In Pennsylvania, civic organizations with ideas for improving their communities have a new opportunity to turn their ideas into reality, thanks to recently awarded grant funding.

Through Community Challenge grants, AARP's Livable Communities initiative has awarded more than $86,000 across eight Pennsylvania nonprofits and government entities.

Angela Foreshaw Rouse, senior manager of community engagement and operations for AARP Pennsylvania, said the grants aim to support quick-action projects to improve public spaces, transportation, housing and digital access. She noted a local organization is using the funds to build a community database to help older adults and their families connect with arts opportunities.

"The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, their projects are creating an online database of cultural and social impact programming that will offer community-based arts to residents in the area," Foreshaw Rouse explained. "It also partners with Philadelphia City Council to help inform residents about the database."

Foreshaw Rouse outlined the program funds projects across three different grant opportunities, including flagship, demonstration and capacity-building microgrants. Since the initiative launched in 2017, the program has awarded more than $353,000 to 33 grantees in Pennsylvania.

She added Crispus Attucks York is using its funds to install outdoor musical instruments in a play zone, creating an accessible space for people of all ages and abilities.

"These musical instruments offer a meaningful way for adults to interact with children," Foreshaw Rouse emphasized. "That's an intergenerational space. So putting wonderful instruments in an outdoor setting so people can just go and engage and enjoy their outdoor public spaces."

She said the Greater North Penn Area Transportation Management Association will receive funding to provide bike audits to identify appropriate locations for new bike lanes infrastructure, repair stations, bike racks and signage.

"This is like public safety, public transportation," Foreshaw Rouse stressed. "A lot of people are biking. This is also like pedestrian and bicycle safety. So that's another innovative way in the realm of transportation to help broaden infrastructure for bicyclists. They're growing more popular across our urban, suburban and in rural areas as well."

Foreshaw Rouse pointed out this year, AARP has awarded $3.8 million to 343 organizations nationwide. The AARP Community Challenge grants will be implemented nationwide, with a quick turnaround for completion by Dec. 31.

Six Michigan projects have been awarded funding through AARP's largest-ever Community Challenge grant, aimed at making communities more livable, especially for those 50 and older.

More than $4 million in quick-action grants are supporting close to 400 projects nationwide, including $73,000 for initiatives across Michigan.

Ramon Harris, associate state director of community outreach and engagement for AARP Michigan, said the grants are designed to spark immediate, tangible change in communities.

"These are small grants with big impacts," Harris explained. "Supporting projects that improve public spaces, or it could be housing, transportation, digital access. Since 2017, the program has funded over 1,000 projects nationwide."

In Michigan, better walkability investments include safer crosswalks in Dearborn, more benches in Holland, and upgrades in Marlette. The funding is also helping to expand digital access in Detroit and support home safety checks in Macomb County.

This year, nearly half the grants are going to rural areas, AARP's biggest rural investment yet.

Some corporate giants are joining the effort, including Toyota, helping fund safer streets and sidewalks and Microsoft backing projects to boost broadband access to get more people connected online. Harris emphasized the importance of livable communities as the population ages.

"You buy this beautiful home, you pay it off hopefully by retirement, and then you want to live there, you want to age there," Harris observed. "This is about trying to help make sure a community is viable for people to stay in their homes, stay in their communities and age in place."

In Michigan, one in three residents is age 50 or older; just over 3 million people shaping the state's future.

A new report ranks Colorado as the 15th safest state in the nation for aging in place, tied with Michigan.

A record 4.2 million Americans are expected to reach retirement age this year, and 75% have said they want to stay in their homes as they get older, instead of moving into retirement homes or assisted living, according to AARP's latest data.

Christine Healy, chief growth officer for the senior living technology company Seniorly, the group behind the report, said Colorado's low level of precipitation helped push the state toward the top of the list.

"If we think about what makes a city walkable or accessible for an older adult, you really want to minimize the level of hazards," Healy explained. "Dry, safe walkways are great places for older adults."

Utah, North Dakota and New Jersey took the top three spots. North Carolina, Kentucky and Florida rounded out the bottom three. Healy noted generally, the best states for aging in place make it easier to get around, stay healthy and feel supported. States lagging behind tend to lack support in critical areas including health care access, home care services, and community-level resources.

The number of people aged 65 and older is projected to grow from 63 million this year to just over 82 million by 2050, a 26% increase. Cost is considered to be the greatest factor in retirement planning and staying home can be far less expensive than entering a retirement community or long-term care facility.

Healy believes aging in place can be good for those who can stay socially engaged and active.

"That's not always the case," Healy acknowledged. "A lot of older adults are aging in place on their own, they're becoming more socially isolated, they're not leaving the house as much."

Colorado ranks 12th nationally for both the timeliness of emergency care and the use of smart technologies in the home. But the state ranks 42nd nationally for high housing costs and 38th for access to home meal delivery. Other factors considered in the report include road safety, local walkability and the quality and availability of home health care.


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Iowa has joined a growing network that provides comprehensive and social service resources to the state's unpaid family caregivers.

Nationwide, 48 million people provide caregiving assistance to loved ones who need help due to illness, injury, or other challenges.

Thanks to a recent expansion, Iowa is now one of twenty-five states served by the 211 Caregiver Support Program - which AARP Iowa State Director Michael Wagler said connects caregivers with a wide variety of help, even if the caller doesn't know exactly what they're looking for.

"It's really a no wrong door mentality," said Wagler. "And so they can get access and resources to on the ground care providers like area agencies on aging or hospital resources that they may not be aware of. Sometimes, it's a point of reference for online resources."

AARP and United Way Worldwide created the Caregiver Support Program to address the number one need for family caregivers - navigating the system to find relevant caregiving resources and local support.

Wagler added that the 211 program, which is a free 24/7 helpline, connects callers with local resources and nearby services for caregivers.

"Whether that be through AARP or other care providers," said Wagler. "On connecting to resources, to local support groups to a gateway into other resources throughout their communities. And that's the nice thing about the 211 program - it is both comprehensive and catered to where the caller is calling from."

Originally launched in 2021, the program now covers 25 states with plans for more growth.