Villages

In 2023, BUILD's listening process revealed struggles with care for our elders—both older adults facing aging issues at home, and others caring for older family members. Through our research we learned that although most older adults want to age at home, they face many barriers, such as the need for home modifications, difficulty with home maintenance, and a lack of accessible services and social connections. These challenges can lead to isolation and a diminished quality of life. We also learned of a "missing middle" of elders—folks who are not wealthy enough to afford high quality private services, but not poor enough to qualify for public programs. These elders have few support options.

BUILD's research revealed the Village model—not a place, but a membership organization that uses the power of community and volunteers to create a "neighborhood" of support for our elders. With Village membership, older adults can access volunteer support and vetted service providers to help with home maintenance, technology, and social connections. This support can mean a longer, safer period of aging at home, which is what most older adults want.

But it takes a strong infrastructure to bring these services to every zip code in Lexington, so in 2024, BUILD asked the city to do a community needs assessment and to find a non-profit partner that could sponsor a city-wide Village. That non-profit is A Caring Place, which is now transforming itself from a small, all-volunteer non-profit into the robust organization able to manage a growing number of smaller Village circles. With the support of an additional $50,000 from the city in 2025, that first circle is now forming in the Beaumont-Gardenside area.

Meanwhile, the needs assessment, funded with $150,000 from LFUCG and led by University of Kentucky researchers, will be complete in 2026. That study will support A Caring Place as they seek grant funding to staff up and fully realize the city-wide Village model.