senior care so that individuals who do decide to move out of their homes have safe, affordable, and happy options available to them as well.

The AARP is a wonderful place to start learning about how to make a house a “Lifelong Home” for people of all abilities. They have produced several worksheets and guides, called ‘Homefit” to assess how age friendly a home is, and help correct problems before they become crises. Some of the criteria assessed in Homefit are as simple as whether or not there are flashlights in easy reach on each level of the house in case of power outage, to as potentially problematic as whether there is at least one step-free entrance to your home, and whether there is a bedroom, full bathroom, and kitchen located on the main level. The Homefit criteria are helpful for individuals who are thinking about building a home or moving into a new one, but they are also accompanied with advice and recommendations for remedying possible issues before they become impediments to remaining at home. To view the Homefit guides, click here.

If you have more questions about Homefit resources, or would like information on supportive services for aging in place, please don’t hesitate to contact us at agefriendly@innovationsinaging.org.