Take Action: Aging

Presently, there is no single indicator that defines healthy aging effectively for all seniors. Individuals who age-in-community require different service matrices to support a variety of needs. Accordingly, nonprofit organizations are developing specific measures to evaluate the services they offer. Services should include the following key components:

• Service Access: High-performing organizations ensure availability of and access to supportive services that allow seniors to age-in-community. In particular, services should be designed to meet the needs of vulnerable populations. High-performing organizations should reevaluate regularly the needs of the populations they serve to ensure those needs are aligned with the services they provide. Additionally, organizations should work together across communities to ensure that the greatest possible network of services is available to the largest possible population of seniors.
• Service Awareness: High-performing organizations raise awareness of the services they provide within their communities. Methods of increasing awareness should be presented in an unbiased manner, reducing any possible stigmas associated with certain types of services (e.g., possible negative perceptions of mental health counseling). When barriers to awareness are identified, high-performing organizations should strive to eliminate or overcome them.
• Service Validation: High-performing organizations provide both valid proof of need and program legitimacy for the services they offer. Proof of need may be demonstrated through evidence-based research conducted internally or by an unbiased third party. Such research should define how needs in the community are identified and how those needs are being met, with a focus on the specific benefits provided. Program legitimacy may be verified through certification, accreditation, or licensure of staff by a recognized organization. High-performing organizations should also have long-range research plans to evaluate their programs with specific goals for defining success over time.

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Source: Root Cause

Experts working in the field of aging were asked to recommend nonprofits that work in one or more of the following areas: 1) health care, care-giving, and long-term support; 2) housing; 3) economic security; and 4) other services, which includes nonprofits that work in the areas of transportation, civic engagement, socialization and prevention of elderly abuse. Types of nonprofits could include direct-service providers, coalitions, advocacy organizations, associations, or research organizations.

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Source: Philanthropedia

Aging-in-community can succeed only if seniors have access to supportive services that allow them to remain healthy in their homes. Community-based supportive services, such as those provided by nonprofits, can offer any combination of services from the following key service categories: physical and mental health, social engagement, and personal independence.

• Physical and mental health services provide seniors with ongoing maintenance and management of personal health and existing conditions. Examples of these services include availability of preventive care, chronic disease management, fall prevention programs, nutrition awareness and healthy eating classes, exercise classes, mental health care, and counseling services.
• Social engagement services keep seniors active by offering opportunities to interact with others. Examples of these services include volunteer opportunities, intergenerational programs and connections with local youth, community meals, clubs for common interests and hobbies, faith-based activities, partnerships between seniors, or other social activities that allow seniors to engage actively in their communities.
• Personal independence services enable seniors to retain the ability to manage their daily lives with limited assistance from others. Examples of these services include transportation and mobility assistance, home maintenance and modification programs, and financial planning and management. They also include help in completing paperwork necessary to obtain Medicare and/or Medicaid coverage, public safety programs, employment opportunities, or access to an ombudsman or counselor who can provide additional assistance to facilitate independence.

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Source: Root Cause

Philanthropedia surveyed 88 experts working in the field of aging (with an average of 24 years of work experience in the field) to identify those organizations that were making the biggest positive impact in the field. Philanthropedia’s experts (funders, researchers, nonprofit senior staff, veterinaries, etc.) identified 13 top nonprofits (out of 97 total reviewed nonprofits) making an impact at the national level.

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Source: Philanthropedia