Older Adults Archives - Williamsburg Health Foundation

Grantee Spotlight: Peninsula Agency on Aging Links Older Adults to Services

Dec 2, 2024 | Grantee Spotlight, News, Spotlight

Grantee Spotlight: Peninsula Agency on Aging Links Older Adults to Services

By: WHF Staff

For most older adults, an important goal as they age is to continue living independently in their own homes. With the support of Peninsula Agency on Aging (PAA), nearly 8,400 older adults on the Peninsula can enjoy aging in place. Through collaborations with a broad network of local agencies, PAA offers services that address older adults’ diverse needs — including assisting with transportation to medical appointments, improving access to nutritious meals, care coordination, care support, and veterans’ services. For the past fifty years, PAA’s services have enhanced quality of life, fostered independence, and reduced social isolation in older adults.

Founded in 1974, PAA was born out of a desire to enhance the well-being of older adults on the Peninsula by linking them to services designed to empower, nurture, and sustain independence. Fifty years later, PAA remains a trusted community resource, connecting older adults, aged 60 and over, to services that support every aspect of healthy aging.

In 2023, with support from Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) grants, PAA served 1,372 older adults — including 26,812 service encounters — in Greater Williamsburg, and the need for services is expected to grow. Research from WHF projects nearly one-third of the population will be over age 60 by 2030. This demographic shift underlines the importance and need for PAA’s programs and services, which provide evidence-based, community-focused support for healthy aging.

WHF is a longtime supporter of PAA’s work, having awarded 66 grants totaling nearly $5.2 million since 1998 to help advance their mission to support independence and quality of life for older adults. Current WHF grants focus on providing nutritious noontime meals, non-emergency medical transportation, assessments, home visits, and care coordination for older adults. By providing essential resources and services, PAA upholds a commitment to helping older adults across the community stay healthy, independent, and engaged and creates healthy aging opportunities in our community. To learn out more about PAA’s programs and services, visit their website: https://paainc.org/.

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The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is a private health foundation with the mission to collaborate, innovate, and invest to impact systems that improve the health and well-being of individuals living in Greater Williamsburg. The Foundation was established in September 1996 when the Williamsburg Community Hospital and Sentara developed an affiliation agreement and later merged. This agreement included a provision for a new, locally organized, and managed Foundation to benefit community health. Since inception, WHF has awarded over $110 million in grants to improve community health and well-being.

Grantee Spotlight: Older Adults and Social Isolation

Apr 15, 2024 | Blog, Grantee Spotlight, News

Grantee Spotlight: Older Adults and Social Isolation

By Williamsburg Health Foundation

In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory addressing the profound health impacts of social isolation and loneliness. This report underscored severe health risks, such as a reduced lifespan and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Termed the “loneliness epidemic,” this problem affects individuals across all ages and demographics but can have a particularly negative impact on older adults. A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Consensus Study Report reported that almost one-quarter of older adults aged 65 and above, living independently, experience social isolation. The Surgeon General’s report notes the cost of the health effects related to social isolation in older adults accounts for almost $7 billion of Medicare spending each year.

Community Partners Addressing Isolation

The 2022 Sentara Community Health Needs Assessment revealed that in 2020, nearly 23% of people living in the Greater Williamsburg area and surrounding localities was over 65, with growth projected to more than 26% by 2030. With such a substantial segment of our community classified as older adults, the Williamsburg Health Foundation is grateful for the many community agencies working daily to address isolation in older adults, including but not limited to the following organizations:

The Peninsula Agency on Aging’s (PAA) mission is to advocate for policies and distribute resources to enhance the quality of life for older adults and family caregivers. PAA fulfills this commitment by offering in-home care, home-delivered meals, dining clubs, and transportation. These valuable services help older adults foster a sense of social connection while providing access to community resources.

The R.F. Wilkinson Family YMCA has offered programs aimed at building a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all in the Greater Williamsburg area since 2007. Their Active Older Adults program focuses on providing older adults with opportunities to remain socially active and healthy. Through social activities, fitness, and volunteer programs, the YMCA keeps older adults active and engaged, reduces social isolation, and boosts the quality of life for older members of our community.

Williamsburg Faith in Action (WFIA) unites transportation and volunteer support services for older adults in Greater Williamsburg. WFIA aids with transportation, shopping, caregiver support, and household chores. Wendy Satchell, WFIA’s Executive Director, recounted a story of a homebound WFIA care receiver who had been the primary caregiver for her husband until his recent passing. When a WFIA volunteer arrived to deliver her mail, she was overjoyed with the opportunity for conversation. Since her late husband’s care team no longer visited, she felt lonely and disconnected. Today, WFIA volunteers make regular visits and phone calls, providing companionship and connection.

We All Have a Role to Play

Like these organizations and many others working to increase social interaction and combat isolation among older adults in the Greater Williamsburg area, we as community members can make a difference. We can start by reaching out to check on the older adults in our lives and in our neighborhoods. Together, we can make progress in reducing social isolation in our community.