This workshop will highlight the important relationship between a person’s access to a home that is both affordable and meets their needs and their success in maintaining their ability to age in their own homes and community. Moderator Jessica Buhler from Rhode Island Housing and a workshop panel will provide examples of innovative housing developments for seniors, how “Grow Smart” principles for planning communities help address the housing needs of people of all ages, and also information on programs that older Rhode Islanders can access that will help them stay in their own home.

This workshop will introduce elements that make communities ‘livable’ for seniors and then focus on one issue that almost all aging seniors and family caregivers face: transportation. Kathy Wilson will present what AARP, The AdvantAge Initiative, and Communities for All Ages have discovered about making communities livable. She will introduce resources available for use in assessing community livability and developing plans to address specific community needs. Katherine Freund, President and Founder of Independent Transportation Network (ITN) will present an innovative program being adopted nationwide to address growing transportation with ‘door-to-door, arm-through-arm service to thousands of seniors.’

Basic Building Blocks for Aging Friendly Communities: Access to community support services is vital to the creation of successful aging friendly communities. Workshop presenters Maureen Maigret and Paula Parker will discuss: 1) the role that Rhode Island's public and private sectors play in the delivery of community services and 2) the current opportunities and challenges facing advocates for livable, aging friendly communities

Elaina Goldstein, Executive Director of Rhodes to Independence, will present her agency’s new consumer’s guide to home modifications. This publication was developed to assist consumers who have been considering ways in which they will be able to remain in their own homes and live independently throughout their lifetime. Topics covered will include: a) Identifying areas in need of home modification; b) possible home modifications to address these needs; c) explanation of existing home modification programs in RI, and d) how to develop a “game plan” to achieve a home modification.