A project of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, AdvantAge Initiative seeks to build elder-friendly communities that support and utilize older adults.
Activities
AdvantAge’s primary goal is to understand the needs of older Americans and help communities successfully integrate support services for them, but the Initiative relies heavily upon community building and visioning methodologies that could be used for many aspects of community planning. The organization’s work ranges from surveys identifying trends and issues for the elderly to community building toolkits and programs. The organization works with a number of Foundations and NGO partners, and is primarily involved in ten “experimental” communities across the country.
Relevant Project(s)
- National Survey. Working with a survey consultant, AdvantAge surveyed more than 5,100 seniors in the ten experimental communities to obtain consumer-derived data and information about national trends. The survey data was used to develop 33 indicators for use in the national visioning and planning projects. Additional focus groups were asked to visualize the ideal “elder-friendly” community, critique their own communities, and consider components that would be critical in an ideal community. The Initiative has produced nationally-relevant fact-sheets and reports based upon this research.
- Pilot Communities. The ten national pilot communities cover a range of ethnicities, geographies, economies, and community sizes. In each community, residents are examining what matters to them and what they need, what can help them to “stay put” in their homes and neighborhoods, and how they can become more involved with the younger generations and civic life.
- Toolkit and Resources. AdvantAge Initiative has assembled a toolkit for visioning and community planning, based upon its research and work in pilot communities. The Toolkit includes information and examples of participatory research tools (including Focus Groups, Storytelling, Map Making, and Graffiti Walls). It also includes background information and guidelines on participatory social research. In addition, the Initiative releases reports, presentations, and newsletters regarding case studies and recent work.
Relevant Methodologies
AdvantAge’s methodologies for helping communities and the elderly are consistent with most community development methodologies, but also include innovative philosophies and experiments. In the ten “AdvantAge Initiative communities,” the program started by asking each community to define itself and delineate its own borders. Communities go through visioning processes that extend beyond issues directly related to the elderly, and then consider ways to build capacity and infrastructure that will benefit all citizens, and find ways to increase civic involvement among the elderly. In addition to community visioning and participatory strategies, AdvantAge Initiative also relies heavily upon indicators, quantitative, and scholarly research.
Region
National
More Information
http://www.vnsny.org/advantage/index.html
c/o Center for Home Care Policy and Research
Visiting Nurse Service of New York
107 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
212-609-1537 (phone)
212-794-6610 (fax)