Elder village

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Elder Village

In gerontology, an Elder Village (usually abbreviated to "Village") is an organization, usually staffed by volunteers (often with a small paid staff), that provides services to the elderly in order to allow them to remain in their homes as they age. Villages are a part of the "aging in place" movement, and are found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands.(VtV About) Some Villages provide services to the physically handicapped who are not elderly as well.[?]

Most Villages have members, to whom they provide services upon request. Services offered typically include transportation, light home maintenance and repair, and social activities. Most Villages do not provide medical services or involved home maintenance, but provide referrals to those who do.(V2V FAQ) ("Villages are membership-driven, grass-roots organizations that, through both volunteers and paid staff, coordinate access to affordable services including transportation, health and wellness programs, home repairs, social and educational activities, and other day-to-day needs enabling individuals to remain connected to their community throughout the aging process.") (V2V FAQ)

History

The first Village was founded in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston in 2001. Approximately one dozen residents of the historic neighborhood wanted "to remain at home" once transportation and household chores became difficult, dangerous, or even impossible. They also wished to avoid becoming dependent on their children, but did not want to move to an old-age facility. They founded an organization to provide these services to the organization's members, who must live in Beacon Hill or the adjacent Back Bay neighborhood. The result has been called an "intentional community"(Span) and a "virtual retirement community",(Whitaker} among other terms.

The organization grew slowly, learning from its mistakes.(Gross 6) After four years in existence, Beacon Hill Village was the subject of an article in the New York Times,(Whitaker) and the idea spread. Beacon Hill Village prepared a how-to manual for sale to those who would found other Villages.<Gross 6> By 2010, there were more than 50 Villages in the United States.(ElNasser) As of 2012, there were some 90 Villages in operation in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands, with more than 120 other Villages in the formation process(VtV About).

Operation

A Village tends to be formed as a non-profit corporation, with members, directors, and officers. Most are qualified as charitable organizations.

Villages are largely funded through membership dues and fees, on the one hand, and donations and grants, on the other.(ElNasser) Some charge no dues.(Gleckman) They provide such services as transportation, grocery delivery, light home repairs, and dog walking.(ElNasser).

Villages tend to operate on one of three models. The first, pioneered by Community Without Walls in Princeton, N.J., has numerous members who belong to one of a number of "houses." Annual dues are very low (or non-existent), and much of the activity of such a group is social. Nearly all services are provided by volunteers. If members need additional assistance, they pay more in dues, plus fees for any services they require, such as a home health aide. The second form delivers both volunteer and paid help. Dues are higher (and often subsidized for low-income members), and the level of services tends to be more comprehansive. A third model amounts to being a service exchange. One member might pick up groceries for a neighbor; another volunteer might then fix the first's leaky faucet. Many experts believe that the second model, with both paid staff and volunteers, has the most widespread applicability.{Gleckman)

"In many cities, neighborhoods are developing intentional communities, like Beacon Hill Village in Boston or Capitol Hill Village in Washington, membership organizations that aim to keep elders in their own homes by pooling resources for services like transportation and home maintenance."(Span)

"More than 50 villages in a neighbor-helping-neighbor system have sprouted in the past decade from California and Colorado to Nebraska and Massachusetts. They are run largely by volunteers and funded by grants and membership fees to provide services from transportation and grocery delivery to home repairs and dog walking." "AARP research shows that 90% of people want to grow old in their home and community." "Beacon Hill Village in Boston was the first in the movement, created by residents in 2001. It charges annual dues and delivers paid and volunteer help." (elNasser)

"Until recently, these villages have been limited to urban areas where seniors live in close proximity. The most famous is Boston's Beacon Hill Village, which offers consultations to other communities looking to replicate its model." (Bernstein)

"Avenidas Village in Palo Alto" is the first village in the SF Bay Area (Evans) "Here's how it works: Avenidas Village members pay an annual fee - singles pay $750, couples, $900. This buys them access to services that are often discounted for members: someone to cook, clean, do the laundry, fix the air conditioner, pick up groceries, make doctor's appointments, help them dress or get in and out of bed when they're laid up. It can even provide limited nursing care.[¶]Members pay the providers, often from the community, but the village staff and volunteers select and screen them, and can help coordinate these appointments. Avenidas Village also provides a social outlet, linking people with similar interests. It's one phone call away." (evans)

Individual Villages may share ideas and experiences through the Village to Village ("VtV") network. Established jointly by NCB Capital Impact and Beacon Hill Village, and developed in response to requests from Villages nationwide, the VtV network serves as a clearinghouse for inter-Village communications and helps communities establish and operage their own Villages.(VtV FAQ)

References

Nell Bernstein, Elder Villages Offer Independence Plus Community, Caring.com; updated Oct. 21, 2008; accessed 2013.05.17.

Haya El Nasser, 'Villages' let elderly grow old at home, USA TODAY, 7/26/2010

Robin Evans, Senior villages that help elderly stay at home come to West Coast, San Francisco Chronicle, Dec. 12, 2007; accessed 2013.05.17

Niharika Mandhana, Growing Older in an Urban Village, The New York Times, August 15, 2011. accessed 2013.05.17.

Emily A. Greenfield, Andrew E. Scharlach, Carrie L. Graham, Joan K. Davitt, and Amanda J. Lehning, A National Overview of Villages: Results from a 2012 Organizational Survey, Rutgers School of Social Work, Dec. 1, 2012.

Jane Gross, "Aging at Home: For a Lucky Few, a Wish Come True" The New York Times, February 9, 2006; accessed 2013.05.17.

Jane Gross, "A Grass-Roots Effort to Grow Old at Home", The New York Times, August 14, 2007; accessed 2013.05.17.

Paula Span, "Sharing a Table, and Much More", The New York Times, October 15, 2010; accessed 2013.05.17.

Barbara Whitaker, "These Days, 'Retirement Living' Can Mean Many Things", The New York Times, February 6, 2005; accessed 2013.05.17. (BHV is a "virtual retirement community")

Howard Gleckman, It takes a village to keep some seniors at home", The Washington Post, February 9, 2010; accessed 2013.05.18.

links

V2V network: http://www.vtvnetwork.org/