Habitat for Humanity has announced that it will be implementing an aging-in-place program through the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON), enabling more communities nationwide to improve the lives of low-income, older adults.
The Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) program was co-developed by JHSON endowed professor for health equity and social justice Sarah L. Szanton to support aging-in-place services for low-income older adults. JHSON and Habitat for Humanity will be working together to expand Habitat’s current work improving homes to include collaborating with health professionals to address the home’s usability, safety, and the health of its owner.
Szanton, PhD, ANP, FAAN, tells Newswise.com, “This will help bring even more services to low-income, older adults, who often have reduced access to primary care and little financial means to provide necessary updates that can make their homes safer. It will be of great benefit to Habitat’s vision for housing and stability for individuals and families and another opportunity to expand CAPABLE’s reach.”
JHSON and Habitat for Humanity have selected six cities to measure improvement and analyze results of the implementation. CAPABLE is currently used in 22 cities in 11 states and Australia. The program is a research-based intervention that helps increase strength, mobility, and safety of older adults through home visits from a nurse, occupational therapist, and handyman. Patients in the program set their own functional goals while the CAPABLE program helps to improve their living environment, helping to decrease disability and depression, and improve self-care among participants.
To learn more about Johns Hopkins School of Nursing’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity to bring the CAPABLE program to more older adults in new cities, visit here.