Aurora launches 'Aging in Place' safety program; Home Depot, Ping Cares donate equipment

Katrina Boatwright, Aurora’s manager of senior and disability services, briefed the Committee of the Whole on Aug. 5 about a new Aging in Place safety program that launched the prior day. The pilot, limited to 200 participants, pairs the fire department and police with city senior services to install safety devices and collect information to tailor emergency responses.

Boatwright said about 140 people had registered within the first day. Phase 1 includes five features: 200 combo smoke and carbon monoxide detectors donated by Home Depot and installed by Aurora Fire Department on weekends in September and October; lockboxes with key‑duplication vouchers and randomized emergency codes to be stored in dispatch; a refrigerator magnet contact card; a senior‑focused “Aurora Safe Profile” emergency information form; and 50 health‑monitoring “safety watches” donated by Ping Cares with one‑year subscriptions.

Boatwright said the program’s installation and data entry support will be provided free to seniors who cannot complete online forms. She told aldermen the initiative aims to help seniors “age well in place with care, confidence, and connectedness to our city.” Aldermen asked about funding, outreach and equity. Boatwright said the 2025 budget included funds that covered a portion of the lockbox costs and that Home Depot donated the detectors; she estimated $50,000 would be available for home repairs under phase 2 next year.

Boatwright said outreach includes press releases, social‑media posts and personalized mailings to a city database of about 1,000 seniors who have previously used city programs; she said staff will map registrations by ward to monitor geographic distribution and equitable reach. The committee did not take a formal vote; Boatwright asked aldermen and staff to refer interested residents to her office while the pilot serves the first 200 registrants.