Welcome to CAPABLE

The CAPABLE program aims to help individuals live independently in their home and more fully engage in daily activities. Many adults prefer to age in place by remaining in their home and community. However, physical challenges may impede a person's ability to remain safely in the home. This innovative program coordinates the services of an occupational therapist, a nurse, and handyman to assist with a person's self-identified key challenges and make home repairs to assist with these goals. North West Housing Partnership Administers ‘Aging in Place’ Program in Area Suburbs, CAPABLE is a pilot program modeled after the first of its kind at Johns Hopkins University for residents 65 and older from Palatine, Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Mount Prospect or Buffalo Grove. 
This program is essentially FREE
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The program cost is often nothing due to grants provided by CAPABLE project partners. The nurse and occupational therapist cost nothing out of pocket, while the handyman man incur some costs depending on the project and income level of the participant. These costs are determined on a case by case basis to with the participant's needs in mind.
“You gave me my independence back. I no longer have to ask permission to take a bath or have the army help me get out on my front porch. I can do it myself which makes me feel like a grown up again! It’s better than winning the lottery!” 

For Seniors

You're having trouble getting around your house. Maybe going up stairs, taking a shower, or cooking your dinner is getting less and less manageable by the day. Nobody can really understand how the loss of your ability to take care of yourself is affecting you,  but it doesn't have to be this way. CAPABLE is here to work with you. Our number one priority is identifying your needs, and then helping you adapt. You can work with our occupational therapists, nurses, and handymen to figure out what your goals are and how we can work with you to attain them. We'll talk about your medications, your wishes, and home improvement plans to help you figure out the best way to stay in your home safely.

For Family

Making the decision to put Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Cousin or Brother into a nursing home is an agonizing one. On one hand, it can seem desirable have nurses and aids taking care of them 24/7 at their request. On the other hand, maintaining their dignity and respecting their wishes of staying at home and taking care of themselves makes sense... Especially in light of the lackluster environment that assisted living provides for someone with the will to be independent. Making this decision comes down to whether you value their safety or their happiness more strongly. That is an impossible decision for a caregiver to make. Luckily, there's another option. By enrolling your loved one in the CAPABLE program, you're empowering them to seek both encompassing care and their own self respect. 

For Providers

Healthcare providers for the aging population face the difficult decision of letting their patients age at home despite the risks involved, or suggesting that they seek out an assisted living facility or nursing home. Aging is a process that medicine cannot fix. Certain symptoms of the ailments that arise when a patient is getting older may be alleviated with medication and proper care, however as healthcare providers we cannot cure death. By accepting that a patient is aging, working with that patient to ensure that they have the best quality of life possible, and understanding that the aging and dying processes are unknown and difficult for everyone involved, the provider can give the most compassionate care for the elderly population who simply craves their comfort and their freedom. This program, CAPABLE, is something to consider recommending to your aging patients. Not only is it cheaper than skilled nurse home visits (currently the program is free due to grants), but it preserves the patients dignity and mental health. CAPABLE allows the healthcare provider to care for the entire well-being of their patient, instead of playing catch up with their continually mounting difficulties.

​CAPABLE Program Partners

North West Housing Partnership - www.nwhp.net
Attuned Care - www.attunedcare.com
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus - www.mayorscaucus.org
Northwest Suburban Housing Collaborative
The Chicago Community Trust and Affiliates
Enterprise
​The Retirement Research Foundation
 References

Tenon, B. (n.d.). Seamless Loop Animation of Slow Stock Footage Video (100% Royalty-free) 11131211. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-11131211-seamless-loop-animation-slow-motion-on-staircase

CAPABLE: Aging in Place. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.johnshopkinssolutions.com/solution/capable/