Perceived Challenges to the Sustainability of Community-Based Aging Initiatives: Findings from a National Study of Villages

Abstract

Concerns have been raised regarding the sustainability of Villages, a rapidly-expanding set of organizations that typically use a participant-directed approach to improve older adults’ quality of life and ability to age in place. Using online survey and telephone-interview data from a 2013 follow-up study of Villages across the United States, this study examined organizational leaders’ perceptions of the major challenges to sustainability. Major challenges identified included: (a) funding, (b) membership recruitment, (c) leadership development, (d) meeting members’ service needs, and (e) limitations of the Village model itself. Findings point to a number of important considerations for the development, implementation, and sustainability of the Village model, including the role of social workers in addressing these challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• aging in place
• community practice
• non-profit sustainability

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Emily Greenfield and two anonymous reviewers for valuable feedback on earlier drafts.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by funding from the Silberman Fund Faculty Grant Program.