Area Agency on Aging relaunches CAPABLE program

The Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area (AAACAP), a CAPCOG division, is relaunching its efforts to bring a client-directed, home-based intervention program — CAPABLE — to older adults and increase their ability to age in place. The program originally launched in early 2020, but implementation was postponed so AAACAP could assist older adults with pandemic-related needs.

“(AAACAP) was allowed to reallocate the CAPABLE program’s funding to provide greater food security, deter social isolation, and supplement some basic needs for older adults during the pandemic,” said Patty Bordie, CAPCOG aging services director. “Now, we are prepared to rollout this project with all the CDC’s protocols and the guidance provided by John Hopkins University (the developer of the CAPABLE program) to protect the older adults we will be working with.”

CAPABLE offers time-limited services from an occupational therapist, a nurse, and a home repair professional who team with the participating an older adult. The services builds on each other to increase the participant’s capacity to function at home and decrease the risk of hospitalization and nursing home stays by improving medication management, problem-solving ability, strength, balance, mobility, nutrition, and home safety while decreasing isolation, depression, and fall risk. It also allows AAACAP to monitor the participant’s health improvements and address interventions around the social determinants of health, such as transportation, finances, education, family support, health literacy and home environment.

Funded by the St. David’s Foundation, the program will be piloted in Bastrop County during its first year, but AAACAP will use lessons-learned from the program to implement it throughout the region as funds become available.

Read about AAACAP.