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Portland, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Older adults in Portland faced fall risks and lacked access to affordable home safety solutions, especially those with language barriers. ReFIT responded by hosting six outreach events, sharing multilingual HomeFit Guides and safety items, and installing 22 grab bars plus other modifications like ramps and railings. These changes help residents age in place with confidence and dignity. "I feel so much safer now... I just didn't know who to ask about getting this done," said one client, reflecting the project's lasting impact on independence and peace of mind.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Erie, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Older adults in the East Bayfront neighborhood live in aging homes without basic safety features, increasing fall risk and discomfort. The project installed grab bars, handheld shower heads, reinforced railings, raised toilets and new lighting, along with smoke and CO2 detectors and window air conditioners. Residents reported feeling safer and more comfortable. One woman with a bad knee said additional upgrades beyond her initial request, including a raised toilet and faucet, made her home far easier to navigate.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Mooresburg, TN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Unsafe steps, leaking roofs and poor lighting left many older adults in Mooresburg at risk of falls and unable to age in place. Volunteers rebuilt porches and ramps with anti-slip features, repaired camper roofs and provided fire extinguishers and de-icing supplies to improve safety for residents and meal delivery volunteers. These changes made homes more accessible and reduced hazards, while opening lines of communication for future help. One visually impaired resident said she finally feels comfortable going outside after repeated falls, a change that restored her confidence and independence.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Cincinnati, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Home safety assessments will identify fall hazards inside and outside residents’ homes. Safety items such as grab bars will be provided during visits to help reduce injury risks.
Cincinnati, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Falls are a leading reason older adults lose confidence at home and seek emergency care, often due to hazards that go unnoticed until injury occurs. Colerain Township Department of Fire & EMS expanded its fall prevention program through in-home safety assessments and practical modifications. Firefighter-paramedics installed grab bars in key locations and reviewed fall risks, medications and care needs. One resident said that without the grab bars, they believed they would have returned to the hospital after repeated falls and that the changes helped them regain independence. By focusing on prevention inside the home, the project strengthened long-term support for aging in place with greater safety.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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