AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
See More Projects Like This One
Fort Pierce, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Access to health care services
Description: To help older adults access resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fort Pierce Police Department provided Chromebook laptops to residents of a historically underserved neighborhood. Police staff worked one-on-one with recipients, showing them how to access their entitlement benefits online. Additionally, they taught community members how to order food and necessities online and demonstrated how to avoid internet scammers. To ensure safe social distancing, the training workshops took place outdoors. Five older adults who received the computer training went on to use their new skills as volunteers, helping local children with homework and remote learning.
Fairview, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Access to health care services
Description: To help people living in rural areas access health care at home, this project piloted a remote cardiac rehabilitation program. Medical Center staff selected participants who were recovering from cardiac events but had a low to moderate risk of developing complications. They provided patients with equipment to monitor their health, including scales, internet-enabled blood pressure cuffs, wearable health monitoring devices and a one-year subscription to monitoring software. Since 2020, the Fairview Regional Medical Center Authority as worked to expand the program to people with chronic health conditions. Additionally, organizers say they are looking into ways to replicate the telemedicine project in other communities.
Clarendon County, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Access to health care services
Description: To provide free primary care services in rural South Carolina, the Town of Summerton set out to a mobile health clinic. The town received two donated shipping containers. They worked to retrofit one to become the new mobile clinic and the other to store medical equipment. A generator provides power to the mobile unit, allowing the Town to deploy it in remote areas. After completing construction, the Town plans to donate the clinic to a local health care provider. Project organizers hope this helps uninsured and low-income community members access medical care.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility
Description: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Iona Senior Services needed to transform its Aging Solo series from in-person classes to Zoom instruction. The popular series provides information, strategies and a supportive community to older adults who don't have a family support network. Iona offered the virtual classes for six weeks and -- to reach a larger audience -- recorded them for future sharing. The new online format allowed Iona to reach individuals who would not have been able to participate in person, and course leaders modified the curriculum to recognize the pandemic's impact on older adults. To expand the initiative's reach, project organizers also created and distributed an electronic discussion guide for use by faith communities, aging-in-place villages and other organizations.
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Residents and caregivers in living facilities for older adults often feel invisible, a challenge rooted in age stereotypes. Forest Hills of DC launched a temporary public art initiative featuring portraits and personal stories displayed as a large mural during a citywide art festival. The project included a workshop on dismantling age bias and a digital exhibit that remains online. The mural boosted morale, drew broad attention and increased volunteer engagement, with local media coverage and a visit from the mayor. "At Forest Hills, we truly believe in the magic that art and community can bring to our lives," said one participant.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP Virginia State Office
901 E Byrd Street
Suite 1005
Richmond, VA 23219
United States