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Age-Friendly Saco (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ HomeFit Modifications
└ HomeFit Modifications
Older adults in Saco faced safety risks at home, making aging in place harder. To address this, the group created a universal design brochure with city planners and distributed it to residents seeking building permits. They also developed a home safety assessment tool used during handyman visits to suggest improvements like grab bars and smoke detectors. The brochure is now part of the citys permitting process, and discussions are underway to require universal design in new housing. One resident said installing grab bars gave her peace of mind and made her bathroom much safer.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Danforth, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: This project will host four educational meetings in a tri-county rural region to show older adults and their families how to make homes safer, focusing on fall and injury prevention.
Rocky Mount, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County addressed safety hazards that made daily tasks hard for older adults and put independence at risk. The team integrated HomeFit and safety assessments into every repair visit, adding practical upgrades like low-entry showers with grab bars and flooring fixes for three families that included five people age 50-plus. A construction manager now conducts an accessibility review on each project, and outreach boosted applications, revealing wider need. The new process is standard practice and strengthens evidence for funders. One resident said showering is "very easy" now and praised the crew for a "wonderful job."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
San Antonio, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Homeowners in San Antonio's repair program often lacked skills to maintain improvements, risking safety and costly fixes. To address this, six workshops trained 128 homeowners age 50-plus on plumbing basics, disaster prep and financial management. Trainers demonstrated safety tools like alarms and fire extinguishers, and participants received items to reinforce lessons. Afterward, all said they'd recommend the training, and the city reported no callbacks from attendees, showing a sign of lasting impact. One participant noted, "I learned about simple plumbing fixes that I can make myself."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Saco, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Saco is a coastal community with seven miles of sandy beaches. Until recently, there was no beach access for people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. That changed thanks to the purchase and installation of three ADA-compliant beach mats. The mats run from a parking lot to the high tide mark, as well as parallel to the beach. Grant funding from AARP also helped Saco attract a donation from the local Rotary Club to purchase a beach wheelchair and beach walker. Lifeguards manage and loan out the accessibility equipment.
Saco, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: Older residents in Saco and nearby towns struggled with limited transportation options, making it hard to reach groceries, social activities and essential programs. Age-Friendly Saco introduced an on-demand shuttle using donated vans, hired drivers and mapped routes based on community surveys. The service now provides rides for errands and social engagement, helping residents maintain independence. One rider said, "I won't drive forever... I'm glad to know this service exists," reflecting its impact on reducing isolation and meeting daily needs.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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