Dela J Public Health. 2026 Jul 31;12(3):84-89. doi: 10.32481/djph.2026.07.13. eCollection 2026 Jul.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: . More than two million older adults are homebound and five million need help leaving their homes. They often experience social isolation, food insecurity, and lack of connection to community resources. Affordable, adaptable, comprehensive home-based services for those aging in place are lacking. This study examined the benefits of an intergenerational home-based service-learning program on goal attainment in 1) social support, 2) home safety and cleanliness, 3) access to community resources, 4) food access, and 5) improving physical health.
METHODS: . 201 homebound and near-homebound older adults enrolled in Lori’s Hands in Newark, DE; Baltimore, MD; and Metro Detroit, MI were surveyed between December 2021 and May 2026. Descriptive and chi-square analyses were conducted to examine changes in domain-specific subjective assessment of goal attainment over time.
RESULTS: Findings indicated that 83% of clients reported positive changes in at least one of the five target service areas over six or more months of participation in the program. The majority of participants reported 1) home safety and cleanliness and 2) social support as their most important goals. Results from the chi-square test indicated statistically significant differences in goal attainment for all five service areas.
CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study suggest that intergenerational in-home support services can improve social support, home safety and cleanliness, physical activity, food access and nutrition, and access to community resources for homebound older adults, thereby supporting aging in place and reducing the load on informal caregivers.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS: . Policies and practice can support a pipeline of health professionals through innovative service-learning models to benefit older adults, caregivers, students, and the broader community.
PMID:42544333 | PMC:PMC13429250 | DOI:10.32481/djph.2026.07.13
