Brothers Aging in Place Initiative works to empower seniors

Lakewood resident Linn Argabrite had been searching for senior services before he stumbled upon housing nonprofit Brothers Redevelopment and its Aging in Place Initiative — a free program that works to empower Colorado seniors.

Argabrite, 72, credits Brothers Senior Services Coordinator Rene Quihuiz for helping him understand what benefits and options are available to seniors. Through the Aging in Place Initiative, Argabrite was connected to federal programs like Medicaid and resources he didn’t know about like senior transportation services. 

“I called (Brothers) and it just worked out perfectly,” said Argabrite. “Brothers took all of my fear away. I had felt that I was caught between a rock and a hard place before calling Brothers. They were able to give me the resources, make me aware of them and assist me in securing what resources are available.” 

Argabrite is one of the more than 1,000-plus seniors who received services through the Aging in Place Initiative last year. “Senior service navigators” like Quihuiz work as a personalized resource directory for eligible seniors who can be connected to a variety of services and benefits like Social Security, food assistance, health care, mortgage/rental and utility assistance, transportation, yard work and other federal and state benefits.

“With its emphasis on navigation and resource provision, the Aging in Place Initiative advances the mission of Brothers to reach seniors in need. The impact is that people are allowed to have access to all of the benefits that they have earned over the span of their lifetime,” said Brothers Senior Services Manager Gary Olson. “Most people don’t know how or where they can get these benefits. We provide that access.” 

The Aging in Place Initiative can provide information on all housing-related financial topics and can assist with identity-theft protection, living wills, powers of attorney, financial planning and budgeting. English and Spanish-speaking seniors can access the program by calling the state’s only centralized housing helpline, Colorado Housing Connects, at 1-844-926-6632. 

The program can also connect senior homeowners to other services Brothers offers like its Home Modification and Repair Program, which assists disabled and elderly residents with maintaining their homes through free home accessibility repair services, exterior home-repair services and interior repairs, and the nonprofit’s annual Paint-A-Thon program — a free service offered to elderly and disabled residents in which volunteers paint the outside of homes throughout the metro area.

For more information about the Aging in Place Initiative, visit brothersredevelopment.org/senior-services. 

“Once these clients gain certain benefits, they are theirs for the rest of their lives. Depending on what they get, their lives can change dramatically,” said Olson.