Aging Well at Home: Evaluation of a Neighborhood-based Pilot Project to “Put Connection Back into Community”

Abstract

There is growing interest, in the United States and globally, to transform communities to become more aging friendly. However, the majority of emerging initiatives lack a formal evaluation component, limiting our understanding of their effectiveness and the ability to replicate them. This study is an evaluation of a pilot project, the Aging Well at Home (AWAH) Program, which aimed to “put connection back into community” to support the psychological well-being of urban seniors who were aging in place. We examined AWAH's effect on stress, loneliness, and depression through interviews with 33 seniors at enrollment and at 9 months later. Findings revealed a significant decline in participants’ perceived stress (p < .001); however, AWAH was less successful in lessening loneliness (p < .09) and was not associated with any change in depression (p > .33). In self-assessments, the majority of participants reported a greater sense of self-efficacy and social connection as a result of AWAH participation. The study offers preliminary evidence of the utility of a neighborhood approach to improving older adults’ quality of life.

KEYWORDS:

• aging-friendly communities
• aging-in-place
• community-based services
• urban neighborhoods
• perceived stress
• loneliness

Acknowledgments

This research was funded with a grant from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. We recognize and thank the Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Boston for their commitment to promoting comprehensive, compassionate care to help older adults live healthy, independent, and meaningful lives. We would also like to express our appreciation to the seniors who participated in the evaluation for their willingness to share their perspectives and experiences.