Help Wanted: Who do we need to help us age at home?

Most older adults wish to stay in their homes for as long as possible as they age. To accomplish the goal of “aging in place”, some older adults need assistance. For many, managing a chronic disease or coping with a disability will be focal to their aging experience.

On November 2, the Central Indiana Senior Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CISF), The Polis Center, and WFYI Public Media will co-host the Aging in Place Webinar: Help Wanted: Who Do We Need to Help Us Age at Home? This event will explore the direct care workforce needed to help the growing older adult population age at home.

The Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research & Policy will describe who is considered part of the direct care workforce, the current size and composition of Indiana’s direct care workforce, and Indiana’s future need for direct care workers. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) will present Indiana’s plan for growing Indiana’s direct service workforce. This will be followed by an panel discussion of experts in the fields of aging and workforce development about the challenges in building this workforce and opportunities for enhancing the capabilities and capacity of direct care workers.

This webinar is part of the State of Aging in Central Indiana Report, which serves as a go-to source of information to inform decisions about funding, programming, and policy – toward providing Central Indiana seniors with an equal opportunity for a healthy, dignified, and enjoyable life as they age into retirement and beyond. The State of Aging Report is developed by CISF in collaboration with The Polis Center, a unit of the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indianapolis and Polis research partners.

Part 1  of this webinar series was held May 11, during which we closely examined this important topic of aging in place for older adults within Central Indiana, with an initial focus on what are some characteristics and potential needs of older adults who want to age in place. Check out the report, the webinar recording and PPT slides.