What are Senior Villages?
If you are unfamiliar with the senior village concept, a village or senior village is a hyper local network of neighborhood-based volunteers with the goal of supporting seniors, as they age in their own homes.
There are currently almost 250 senior villages in the US, and over one hundred more in development. Each village operates independently, but most are part of the Village to Village Network (VtV). According to the VtV website, their mission is “to enable communities to establish and effectively manage aging-in-place community organizations inspired, initiated, and operated by their members.”
Though villages are typically driven by the same goals, each village has its own policies, procedures and fees. Most villages have an annual membership fee, often with tiered membership levels. Some villages offer a level of membership that is primarily for participating in social activities, with another level for accessing the benefits of volunteer services. Villages often offer reduced fees based on financial need, as well.
You can check to see if your neighborhood currently has a village by checking on the Village to Village map.
How Senior Villages Can Help You Age in Place?
Most people want to remain at home as they get older. However, there are many tasks that you may have taken for granted when you were younger that can feel like real obstacles as you age, particularly if you are aging alone. For instance, what happens when the overhead lightbulb has burnt out and you can’t or don’t feel comfortable getting on a ladder to change it? Or you need someone to escort you to a doctor’s appointment? Or someone to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy for you? These are just some of the ways that seniors villages can help you “age in place.” Below are five of the most common tasks senior villages assist with that allow people to remain in their own homes.
1. Assisting with grocery shopping or running errands
Village volunteers can fill a vital role of doing a regular grocery shopping run or making a last minute trip to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Whether you’ve stopped driving or just can’t leave the house easily (either because of temporary illness or a more chronic condition), a village volunteer can help.
2. Providing transportation to appointments and escorted rides from procedures (like a colonoscopy)
Again, whether you’ve given up driving altogether or just would prefer not to drive when going to doctors’ appointments or other appointments, for whatever reason, a village volunteer can help. The volunteers can also provide the very important function of an escorted ride home from a procedure like a colonoscopy (where an escort is required).
3. Helping with minor household tasks
Village volunteers can assist with small, but important household tasks, like changing difficult to reach light bulbs, taking the trash cans to the curb, or changing batteries in clock or smoke alarm, for example.
4. Offering basic assistance with computer and phone issues
Volunteers can also assist people in solving basic computer, cell phone or television issues. We all know how frustrating it is when something just isn’t working right with our technology and when we have NO idea how to fix it. Village volunteers can often provide helpful assistance with basic tech issues. If the issue is too complicated for the village volunteer, they will usually be able to refer you to someone who can help.
5. Reducing isolation through social events
Last, but certainly not least, is the role the villages can play in connecting people through social activities. Villages are a great resource for meeting people of a similar age and offer numerous opportunities to participate in different activities. Some common village activities are: book clubs, coffee talks, exercise classes, card games, museum tours and so on.
The other benefit of the services the villages offer is that you don’t have to pay for every individual interaction. You don’t need to pay each time you need to the services of a village volunteer or want to participate in an activity. It is all covered by the annual fee. Having a central organization with neighborhood volunteers, who are ready and willing to help, can make all the difference in allowing people to remain independent as they age.
