Developing an aging prepared community: collaboration among counties, consumers, professionals and organizations.

Summary This paper reports on a collaborative process to create an ‘aging prepared community’ in a four county region. The process benefited from a generous grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation that supported an 18 month planning period which included input from service providers and a vast array of aging persons and their families, including particular efforts to reach underserved populations from multicultural, innercity and rural communities. Under the umbrella of the Elder Network of the Capital Region, the process is now beginning its implementation period with foci on the following: linking health, social service and faith communities; developing accessible health education and Wellness programs; creating and implementing a regional system of information and assistance; and mounting a media campaign.