Summary of the project

The charrettes bring together thought leaders and practitioners from across disciplines and industries for a day of senior-focused discussion and strategic planning. JHF will translate the creative ideas developed during the charrettes into action plans and a potential Senior Connections grant agenda.

JHF's first charrette, held in August of 2016, resulted in an exercise and recreation grant agenda.

In 2017, the Foundation hosted a pair of charrettes that forged new partnerships and laid the groundwork for a better quality of life for our region’s older adults.

On May 3, JHF convened a charrette to re -imagine the delivery of primary care and consider ways to make it more responsive to the evolving needs of our region’s seniors and caregivers. Through panel discussions and breakout sessions, more than 100 attendees delved into the types of technology applications, community-based care programs, practice designs, and communication strategies that could be included in a geriatric-friendly healthcare delivery model.

On November 9, regional stakeholders gathered for a charrette focused innovative, community-based housing models that maximize seniors’ safety, independence, and overall quality of life. The session featured interactive kiosks that highlighted some local innovations (including Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus, Community LIFE, the Jewish Association on Aging’s memory care unit, and JHF’s Virtual Senior Academy), as well as video displays of cutting-edge senior housing models from other countries that included co-housing, smart homes, and tiny homes. During facilitated breakout sessions, participants considered the financial, care delivery, and social/psychological aspects of senior housing.