Mission & Vision
Our Mission
To empower and support individuals as they age by providing community connection and access to services.
In 1974, the State of Vermont designated Age Well as the Area Agency on Aging for Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties in Northwestern Vermont. We carry out programs authorized by the Older Americans Act—federal legislation that calls for local organizations to take the lead in creating a coordinated system of services for older persons across the country. In 2017, we changed our name from Champlain Valley Agency on Aging (CVAA) to Age Well to better reflect all the work we do.
We are the second or third oldest aging state in the whole country. So what is more important than providing these community services more than just Meals on Wheels? Older Vermonters who have diabetes are much more likely to have additional problems like cognitive decline. Weakness falls, fractures, and most importantly, they’re much more likely to suffer from a problem called polypharmacy.
Polypharmacy is defined by a minimum of being on five drugs a day. How do you compete with that? You compete with that with a concept of food as medicine, not just what’s that comes out of a pill bottle. The food that you put into your system becomes an actual medicine, a way to control things like diabetes. So if we can keep even a few diabetics under that threshold on fewer medications, the quality of their life is going to be better.
The way you improve health care in this state is invest more in primary care, mental health and community based services like age. Well. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of older Vermonters as they age. When people start feeling better, feeling stronger, taking less medications, they’re going to stick with it.
Age Well’s Vision
A community where aging is supported and valued.
Our Impact
Committed to helping individuals age well, we reduce barriers by providing access to healthy meals, in-home care, and community resources. Delivered by staff members and over 1,000 incredible volunteers, our sought-after services are designed to meet the diverse needs of our clients, their families, and caregivers. We do not charge for services provided. As a nonprofit, we rely on donations and encourage clients to contribute if they are able to do so.
The Vermont Aging Network Consortium (VANC)
Vermont’s five Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are affiliated together through a non-profit entity, called the Vermont Aging Network Consortium (VANC). VANC will positively impact the overall cost of health care by leveraging economies of scale, combining resources, and reducing duplication within the community-provider network of home- and community-based services. A focus on establishing future contracts with payers and healthcare systems is expected to further enhance financial sustainability for aging services as they evolve.
The Vermont Aging Network Consortium is a separate nonprofit entity within which the individual AAAs will remain active and independent nonprofits as they continue to serve clients in their communities. It will help the AAAs create a sustainable financial model of service by leveraging their strengths, their buying power, and their high-quality systems of service. The AAAs trade association, the Vermont Association of Agencies on Aging (V4A) will continue to separately serve as the lobbying, advocacy, and educational organization for the AAAs.
This affiliation together will support the Vermont area agencies on aging as a unified entity providing a high standard of services throughout the state. It will promote the pursuit of best practices within our case management, nutrition, and caregiver support programs, to list just a few, and will strengthen the role of the AAAs as community partners in delivering critical services that reach a growing population of older Vermonters.
Age Well’s Diversity Statement
At Age Well, we are committed to serving all older Vermonters, their families and caregivers regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, race, religion, education, or financial status. We believe that demonstrating inclusiveness creates a healthy, positive, and collaborative community.
Age Well stands with communities across Vermont who are impacted by discriminatory social biases. Age Well’s mission emphasizes diversity, inclusion and equity as critical components to ensure the well-being of our staff, clients, volunteers and those we serve.
Age Well Awards & Honors
Related Information
Join Age Well
Would you like to help Vermonters age well? Cover letters identifying the position you’re pursuing along with your resume can be sent to: [email protected] or faxed to 802-865-0363. Join our team of dedicated, experts today!