Article by Elizabeth Margetta, Fairfax Area Agency on Aging.
(Posted 2024 June)
This special edition of the Golden Gazette was created to provide an update and overview of the work done over the course of the first year of the SHAPE the Future of Aging Plan. SHAPE is a five-year strategic plan which the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BOS) officially approved on May 23, 2023. The plan supports continuing efforts to make the Fairfax area an excellent place to age well. The first annual report was provided to the BOS at the Older Adults Committee Meeting on May 14, 2024. A selection of the initiatives that were developed and reported to the BOS at that meeting will be highlighted in this special edition.
SHAPE is an acronym with five domains that significantly impact the life of an older adult:
- The “S” in SHAPE is for “Services for Older Adults, People with Disabilities and Family Caregivers,” which includes caregiver support and dementia friendly resources.
- The “H” is for “Housing and Neighborhood Supports,” which includes affordable housing, home modifications, home maintenance, villages, and livable communities.
- The “A” is for “Access to Mobility Options,” which includes transportation, mobility support, and walkability.
- The “P” is for “Personal Well-being,” which includes community engagement, isolation, public and mental health, and nutrition.
- The “E” is for “Economic Stability and Planning,” which includes financial stability, exploitation, employment, end of life, and business partnerships.
In preparation for the development of the SHAPE Plan, the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging (AAA) sought community input through both a nationally benchmarked survey, the “Community Assessment Survey of Older Adults” (CASOA) in 2022, and a series of community gatherings and forums. As part of the implementation of the SHAPE Plan, Initiative Development Committees (IDCs) were formed for each SHAPE category and were facilitated by members of the Fairfax Area Commission on Aging with support from the Fairfax AAA. The IDCs were created to provide input on how to implement the recommendations in the SHAPE Plan. The IDCs met over the course of the last year to identify and operationalize initiatives. Once initiatives were identified, they were vetted by the Department of Family Services’ (DFS) Data Analytics team to ensure they had strong objectives and measures. IDCs also conducted an equity analysis review of each initiative.
One of the themes that came out of the community input phase was that, while there is an array of county services available to older adults, awareness in the community is low. The “S” Committee is conducting a market research initiative to learn how older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in the Fairfax area seek information about DFS' Adult & Aging (A&A) resources. Understanding how they receive information about services will improve the effectiveness of a campaign to increase community awareness of A&A services. It will also enhance how information is shared with the community about the SHAPE committees’ initiatives over the course of the SHAPE Plan.
Another “S” initiative seeks to use existing outreach vehicles such as ServiceSource’s “CARE Mobile” to extend the reach of the Fairfax AAA’s Caregiver Unit and A&A resource information to the community. Information from the market research will drive the next phase of the work by helping to determine possible strategies to improve outreach in the community.
Two additional initiatives developed in the “S” Committee seek to further understand the needs in the disability community:
- A long-term initiative will create a comprehensive community needs assessment specifically targeting individuals with disabilities.
- The Commission on Aging will co-facilitate community forums with the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board this year to understand the gaps in services in Fairfax County for adults with disabilities in discussions that align with the SHAPE categories.
Initiatives from the “H” Committee include promoting awareness of the existing home sharing guide, “A Consumer’s Guide to Home Sharing,” and the creation of a consumer resource guide for home repairs and modifications to support Fairfax area adults aging in place. The guide will be developed in partnership with the nonprofit Rebuilding Together-Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church.
The “A” Committee is working on initiatives to support targeted outreach of transportation resources in partnership with Fairfax County Public Library. They are also pursuing an initiative to study volunteer recruitment in partnership with the nonprofit NV Rides.
An initiative to obtain SAGE Cultural Competency Certification for AAA was developed by the “P” Committee. SAGE, a provider of Advocacy and Services to LGBTQ+ Elders, is a national advocacy and services organization that has developed a cultural competency curriculum to educate providers about best practices in providing care for adults who identify as LGBTQ+.
Two initiatives that came from the “P” and “E” SHAPE committees are being implemented in senior centers in Fairfax. One will offer financial planning seminars developed in partnership with the Financial Empowerment Center (a program of the nonprofit Britepaths). The second initiative being offered at several area senior centers is a pilot of the StrongerMemory Program, a brain health and social wellness program developed by Goodwin Living.
Another initiative that was developed out of the “E” Committee is focused on promoting awareness of Silver Shield Anti-Scam prevention through broad community outreach.
Some of the initiatives shared here are in the early stages of implementation. Progress updates will be detailed in future annual reports to the BOS at the Older Adult Committee meetings. For more information about the CASOA and the SHAPE the Future of Aging Plan, please visit bit.ly/SHAPEtheFutureofAging.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).