PROMOTING AGING IN PLACE BY ENHANCING ACCESS TO HOME MODIFICATIONS: TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN HOME MODIFICATION
With support from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), US Department of Health and Human Services
Training and Technical Assistance in Home Modification
While home modification activities have increased, application of these efforts has been limited. With ACL support, USC is conducting targeted training and technical assistance to enhance service providers’ – particularly those in the aging network – ability to deliver best practice home modification programs. Through training webinars, technical assistance briefs, presentations at national meetings, online Certificate Programs, and newsletters, USC will share home modification best practices and innovations and their ability to support older adult and caregiver access to these programs. Webinars and presentations in 2019 included:
Webinar: Home Modifications for Aging in Place: Federal, State, and Local Updates
Home Modifications for Aging in Place: Federal, State, and Local Updates
(Webinar)
Description: The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, with support from the Administration for Community Living, will convene a panel of leaders from federal agencies and national associations to discuss funding and programs for accessible, supportive home environments. As our population ages and more care is delivered in home settings, a supportive home environment is all the more critical. Panelists from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Veterans Administration (VA), ADvancing States, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) will describe their efforts to promote Americans’ safety and accessibility in their homes, lessons learned from the pandemic, and future directions.
Spotlight on an Area Agency on Aging Pilot Program to Reduce Home Hazards and Falls: Lessons from the Field
Speakers
•Susan Stark, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, Neurology, and Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Program in Occupational Therapy
•David Sykora, Executive Director, St. Louis Area Agency on Aging
Description
Learn about the delivery of HARP, a home hazard removal program to reduce falls, by an Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Hear presenters Dr. Susan Stark, Washington University in St. Louis, who developed and tested the program, and St. Louis AAA Executive Director, David Sykora, describe how the program works and its impact in reducing falls among older adults. Gain a better understanding of what is involved in delivering a program that reduces fall risks in the home to support aging in place.
Home Modification for Rural Older Adults During COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities (Webinar)
Speakers:
Jonathan White, AiA, Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA Center), State University of New York at Buffalo
Emily Nabors, MSG, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Jon Pynoos, PhD, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Description:
Now more than ever, the home environment plays a critical role in supporting older adults during COVID-19. Home modification service delivery can be particularly challenging in rural areas due to barriers such as working with older housing stock and across wide-ranging geographic distances. This webinar will feature home modification strategies in light of the challenges of service delivery in rural communities within the context of COVID-19. This webinar is hosted by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Fall Prevention Center of Excellence in partnership with the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA Center), State University of New York, Buffalo as part of the Promoting Aging in Place by Enhancing Access to Home Modifications project funded by the Administration for Community Living.
Webinar: Home Modifications: The Topic of the Eldercare Locator’s 2019 Home for the Holidays Campaign
Home Modifications: The Topic of the Eldercare Locator’s 2019 Home for the Holidays Campaign (Webinar)
Speakers:
- Sandy Markwood, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a)
- Emily Nabors, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
- Julie Overton, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Description: Learn about Eldercare Locator’s annual Home for the Holidays campaign, the latest research and trends on home modifications, Area Agency on Aging (AAA) home modification innovations, and ways AAAs can use the campaign to promote the value of home modifications in your community.
Webinar: An Insider’s Look: The Range of Home Modifications and Decision Making
An Insider’s Look: The Range of Home Modifications and Decision Making (Webinar)
Speakers:
- Emily Nabors, MSG, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
- Danise Levine, AiA, CAPS, Architect and Assistant Director, Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access, School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo
- Catia Garell, MA, OTR, CAPS, ECHM, CEAC, Accessibility Specialist, Thrive for Live, LLC
Description: As part of an ACL-supported grant and in partnership with n4a, the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology conducted this webinar on the range of home modifications to support aging in place – from minor to major. Listen to hear a first-hand perspective from an architect and an occupational therapist as they discuss how design and cost can affect decision-making and consumer choice. Gain a better understanding of home modification to support your information and access services for older adults in your community.
Webinar: The Role of Home Modification in Promoting Aging in Place and Community
The Role of Home Modification in Promoting Aging in Place and Community (Webinar)
Speakers:
- Emily Nabors, MSG, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
- Julie Overton, MHA, MSG, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Description: ADvancing States and the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology hosted this webinar on the role of the home in promoting aging in place and community. Presenters reviewed the fundamentals of home modification, described different types of agencies and funding sources that offer home modification services, and covered practical skills to use when an older adult or caregiver needs to address fall and safety hazards in the home.
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This project was supported, in part, by grant number HHS-2018-ACL-AOA-HMOD-0308 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
Conference Presentation: There’s No Place Like Home: Aging Network Innovations in Home Modification, ADvancing States HCBS Conference, Baltimore, MD
There’s No Place Like Home: Aging Network Innovations in Home Modification, ADvancing States HCBS Conference, Baltimore, MD (PDF)
Speakers:
- Emily Nabors, MSG, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
- Damon Terzaghi, MSA, ADvancing States
- Mark Myers, MPA, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
- Tori Goldhammer, MS, OTR/L, ATP, ECHM, CAPS, CEAC, LMT, DC Dept. of Aging & Community Living
Description: The home environment is increasingly being recognized as a contributor to health in later life. With aging populations and cost constraints, state and local home and community-based service systems are integrating home modification to support older adults at home. This session features several local and state Aging Network agencies’ efforts to creatively finance and deliver home modification services for older adults.
Conference Presentation: Innovations in Home Modification Service Delivery: Challenges and Opportunities for the Aging Network, n4a Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA
Innovations in Home Modification Service Delivery: Challenges and Opportunities for the Aging Network, n4a Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA (PDF)
Speakers:
- Sherri Clark, MSW, Administration for Community Living
- Mary Durell, MSW, LCSW, CICOA
- Emily Nabors, MSG, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
- Marty Toland, BSW, Central Plains AAA
Description: Area Agencies on Aging are increasingly playing a role in ensuring supportive home environments for older adults through home modification. This presentation features recent efforts in home modification services by the aging network.
