Aging in Community

In 2015, the KHDC launched an Aging in Community initiative as a neighborhood-based inter-organizational collaboration to address affordable senior housing needs and provide better access to community service resources.

The group, which takes a community organizing approach, completed a survey of more than 50 Kennedy Heights households. It has funded a senior-service coordinator at the Caring Place and launched the Dementia Inclusive Kennedy Heights Initiative.

The goal is to engage the KHDC, KHCC, neighborhood representatives, senior living advocates, city officials and other invited stakeholders in establishing a vision and strategic plan for diversified, high-quality senior living offerings in Kennedy Heights.

Further Steps To Help older Residents

By invitation from the Episcopal Retirement Services (ERS) and Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Cincinnati, the KHDC’s Aging in Community Team launched the initiative on October 10, 2017. The team developed a neighborhood organizing-based approach and collaboration between organizations to address affordable senior housing needs and provide better access to community services.

Some highlights of the Aging in Community Team’s work include: 

  • Completion of a 400-person housing survey of Kennedy Heights residents over age 50 in 2015-2016.
  • Funding of a senior service coordinator at the Caring Place in 2017.  KHDC leveraged CDCA funding to raise $2,300 in neighborhood donations and a $5,000 foundation grant to help Cincinnati Area Senior Services (CASS) and The Caring Place hire a senior services coordinator. On a monthly basis, The Caring Place serves 150-200 seniors from five surrounding neighborhoods at its location in Kennedy Heights Presbyterian Church.
  • KHDC and CASS offered a financial training workshop in January 2018 for caregivers and seniors in Kennedy Heights. Attendees learned about protecting financial resources, recognizing scam and asking the right questions of salespeople.
  • The Dementia Inclusive Kennedy Heights Team holding its “Next Action Steps-Community Gathering” on May 22, 2018 and identifying its mission and initial goals. Its mission is to develop a neighborhood that welcomes people with dementia and their care partners through education, support and advocacy. Initial goals supporting caregivers and people living with a diagnosis, educating neighbors and stakeholders, supporting the underserved who are living with a diagnosis, and supporting and/or providing brain health activities.
  • Recruitment of the first “caregiver support group” facilitation team to be trained by the Alzheimer’s Association in September.
  • Establishing a resource center on dementia inclusivity at our local public library.

 

 

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