What We Learned: A Convening on Colorado’s Western Slope

By De Andra Sharp, Senior Community Impact Manager, Next50, and Susan Hill, Community Impact Manager, Next50

This April, Next50 and the Western Colorado Community Foundation hosted a convening in Grand Junction to give older adults a place to discuss issues affecting their lives. This convening was attended by foundation staff and board members, nonprofit employees, and local community members. Everyone shared the same goal: understanding and brainstorming solutions for the most pressing issues facing older adults living on the Western Slope.

Throughout the day, a few top concerns emerged, which included housing, transportation, health, and social isolation. While these issues undoubtedly impact all age groups, addressing the needs of older adults will have an impact on the wider community.

“What is good for seniors is good for everyone.”

Participant from convening in April

Emerging Challenges

One of the biggest concerns expressed was housing, with a specific worry around the rising cost of living. Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance are hitting rural communities the hardest. Participants noted that solutions like home sharing are increasingly needed in the Western Slope, but this raises problems of its own surrounding home and land maintenance. People also noted that there are now more unhoused older adults, with 30% of shelter residents being over the age of 50. There are very few shelters, affordable housing options have long waitlists, and transition resources are limited. As one participant put it, “Transitional housing doesn’t work if there’s nothing to transition to.”

Like many rural communities across the country, access to healthcare remains a top concern for older adults on the Western Slope. Hospitals are closing and those that remain are facing staff shortages, all of which negatively impact the health of the community. Additionally, transportation and social isolation are interconnected problems: a lack of transportation options keeps older adults at home more, increasingly cutting them off from social opportunities.

Promising Solutions

Luckily, the Western Slope is rife with nonprofits providing as many solutions as they can, and many organizations attended this convening to share their work. Next50 grantee, Western Colorado Alliance, is working on improving and expanding public transportation in western Garfield County, with older adults serving in key leadership roles. The community paramedic program in Grand Junction checks on older adults recently released from the hospital to ensure continuity of care, which reduces the risk of complications or readmission. And Eureka Volunteers provides opportunities for social connection through volunteering and hosting dinners with older adults. We also heard of collaborations like the Grand Junction Housing Authority supporting Fruita’s new housing authority in addition to the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) that consistently connects agencies and coordinates efforts for nonprofits and older adults they serve.

How Funders Can Support

While there is still more to do to make the Western Slope a sustainable and affordable place to age, Next50 is proud of the efforts already underway.  We heard many suggestions, including how funders can make the greatest impact by prioritizing sustained operational support over short-term, novelty-driven grants, enabling organizations to scale proven work and continue serving their communities effectively. There is also a clear need for investment in advocacy and community organizing efforts that amplify older adult voices, a population that votes in high numbers but often needs support to champion their own interests. Nonprofits and community members are hard at work to serve the older adults in the place they love to call home, and there are many more ways funders can support them.

What Comes Next?

Next50 is working on a new strategic plan that will guide grantmaking for the coming years.  Convenings like this one, surveys of nonprofits, and conversations with nonprofits across the US are providing experience-based information that will help guide the foundation’s planning. We encourage any organization to contact us to share more about their work by reaching out on our website.