Resources for Older Adults in Weld County
Primary Topic:
Health & Wellbeing
Other Topics:
FCS, Nutrition, & Food Safety, DEI
Lead Mentor:
Sheila Beckley
Family and Consumer Science County Specialist
Internship Overview:
As we age, living alone can present various challenges, including social isolation, limited access to essential services, and potential health risks (National Council on Aging, A Guide to Resources and Support for Older Adults Living Alone (ncoa.org). It can significantly impact an individual’s ability to age in place independently. Unfortunately, resources for older adults and healthy aging is difficult to navigate. People often lament the fact that they can’t find what they need. The scattered nature of information on resources for older adults and healthy aging can be a significant challenge. The goal is to create a centralized online portal that will house available sources for the residents of Weld County, using the website Senior Access Points theme and format, an online portal developed by CSU Extension and Larimer County. The first step in this endeavor is to gather the resources available to residents of Weld County that will be uploaded to the website. The intern will:
Assist in reaching out to local organizations, including healthcare providers, senior centers, community groups, and government agencies
Compile information on health, nutrition, healthcare, community and social services, community events, workshops, including contact details, operating hours, eligibility criteria, and any other pertinent details.
Develop a systematic approach, such as a spreadsheet, for organizing the gathered information in a format suitable for website upload.
Develop and adhere to a timeline for completing different stages of the resource-gathering process.
Maintain regular communication with mentors by providing updates on progress
Assist in reaching out to local organizations, including healthcare providers, senior centers, community groups, and government agencies
Compile information on health, nutrition, healthcare, community and social services, community events, workshops, including contact details, operating hours, eligibility criteria, and any other pertinent details.
Develop a systematic approach, such as a spreadsheet, for organizing the gathered information in a format suitable for website upload.
Develop and adhere to a timeline for completing different stages of the resource-gathering process.
Maintain regular communication with mentors by providing updates on progress
Goals, Scope and Objectives:
The primary goal of the internship is to gather aging-related resources and information that are available to Weld County residents. The secondary goal is to organize the resources that will be ready to be uploaded to a centralized online portal or a website, such as the Senior Access Points in Larimer County. The website will be hosted by CSU Extension Weld County and will be added to webpages within CSU Extension and OEE.
With which stakeholder group(s) will the intern work?
CSU Extension – Weld County
UCHealth North
United Way – Weld County
CSU Extension
OEE
Area Agency on Aging
High Plains Library District
UCHealth North
United Way – Weld County
CSU Extension
OEE
Area Agency on Aging
High Plains Library District
What student learning outcomes do you anticipate and what are the opportunities for professional development?
The student intern will have the following learning outcomes:
• be involved with gathering information and resources on health, nutrition, healthcare, community and social services from private, government and nonprofit organizations
• gain insight into healthcare systems, aging services, and other older adult-related resources
• develop an appreciation for community needs and demonstrate the ability to contribute to community service initiatives
• gain awareness of aging issues and demonstrate an understanding of the role of social services in addressing community needs
• demonstrate the ability to collaborate with professionals from diverse fields to address holistic health and community needs
• get trained in organizing information that will be useful for website upload
• have many opportunities to interact with Extension professionals from multiple regions
• be involved with gathering information and resources on health, nutrition, healthcare, community and social services from private, government and nonprofit organizations
• gain insight into healthcare systems, aging services, and other older adult-related resources
• develop an appreciation for community needs and demonstrate the ability to contribute to community service initiatives
• gain awareness of aging issues and demonstrate an understanding of the role of social services in addressing community needs
• demonstrate the ability to collaborate with professionals from diverse fields to address holistic health and community needs
• get trained in organizing information that will be useful for website upload
• have many opportunities to interact with Extension professionals from multiple regions
