Program Area: Social Research, Policy, and Practice
Emily Greenfield, PhD
Professor of Social Work
School of Social Work
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
Suzanne Kunkel, PhD
University Distinguished Professor
Scripps Gerontology Center
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio, United States
Emily Greenfield, PhD
Professor of Social Work
School of Social Work
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
Caitlin Coyle, PhD
Director, Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging
Gerontology
University of Massachusetts Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Alexandra Hennessa, MSW
Research Associate
LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston
LeadingAge
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Holly Dabelko-Schoeny, PhD, MSW (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor
Social Work
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio, United States
Community-based social innovations (CBSI) for aging are programs, initiatives, and other structures that support healthy aging and aging in community in ways that complement traditional health and human service systems. This symposium features research on several manifestations of CBSIs in the US. The first paper orients to innovation among aging services agencies, drawing on data from local Councils on Aging in Massachusetts to examine variation in their levels of engagement with age-friendly community (AFC) work. Findings elucidate the importance of community context and organizational capacity for deepening involvement in AFC work over time. Addressing innovation within communities as a whole, the second paper applies social network analytic methods to examine the constellations of connections among AFC core teams and their key partners across nine localities in New Jersey. Focusing on housing, the third paper presents findings from an evaluation of a national demonstration program to enhance the capacity of service coordinators within senior housing communities. This paper implicates the important role of services staff in systems innovation. Finally, with attention to creating age-friendly communities, the fourth paper presents findings from a project in Ohio that equipped older adults with a tablet-based transportation “diary” app. The findings demonstrate ways in which this technology facilitated deeper insight on users’ experiences in terms of their mood, with implications for transit design and programs. Collectively, the studies make evident the importance of leveraging the tools of research alongside engaged partnerships to strengthen the knowledge base for continued innovation in community supports for aging.
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Emily Greenfield, PhD – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Caitlin Coyle, PhD – University of Massachusetts Boston
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Alexandra Hennessa, MSW – LeadingAge
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Holly Dabelko-Schoeny, PhD, MSW (she/her/hers) – Ohio State University