Chronic stress; extreme weather; unsafe environments; and a lack of access to healthy food, medications, and preventative health screenings are just some of the many ways living without a home accelerates the onset of age-related issues.

Across our permanent supportive housing communities, we are seeing formerly homeless residents in their 50s struggling with geriatric conditions.

Thanks to a $21,000 grant from RRF Foundation for Aging, Mercy Housing Lakefront resident services staff participated in a 6-week training course to increase their knowledge and capacity to serve residents who are aging in place.

The course was designed in partnership with Elderwerks, a local nonprofit organization, and has titles such as Dementia Training for the Health Care Provider, Early Onset Geriatric Conditions, and The Effects of Homelessness on the Human Body.

Jeff Nelson, a case manager with nearly 50 years of social work experience, appreciated the practical solutions he can apply to his day-to-day work: “I get the most out of practical suggestions, [like] go in that person’s eyesight and make sure they see you all the time,” shared Jeff about practical ways serve residents with dementia.

Mercy Housing Lakefront will continue to work with community partners to ensure that our staff have up-to-date solutions to ensure older adult residents can age with dignity and thrive in their communities.