Premier, Inc. Honors Program that Helps Low-Income Seniors Age in Place with National Award and $100,000 Donation

Aging Gracefully, a nonprofit program dedicated to making homes safer for low-income adults over the age of 65, has received the 2023 Premier Cares Award and a $100,000 cash prize from Premier, Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC), a leading technology-driven healthcare improvement company.

Sponsored by Premier and its alliance of more than 4,400 hospitals and health systems and approximately 250,000 other providers and organizations, the Premier Cares Award recognizes standalone community agencies and health organizations that are improving the lives of the medically underserved.

Demonstrated in 2017 and fully implemented in 2020 by Greensboro, North Carolina-based Community Housing Solutions, the Aging Gracefully program helps to increase older adults’ mobility, functionality and quality of life while allowing them to remain in their homes. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) 2021 Home and Community Preferences survey, 77 percent of adults ages 50 and older want to stay in their homes and of those, 33 percent report their houses would need modifications to be able to do so safely and independently.

“The Guilford County, North Carolina area has a gap in resources and service organizations to serve low-income, older adults who need an accessibility modification to prevent falls and allow them to live and age in place at home,” said Gene Brown, President and Executive Director of Community Housing Solutions. “We are grateful and honored to have the Aging Gracefully program recognized by Premier, and we look forward to expanding it to ensure more of our elderly residents have access to the housing modifications they desperately need to live healthier lives and remain in their homes.”

Central to the Aging Gracefully program is a partnership between Community Housing Solutions, Cone Health and Triad HealthCare Network (THN). Community Housing Solutions provides a reputable, qualified construction team to complete the accessibility modifications and repairs, while Cone Health provides healthcare providers to educate and train each Aging Gracefully client on how to use the home modifications to reach their functionality and mobility goals.

The Aging Gracefully program includes six to eight in-home sessions with a Cone Health occupational therapist and five to seven in-home sessions with a THN registered nurse. In addition, durable medical and assistive equipment is provided by Community Housing Solutions as needed for clients to achieve their goals. Each year, approximately 50 homeowners benefit from the Aging Gracefully program.