USI's Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness helps launch online guide

The University of Southern Indiana's Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness and SWIRCA & More have partnered to launch an online resource guide for healthcare professionals, older adults, and caregivers, with the goal of helping elders live independently while connecting them to community programs and promoting healthy lifestyles. 

The Senior Resource Guide of Southwest Indiana is online at resources.swirca.org. Services for elders in Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties are available on the website. 

USI undergraduate and graduate students assisted with the website, which is funded through the Welborn Baptist Foundation with a Community Transformation Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Dr. Katie Ehlman, assistant professor of gerontology and director of the USI Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness, said the online resource guide meets a growing need for families and service providers in the area. 

"The most recent U.S. Census reports that our area has a larger than average population of people older than 65, and this age group is growing. Because of this, we anticipate that this resource guide will be of interest to many individuals," she said. "There are more than 600 care providers listed on the website, and we have designed it to be user-friendly and easy to navigate. There is lots of useful information here for older adults, as well as professionals who work with older adults." 

The Senior Resource Guide offers searches by county and/or category, general results list with provider name and phone number, and detailed individual pages for each provider. Guide categories include wellness programs, senior centers, meal sites, assisted living, home care, independent living, nursing facilities, prescription and financial assistance, transportation, and more. 

The Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness, housed in the College of Nursing and Health Professions at USI, is dedicated to advancing the understanding of aging and promoting the well-being of older adults through interdisciplinary education, research, and engaged partnerships.