Jacksonville, FL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: HomeFit Modifications

Description: The Arc Jacksonville focused on reducing fall risk and safety hazards that can quickly undermine independence for older adults with intellectual and developmental differences. As vision changes and mobility challenges made familiar homes feel unpredictable, caregivers and staff needed practical ways to adapt living spaces. The project delivered five hands-on trainings for direct support professionals, family caregivers, managers and residents, combining walk-through home assessments with guidance from the HomeFit guide and a low-vision session led by an occupational therapist. Equipment was added to improve lighting, visibility and stability in several homes. One resident with significant vision loss regained confidence moving through his home and returned to daily routines. Staff now carry repeatable assessment skills into ongoing training, strengthening the long-term capacity of community homes to support older adults safely and with dignity.

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.

Phoenix, AZ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: HomeFit Modifications

Description: Phoenix faces extreme heat and droughts. This has left older residents in neighborhoods with little shade struggling to keep new trees alive, a critical step for cooling streets and reducing heat-related distress. The project supplied hoses, reels and irrigation repairs to 26 households. This project was mostly led by older adults, who also created a watering schedule with reminders. A retired contractor ensured installations and repairs were done safely. These efforts helped neighbors care for nearly 100 trees and avoid trip hazards. One resident said the tools and guidance "gave him hope" his trees would thrive, underscoring the projects role in building resilience.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.