Attend the community conversation on aging

Nancy Wells / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: May 5, 2007

Aging Together is a community partnership of over 100 organizations and individuals in the Rappahannock Rapidan region working to improve quality of life and support services for older adults. This monthly series is focused on community resources for seniors and their families. Today guest editor Nancy Wells describes the annual Community Conversation on Aging.

"Let your voice be heard-we are listening!" say members of Aging Together.

In May of 2005 and 2006, Community Conversations were held in Culpeper and in each of the other four counties of Planning District Nine. The purpose of these conversations was to hear from citizens what they like about living and growing older in Culpeper County as well as their needs and concerns. You will have this opportunity once again on May 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Germanna Center for Advanced Technology. A complimentary lunch will be provided.

If you plan to attend call 825-3100 ext. 3467.
We heard you say that you needed affordable accessible housing and 23 units became available when the new Leaflin Lane senior apartment complex opened in August 2006. We heard you say you cannot afford your prescriptions and the Rappahannock Rapidan Medication Assistance Program expanded existing resources to help individuals with limited incomes obtain free medicines. We heard you say Adult Day Care for your loved one would mean respite for you, and a regional Adult Day Care Center will open this summer.

We heard you say that you like Culpeper because of the "community opportunities and resources" yet we also heard from you that there was a lack of knowledge of available resources and that it's hard to ask for help. As a Social Worker for FamilyCare Home Health and Hospice, I meet with families caring for loved ones who do not know what supports are available. One of our goals of Aging Together is to educate the public before they are faced with a crisis. To respond to this identified need, Aging Together County Resource Specialists, like Jenny Biche in Culpeper, help organizations list and update their services on SeniorNavigator, a web-based resource information system. In addition, Resource Specialists are making contact with all service providers in the community to develop a comprehensive resource guide for each county.

Another change resulting from Community Conversations is that we established Aging Together work groups to address regional issues seniors identified back in 2005 concerning the work force, transportation, caregiving, wellness, adult day care, and prescription drug costs.

One of the best things to come from the Community Conversations is the coordination of services within the planning district. I have worked with senior citizen for the past 30 years in our community. The same problems Culpeper Seniors face are those faced by Madison, Orange, Rappahannock and Fauquier seniors. Thanks to funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and from local governments and businesses, we can use our resources across county lines and work toward solutions. There's a lot of energy out there and it's great to see different organizations working together to fill the gaps in services.

You too can be a member of Aging Together. The Healthy Culpeper Adult/Senior Committee meets monthly at the Library. If you would like to join this committee or get involved with a specific work group, call the Aging Together Regional Office at 829-6405. 

Finally, don't forget the Community Conversation on May 22. We hope to see you there!

Aging Together can be reached at or call 829-6405.