NEIGHBORS
HELPING
NEIGHBORS:
Developing a Village for Seniors in Your Community
As you grow older, would you like to stay in your home for as long as it is safe to do so? You are
not alone. Several communities around the country and right here in Beaufort County, are now
looking at a new way to help their neighbors stay in their own homes as long as it is physically and
financially feasible.
This relatively new, volunteer-driven approach involves forming a self-directed, senior support network
i.e., Village, that provides programs and services needed for the continuance of independent
living. Membership in the Village includes the benefits of neighbors helping neighbors, the services
of a limited network staff, and a single point of contact to access a broad menu of programs and
services necessary to assure that living in your own home is enjoyable, safe, healthy, and feasible.
There are already villages up and running in Beaufort County and each one is unique to its community.
Local villages are currently providing services such as transportation to doctor’s appointments,
grocery shopping, medical treatments i.e., physical therapy and chemo therapy; assistance
with minor household chores, light home maintenance projects, friendly phone check-ins, social
appointments with those who are shut-in; and more. Each Village tailors its services to the needs of
the community. Some villages are also providing respite services for caregivers in addition to meals
for neighbors who are recuperating from surgery and/or short illnesses.
If you are interested in creating a Village Network in your community, the Beaufort County
Coalition for Aging in Place (CAP) is available to work with members of your community to assist you.
CAP serves as an information resource, provides development consultation and has representatives
who will make presentations at your community meetings. Once the village is up and running CAP
can also provide PR and marketing support.
For additional information on how to get a village started in your community, contact Deborah Edmondson,
Village Developer. Additional resources for aging in place include the Aging in Place Podcast:
https://aginginplacepodcast.com and the Coalition’s FaceBook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AginginPlaceBFT/
14 Email: coalitionforaginginplace@gmail.com/Phone: 843-368-2483
/aginginplacepodcast.com
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