Real Life Impact

Impact can be measured in numbers, bar graphs and statistics. But one of the most memorable ways to determine how partnerships are working in the communities is through stories. Read about real life impact, successes and challenges, of the partnerships' work to improve the lives of older adults in their communities.

The Power of Building Senior Leadership: The Haywood Community Connections Partnership works to train a county full of leaders to advocate for the aging population Victoria Young describes Haywood County, North Carolina, as a “very special place.” The county of about 57,000 residents is tucked beside the Great Smoky Mountains National park and is just 40 or so miles from Asheville, a city that mixes old-time North Carolina charm with plenty of culture and energy. 1 users

Art and Number Crunching: Michigan’s Blueprint for Aging Partnership uses hard data and an art show to communicate about the growing older population. In 2008, the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Blueprint for Aging Partnership held an art show. But this was no ordinary art show: Instead of a modest event featuring a few pieces of art from local hobbyists, Blueprint for Aging linked up with the University of Michigan’s School of Art & Design and put out a national call for artists to submit their works that “challenge and expand the perception of aging.” The event, “Aging with Attitude,” opened in a local gallery to a packed house marveling at the art submitted by scores of artists from around the country. 0 users

In Culpeper, VA, the work of the Aging Together Partnership brings many paybacks to the communities it serves! For both people and organizations, it’s wonderful to receive praise. A well-earned commendation can make a particularly challenging project even more worthwhile. And an acknowledgement of a community group’s good deeds can be a great motivator. 2 users

Bridging the Cultural Divide:The Pathways to Positive Aging Partnership of the City of Fremont, CA and Tri-City Elder Coalition In the last three decades, the cities of Fremont, Union City and Newark, California have experienced a tremendous demographic shift. What once was a region where roughly 8 in every 10 residents was Caucasian has morphed into a veritable melting pot of ethnicities and nationalities. 0 users

Spreading the word: Seniors Count Partnership of Manchester, N.H., takes to the airwaves to raise awareness of frail seniors Getting the general public to take notice of aging issues is difficult enough. But what about drawing attention to one of the least visible segments of the aging population? 3 users

Culpeper, Virginia: Partnership is Making the Case for Elder Law Services Sometimes, a partnership blooms in the most unlikely of places. That’s certainly what happened at Aging Together, a regional partnership of more than 100 organizations and individuals serving a five-county region in north central Virginia. 1 users

Partnership is key when tackling housing issues for older adults in Atlanta When tackling housing issues of older adults meant spearheading a region-wide change in zoning ordinances, the Aging Atlanta Partnership realized it needed help. 0 users

Elder Care Advocate Program in Jacksonville Product of Partnering As Dorothy recited in Oz, “There's no place like home.” Certainly in the case of a hospital stay the best part is going home, but sometimes that transition is anything but smooth. For some older adult patients, a hospital stay may be extended only because arrangements for long-term care aren't in place or because services to ensure the senior's well-being at home haven't been arranged. Worse yet, some vulnerable elderly patients, discharged without a thorough follow-up plan, find themselves returning to the hospital rapidly because those unmet needs have caused a crisis. Poor pre-discharge assessment, lack of communication and thinly stretched services all contribute to this malfunctioning system. 5 users

All the Lonely People? Not with GIS Mapping Seeing the benefits GIS mapping has brought to Milwaukee city government in recent years, aging-department officials urged their Connecting Caring Communities' partners to use the technology to help plan for long term care systems improvements. In Broome County, GIS mapping is helping CPOA grantee Aging Futures to improve the lives of older adults in the mixed urban/rural county in upstate New York. 5 users

Reaching Out: Houston and Maui Partnerships Tailor Efforts to Serve Elders in Key Cultural Groups Partnerships in culturally diverse communities are seeing the benefits of targeted, creative outreach to better serve older adults. Stakeholders in places as disparate as Houston and Maui, for example, are tapping resources, developing strategies and implementing tactics to reach distinct groups, such as Houston’s growing Asian populations and rural Maui’s native Hawaiians. 5 users

LGBT Older Adults Face ‘Sobering’ Challenges Partnerships in San Francisco, Boston and Atlanta strive to meet needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors 8 users

Using Public Access TV to Get the Word Out A community partnership in Hawaii is tapping an often-overlooked resource—public access television—to raise awareness of health care programs and services for older adults. 6 users

Partnership in New Hampshire Working with Business Community to Raise Needed Funds The partnership for older adults in New Hampshire had crafted innovative fundraising projects based on a common thread: tapping longstanding relationships with businesspeople in their own towns. 4 users

Information as the Fuel for Change in Boston Brian Souza got the word last spring that a local philanthropy, Sailors’ Snug Harbor of Boston, was considering narrowing or even ending its grantmaking for older adult programs, in this city with a strong tradition of social services and philanthropy. A sputtering economy in recent years has reduced donations from many foundations and has forced several to reprioritize their giving. 5 users

Highlights from One Campaign to Promote Awareness In 2003, the Aging Futures Partnership in Broome County, N.Y., knew that the southern New York area offered a wealth of services to its growing population of older adults - and that people needing those services often had no idea they were available. How could the partnership make this claim so confidently? Partly because their knowledge was supported by data they'd collected in a recent evaluation. Having solid data helped open the door to a basket of foundation grants and in-kind donations that funded the partnership's Multimedia Awareness Campaign, launched in 2004. 7 users

El Paso Explores Cultural Humility Why does a community partnership with a name like SALSA (Seniors Accessing Long term care through Strategic Planning and Advocacy) invite Humberto Reynoso-Vallejo, national expert on cultural humility, to conduct a workshop in El Paso? Wouldn’t he simply be preaching to the choir? After all, a border city where 65 percent of the population is Hispanic/Latino understands the importance of culture in planning and delivering services for older people. 17 users