Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most common questions from website visitors and from those who have attended presentations we have given in the past.
What is aging in place? Aging in place is more than just planning to stay in your own home. Most older adults prefer to do that even when facing serious health or disability. However, to age in place you should consider a deliberative planning process that includes personal reflection, conversations with family or those who are important to you, and taking action. Our website contains information that can help you plan ahead or to take action when you have health or other issues that make decisions about aging in place something you need to do right away.
Is Reston for a Lifetime a Village? Typically, Villages provide a variety of services through staff or volunteers such as rides, simple home repairs, tech help or social events that help someone age in place. Our job is to educate and inform our community’s residents about existing resources and to share information about services that help our older residents stay independent for a lifetime. We represent a different Village model because we don’t provide direct services by staff or volunteers. Reston for a Lifetime belongs to the Village to Village Network and the Washington Area Village Exchange.
Why don’t you provide services? Our county and community are rich in the resources older adults may need to age in place and that may be offered by a typical Village. The problem in Reston is that many people do not know about them. Our mission is to educate and inform Reston residents about the things that allow for aging in place. We partner with nonprofit organizations such as Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia and Reston Useful Services Exchange that provide services such as rides or simple home repairs. We continue to seek other community partners that provide services commonly associated with what Village volunteers or staff might provide.
You have partners listed on the site. Does this mean that you endorse them? We do not endorse organizations. However, we do link or refer older adults to partners that provide services that might be useful either on the website or in our newsletter. We also list sponsors on our website that provide the financial means for us to carry out our mission that may also provide needed services.
What about starting a kind of village in my cluster? We encourage organized entities around Reston such as town house clusters to consider setting up a volunteer program that allows their older residents to age in place. We call it Neighbors Helping Neighbors. There are start-up materials available upon request through our website. And, Fairfax County employs someone tasked with helping Villages get off the ground, educational opportunities or with ongoing help with management.
Do you have a toll-free number? No, we don’t have one or a local hotline. Right now, we have a seven-member, voluntary board of directors but no staff or other volunteers. Almost all the resources listed on our website link to nonprofit or governmental organizations that have phone numbers. If you have questions about resources or Reston for a Lifetime, however, you can contact us via the website.
How do you sign up for the newsletter? You can sign up on the website under News where you can also link to past issues and see article about us.
Do you provide information on home modification? It’s true that 84% of older adults want to stay in their own homes as they get older. But many people have questions about how to adapt their homes to be age friendly. You can find links to organizations and articles about this topic on our website or by reading articles in our newsletter.
Where can I get free rides to go shopping or for a doctor’s visit? In Reston, we are lucky to have more than one partner that provides rides from fully vetted volunteers. Both RCC Rides, Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia and Reston Useful Services Exchange (a time bank) provide rides. All require signing up. Some Medicare Advantage plans also offer rides to and from a doctor’s visit or the hospital. Our site contains information on various other transportation options available to Reston residents.
Where can I find someone to help me with minor home repairs? There are a number of local organizations that can help around the house with minor repairs (those not requiring specialized or lengthy effort) such as Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia or Reston Useful Services Exchange. Habitat for Humanity will provide repairs or modifications for low-income individuals who are 62 and older and live in a single family or townhome in Fairfax County.
How do I find help with technology? Fairfax County libraries offer technology training for older adults. Our Technology section on the website provides a good overview of what you need to know about technology that can help with aging in place, especially when someone has suffered hearing loss or vision issues.
I want to find ways to combat loneliness and boredom. Can you help with that? Please sign up for our newsletter where you can find several events each month that may make it easy for you to connect with others. Also, the Healthy Aging section on our website describes various social activities around Reston as well as lifelong learning and volunteer opportunities.
My family and friends think I should move to assisted living or a life plan community, but I want to stay in my home. At the same time, I should probably look at the options. What are they? The Housing section of our website describes things you might do to stay in your own home as well as many of the options you might consider if you must move.