Roxanne Chaney, chair of A Caring Place Village, told the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Social Services and Public Safety Committee on Oct. 14 that the nonprofit’s city-funded feasibility study produced strong local interest and will inform a pilot start next January.

The presentation summarized a summer-long outreach campaign supported by a $150,000 city grant awarded last October. Chaney said the University of Kentucky provided research support and the village conducted 30 events between June and August with about 460 attendees and roughly 1,000 volunteer hours. "We are 1 movement. Together, we are changing the shape of aging in Lexington," Chaney said.

The study examined community needs, technology needs, revenue streams, homeowners association relations, subsidized senior housing interactions and benchmarking against other villages. Chaney said the village received 357 completed community needs assessments from 557 people who opened the survey link and that researchers are still analyzing responses; she said the organization expects to begin formal data review in January.

A Caring Place uses the Village to Village Network’s hub-and-spoke model, Chaney said, with the nonprofit acting as the hub and neighborhood social hubs as spokes. She cited American Community Survey and local data showing higher rates of older adults living alone in some Lexington neighborhoods (Gainsway was cited as about 30 percent) and noted national findings from AARP that more than 90 percent of seniors prefer to remain in their homes.

Chaney outlined next steps: complete data analysis, convene the task force and board to set priorities, start a pilot social hub in Beaumont/Garden Side in January and develop partnerships with hospitals, state and national organizations to expand services. She also described proposed startup costs for the pilot: personnel to train and coordinate volunteers and hubs, fundraising and marketing, software (estimated about $5,000), food for events and transportation support. "So our total amount that we are asking for is $102,000," Chaney said.

Council members at the meeting praised the outreach and expressed interest in continued council support. Council Member Ehlinger asked when the feasibility data would be available; Chaney said she hopes the task force and board will review the compiled data in January. Council Member Lynch asked how council could help now; Chaney said visible support from council members at events and assistance connecting researchers to public events helped turnout.

Organizers noted that villages seek to reduce loneliness and its related health impacts by providing education, social programs, resource navigation and intergenerational approaches. Chaney emphasized the health consequences of social isolation and said village activities aim to reduce emergency room visits and support aging in place.

The village thanked partner organizations including the University of Kentucky colleges that assisted with the study, local host sites and volunteer leaders. Chaney and council members indicated the initiative will return to future meetings as the research is finalized and pilot planning proceeds.