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Promoting Healthy Aging through
Village-Centered Research

This website has information about a national initiative to strengthen capacity among Villages and researchers to design research on how to optimize Villages for healthy aging. It also has information about how Village members and leaders from across the United States can get involved.

Background on Villages and This Project

Villages are “community-based, nonprofit, grassroots organizations formed through a cadre of caring neighbors who want to change the paradigm of aging” (Village to Village Network). As membership organizations, Villages are typically governed by community residents themselves and provide older adults with services, social connections, and other events. Areas addressed include transportation, nutrition, technology, home maintenance, friendly visiting, healthcare advocacy, and more. Villages facilitate this support largely through neighbors-helping-neighbors volunteer arrangements, with some supplemental support from paid staff and referrals to formal providers. 

 

Research on whether, how, and under what circumstances Village programs, services, and interventions support members’ healthy aging is in its nascence. This project is a critical step to engage Village members and leaders with researchers to design future healthy aging research for and with Village members.

Project Activities

The project aims to catalyze national dialogue on the design of collaborative research projects to strengthen Villages as a structure for healthy aging. This project has four main components, each providing opportunities for Village members to engage.

Smiling senior man wear earphones wave to camera having video call on laptop
Zoom Discussion Groups
Fall 2023

We invite Village members and staff to participate in a Zoom discussion groups with RAND researchers. The groups aim to understand Villages' priorities for healthy aging research and perspectives on high-quality research partnerships. Insights from the discussion groups will be summarized in a report and will help to center the voices of Village members and leaders in future projects.

Women writing on paper while talking on phone
Ambassadors Group
 
ONGOING 2023-2024

 We will establish this national work group to collaboratively design and implement outreach events on healthy aging research with Villages and serve as peer-to-peer resources for Village members. Group members also will engage in shared learning to enhance their knowledge and skills on patient-centered outcomes and comparative clinical effectiveness research in the context of Villages.

Vitual Summits
SUMMER 2024

The researchers and Ambassador Group members will design a series of virtual summits. They will take place by Zoom and will be organized by region of the United States. At these summits, we will share additional information about healthy aging research opportunities with Villages and continue to solicit the voices of Village members and leaders regarding their priorities for future projects.

Person on computer with virtual team meeting on screen
Computer on desk with the present website on the screen

Project Leadership Team

Our team is a collaboration among Villagers and researchers. It is led in partnership by three organizations:​

Green and plus logo for the Village to Village Network
Red rutgers logo for the Rutgers Hub for Aging Collaboration
Purple and white logo for the Rand Corporation

For more information, visit Project Team.

Let's stay in touch!

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