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23 Proposal Narrative Augustana Care application Community Service/Services Development (CS/SD) grant program 2/27/12 1. Executive Summary: Research shows that the majority of older adults want to stay in their own homes as they age. Besides the question of preference, aging in place is more cost-effective for older adults and the community than moving into an assisted living or skilled nursing facility. Community-based supports that enable them to continue living independently improve quality of life. The proposed project facilitates and promotes aging in place by providing home modification services to older adults in the Minnesota suburban cities of St. Anthony Village and Roseville. The project targets two communities that are marked by rapid aging of both population and housing stock. Through thorough home modification services, the project provides a cost-effective way to support aging in place, preventing or delaying the need to move to an assisted living or skilled nursing facility. Project objectives over a two-year period are 1. to provide a home safety assessment, modification recommendations and implementation of minor modifications for 25 households in each of the two communities (for a total of 50) 2. to ensure ongoing aging -in-place support by training up to five city staff at St. Anthony Village and Roseville, and five staff of Housing Resource Centers on universal design, aging in place and working with older adults. 2. Description of the Applicant Agency: Augustana Care is a faith -based charitable organization serving 6,000 older adults annually through health care, housing and community-based services in the Twin Cities and rural areas of Minnesota. Augustana Therapy Services (ATS) is an ancillary service providing high quality occupational, physical and speech therapies for residents of Augustana Care campuses and the larger community. Access Solutions was launched as a home modification program of ATS in 2005 to meet the needs of older adults who elect to age in place by remaining in their own homes. Access Solutions provides universal and accessible design consulting and in-home assessments. The assessments help people make improvements to their homes so they can age in place. Staff combines knowledge of design and physical and occupational therapy to assess how an individual functions in his or her home and provide recommendations for improving functional abilities. Our approach takes into consideration short -and long-term needs and abilities. Common modifications include space planning to create safe pathways, installing handrails and grab bars, automatic door, window and window -shade openers, modifying cabinets and closets to increase access to items, reducing floor thresholds, installing ramps, increasing task lighting, and other simple adaptations to the environment to promote safety and independence. Last year, Access Solutions served about 250 people throughout the Twin Cities.