Catholic Charities, Kansas City, MO

Print This Page

Project Title
Caring Communities Resource Centers

Project Summary
Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph proposes implementing Caring Communities Resource Centers for three years in collaboration with senior centers and community partners of health and aging expertise. The approach takes health care assistance, social workers, chronic disease education and related health activities into senior neighborhood settings.

Goals and Objectives
The goal is to enhance older adults' ability to live independently and increase healthy behaviors through localized access to a continuum of health and social services focused on seniors and their caregivers supporting quality of life while aging in place. The objectives include: 1) services customized to needs of older adults in low-income, urban and rural neighborhoods; 2) outreach activities for awareness of the comprehensive scope of services; 3) intake and health screenings to determine health conditions and facilitate care plans for better management; 4) intervention, case management, and referrals to health providers; 5) chronic disease management workshops and health literacy; 6) mental health services; 7) assisting family caregivers to identify their own needs; 8) providing resources to address older adult/caregiver circumstances; and 9) respite services.

Outcomes and Products
The expected outcomes are: 1) older adults demonstrate improvement in healthy aging behaviors and ability to remain independent; 2) participants engage in health literacy and screenings; 3) older adults reduce reliance on emergency rooms and preventable hospitalization; 4) older adults demonstrate better disease self-management; 5) seniors report a greater sense of well-being; 6) caregivers demonstrate an increased ability to provide care; and 7) older adults report improvement when caregivers share in services. The products are evaluation reports, electronic and media articles for publication, and a new replicable model of service.