How Community-Academic Partnerships Are Redefining Aging in Place
Imagine knowing that 90% of seniors in your community live in extreme poverty, most have multiple chronic health conditions, and nearly half face significant health literacy barriers. This isn't a hypothetical scenario—it was the reality uncovered by researchers in New York's East Harlem neighborhood when they actually asked 1 . As our global population ages dramatically—with the share of people over 60 worldwide expected to double from 1 billion in 2020 to 2 billion by 2030—the question of how we support older adults has never been more urgent .
The answer, it turns out, may lie not in high-tech labs but in the powerful alliance between scientists and communities themselves.
For decades, research on aging focused primarily on biological decline. But a quiet revolution has been unfolding in how science understands and supports what experts call "successful aging"—a holistic concept that encompasses not just avoiding disease but maintaining physical and cognitive function, staying socially engaged, and overall well-being . At the forefront of this revolution are community-academic partnerships that recognize the people living these experiences every day hold essential knowledge about what truly works.
The traditional medical view of aging focused almost exclusively on the absence of disease. But beginning in the late 1980s, researchers Rowe and Kahn proposed a groundbreaking multidimensional model of successful aging that included three key components: avoiding disease and disability, maintaining high cognitive and physical function, and staying actively engaged in life 3 .
This perspective has continued to evolve, with recent studies emphasizing that successful aging looks different across cultures and individuals, and must include subjective elements like life satisfaction, purpose, and personal resources .
In Nepal, researchers added spiritual well-being to the criteria for successful aging, recognizing what many non-Western societies have long understood—that aging well involves more than just physical health 3 . Their study found that 29% of older adults were aging successfully, with factors like living with a partner, remaining employed, and daily physical activity significantly increasing the odds of successful aging 3 .
Data from Nepal aging study 3
| Traditional Medical View | Modern Holistic Approach |
|---|---|
| Absence of disease | Physical, mental, and social well-being |
| Focus on biological decline | Includes cognitive function and disability status |
| Doctor-defined outcomes | Incorporates personal values and goals |
| Universal standards | Varies by culture and individual |
| Includes spirituality and life satisfaction |
"Aging in place" represents the strong desire of most older adults to remain in their own homes and communities as they age. But what makes this possible? Research now shows that physical environment, social connections, and community resources all play critical roles. The World Health Organization has identified eight domains of livability that support aging in place, including everything from transportation and housing to social participation and community respect 2 .
Interestingly, a 2024 study revealed that local policymakers tend to focus primarily on the physical environment—outdoor spaces, transportation, and housing—while paying less attention to equally critical social factors like social participation, respect and inclusion, and civic engagement 2 . This gap highlights why community-academic partnerships have become so essential—they ensure the lived experience of older adults informs which supports communities actually build.
Community-academic partnerships bring together local communities and research institutions in equitable collaborations that recognize each partner's unique strengths 6 . These partnerships operate on fundamental principles including transparency, trust, respect for community self-determination, and a commitment to sharing power and resources 6 . The goal isn't just to study communities but to work with them to create solutions.
In Wisconsin, the Community-Academic Aging Research Network (CAARN) has demonstrated the remarkable potential of this approach. Since its founding in 2010, CAARN has facilitated 67 funded research projects totaling over $35 million, involving 72 investigators and more than 150 community partners across 58 counties and one tribe 8 . Their projects address critical issues from diabetes management to fall prevention, caregiver support to assistive technology—all prioritized by the communities themselves 8 .
67
Funded Research Projects
$35M+
Total Funding
72
Investigators
150+
Community Partners
Data from CAARN 8
Traditional research often followed a "helicopter" model—scientists would drop into a community, collect data, and leave, never to be seen again. Community-academic partnerships represent a radical shift from this approach 6 .
They identify more nuanced understandings of underlying problems and reveal community strengths and assets that outside researchers might miss 6 .
They create interventions with greater likelihood of success because they're culturally appropriate and generate results that are relevant, timely, and useful 6 .
Perhaps most importantly, these partnerships recognize that older adults themselves are experts in their own experience. When asked what they value about participating in age-friendly initiatives, older adults consistently mention three things: the ability to make meaningful contributions to their communities, the social connections they form, and the opportunity to continue learning and growing 2 .
One compelling example of community-academic partnership in action comes from the collaboration between Rockefeller University's Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Clinical Directors Network, and the Carter Burden Network (CBN), a senior services organization serving East Harlem, New York 1 5 . The partnership began not with a predetermined research question but with a commitment to genuine engagement of older adults and other stakeholders in priority-setting, joint protocol development, research conduct, analysis, and dissemination 1 .
The researchers used an approach called CEnR-Navigation, consisting of structured meetings and activities facilitated by expert Navigators, to engage Carter Burden seniors in refining research priorities and providing feedback on study design 1 . This process led to a study focused on examining a simple validated measure of overall health status and frailty in this population, many of whom are racial/ethnic minorities, low-income, and suffer from multiple chronic conditions, depression, and food insecurity 1 .
Data from East Harlem study 1
The research team set out to characterize the health status of CBN seniors using validated measures. Their approach is noteworthy for its comprehensive mix of methods 1 5 .
Walk and balance tests to assess frailty
Covering health, quality of life, and nutrition
Attendance at senior activities
Sustainable data capture system
The preliminary results from the East Harlem study revealed a population facing significant challenges but rich with strength and resilience. Of the first 98 participants enrolled from the residential site 1 :
| Health Indicator | Finding | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Average BMI | 30 (Obese range) | Highlights need for nutrition and physical activity programs |
| Overweight or Obese | 84% of participants | Indicates prevalent metabolic health challenges |
| Health Literacy Barriers | 50% of participants | Affects ability to navigate healthcare system and follow medical advice |
| Frailty (as measured by walk/balance tests) | Assessment ongoing | Will provide simple measure for tracking health status over time |
Perhaps most importantly, the study documented what became possible when community wisdom guided research priorities. The partnership created sustainable infrastructure for ongoing research and capacity-building within the community organization 1 5 . As one partnership leader noted, this work allows for "testing interventions that enhance healthy aging and serve as a model for future similar partnerships to form a network for community-based senior research" 5 .
| Research Tool | Function | Example from Studies |
|---|---|---|
| Short Physical Performance Battery | Assesses frailty through walk and balance tests | Used in East Harlem study as primary outcome measure 1 |
| Community Engaged Research Navigation (CEnR-Navigation) | Structured process for partnership development | Facilitated engagement of seniors in research design in East Harlem 1 |
| Group Concept Mapping (GCM) | Structured approach to gather and organize community ideas | Used in Milwaukee to identify priorities for healthy community 6 |
| REDCap Data Platform | Secure web application for building and managing surveys and databases | Designed for sustainable data capture beyond individual studies 1 |
| Barthel Index | Measures performance in Activities of Daily Living | Used in Nepal study to assess disability 3 |
| Geriatric Depression Scale | Screens for depressive symptoms in older adults | Adapted Nepali version used in Nepal aging study 3 |
| Whole Health Coaching | Supports individuals in identifying and achieving health goals | VA's program incorporates successful aging as outcome |
Based on study methodologies across multiple research projects
The World Health Organization establishes the original eight domains of age-friendly communities, focusing primarily on physical infrastructure and basic services.
Research begins highlighting the critical importance of social participation, respect and inclusion, and civic engagement for successful aging.
Partnership models like CAARN demonstrate the power of collaborative research that prioritizes community-identified needs and builds sustainable infrastructure.
New considerations like climate resilience, technology integration, and reimagining economic metrics expand the concept of what makes communities truly age-friendly.
The evidence from community-academic partnerships paints a compelling picture: supporting successful aging in place requires addressing both the physical and social environments while respecting the diverse ways people experience growing older.
These partnerships demonstrate that the most effective solutions emerge when scientific expertise and lived experience come together as equal partners.
As one older adult involved in age-friendly initiatives expressed, "I'm part of something that matters" 2 . This sentiment captures the profound truth that successful aging isn't just about adding years to life, but life to years—and that this is best achieved when communities and institutions work together to create environments where everyone can thrive as they age.
The journey to transform how we support aging in place is just beginning, but community-academic partnerships have already illuminated the path forward—one built on mutual respect, shared power, and the recognition that when it comes to understanding what makes life worth living at any age, everyone has something to teach, and everyone has something to learn.