Grassroots Caregiver Engagement Strategies that Help Older Adults Age in Place
Are Area Agencies on Aging Meeting the Challenge of Supporting Caregivers?
For Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and community-based programs supporting older adults, one truth is clear; family caregivers are the foundation of aging in place efforts. Yet too often, they’re overextended, underserved, and at risk of burnout.
In a recent webinar hosted by Trualta and AgeOptions, a community-based program in the suburbs of Chicago, leaders explored how community-driven strategies can help transform caregiver engagement, turning early struggles into measurable impact.
According to American Community Survey data, there are over 610,000 older adults in this region. In 2024 alone, AgeOptions served roughly 195,603 individuals in the area across their various support services, helping to live their vision of helping people thrive as they age.
Download the full case study here.
Early Launch Hurdles
When AgeOptions first launched caregiver education with Trualta in 2023, progress was slow. Program staff faced competing priorities, high turnover, and uncertainty about how to integrate Trualta into day-to-day workflows and services. Staff already had so much on their plate, did they have time to suggest Trualta? It was one more task outside of their aging at home specialists workflows.
Caregiver access also posed a challenge with many family members being hesitant to try a new platform that they weren’t familiar with. Support services only work if the resources come from a trusted source.
These challenges are familiar to AAA leaders everywhere. As our own research of community program staff confirmed, caregivers often:
- Don’t self-identify as a caregiver when helping others with daily living tasks
- Struggle with technology access or literacy
- Face emotional strain that makes asking for assistance difficult
“I know that when I was caregiving for my mom, I was her daughter first and foremost. The caregiver identity is secondary,” said Leda Rosenthal, VP of Revenue at Trualta.
The Turning Point: Grassroots Activation
“The turning point came when we stopped waiting for caregivers to come to us. We went into libraries, churches, and senior fairs — places they already trusted. That grassroots connection made all the difference.” – Cristina Diaz MPH, Manager, Community Programs, AgeOptions,
Recognizing that a new approach was needed, AgeOptions and Trualta partnered on a grassroots activation strategy. Instead of relying solely on digital outreach, the area agency took Trualta directly to the people, visiting community centers and other points of interest, gathering feedback, and making changes to establish trust face-to-face.
Four examples stood out when meeting caregivers in their flow of daily life:
- Visiting libraries as safe, familiar spaces for quality interactions and outreach.
- Forming church partnerships to connect with trusted leaders and other community members.
- Hosting caregiver appreciation events to recognize and uplift family members as caregivers.
- Presence at community fairs and senior centers to meet caregivers where they are already spending their time.
This shift not only boosted awareness but also demonstrated the program’s value in a tangible, low-cost, and personal way.
“Word of mouth is golden here. After a couple of presentations, we had people from the congregation and from the community share out that they were using it, and that just sealed the deal,” Diaz said.
The Power of Caregiver Resource Specialists
Another critical factor in driving success was empowering Caregiver Resource Specialists (CRCs). Rather than treating caregiver education as optional, AgeOptions made modifications to embedded Trualta into CRC workflows:
- Enrollment dashboards made inviting caregivers and family members simple and trackable.
- Content recommendation tools allowed CRCs to suggest tailored training that could be completed at home on their own time.
- Activity tracking gave staff visibility into caregiver progress, keeping them invested in health outcomes and learning.
“Caregivers are more willing to engage when the person introducing a tool truly understands their situation. The relationship between the care manager and caregiver is what makes education stick.” – Lily Becker LSW, Manager, Title III Programs, Pathlight
The Caregiver Voice: Marie’s Story
Behind every statistic is a human story. Through this collaborative work, we were introduced to Marie, a caregiver supporting her husband with little help from family. Initially overwhelmed, she was introduced to Trualta by a social worker. Her main goal—to keep her husband at home, aging in place as long as his quality of life did not suffer.
Through online training, support groups, and peer connections, Marie learned practical caregiving skills and just as important, strategies for self-care. She shared: “The support group for spouses is awesome! I love being with other caregivers for their spouses.”
She has been interacting with Trualta for nearly one year, and adapting to each phase of changes her husband is experiencing. To date, her caregiving journey has included:
- 75 Trualta logins and 162 completed activities
- 36 support group sessions attended
- 53 new caregiving skills acquired
- A 100% satisfaction score with the platform
For Marie, the program was more than education. It was a lifeline, helping her build resilience, find support services, and take better care of her husband and herself.
Small Program Modifications: Measurable Results
By 2024, the grassroots and workflow strategies were paying off. The AgeOptions Chicagoland area agency were continuing to grow, providing more assistance, supporting the daily life of those caring in their communities and allowing older adults to maintain some independence with capable caregivers at their side.
- 449 caregivers enrolled across diverse demographics.
- 33,000+ minutes of learning completed, showing sustained engagement.
- 97% caregiver satisfaction with the quality content provided.
- $820K in projected savings from reduced ER visits from things like falls, and delayed long-term care placement.
Lessons for AAA Leaders
The AgeOptions experience offers valuable lessons for AAAs and area agency health programs:
- Grassroots matters. Digital resources alone aren’t enough. Caregivers respond to trusted, local touchpoints that can be low cost initiatives.
- Staff buy-in is essential. Embedding tools into CRC workflows turns optional programs into everyday practice in daily life.
- Evidence builds sustainability. With measurable results, from a reduction in unplanned ED visits (self-reported) to caregiver satisfaction, programs like this can demonstrate ROI to funders.
- Caregiver stories bring data to life. Sharing real voices like Marie’s makes the case for continued investment and keeps caregiver support top of mind.
“My favorite takeaway here is that caregivers are everywhere. So it takes multiple different approaches in order to find them, and you just have to keep going, because it really is a flywheel of engagement. Once you get a sense of how to invite caregivers, you start finding more and more of them.” added Rosenthal.
Turning Caregiver Education into Measurable Aging in Place Outcomes
As the aging population grows, so does the need for flexible, evidence-based caregiver education that’s accessible to diverse communities. The AgeOptions and Trualta partnership shows what’s possible when grassroots strategies, staff empowerment, and caregiver-centered design come together.
For AAAs and community leaders, the message is clear: investing in caregivers strengthens families, reduces system costs, and helps older adults thrive at home longer.
Or, as Becker put it: “This partnership showed that even with limited resources, community programs can scale caregiver support effectively. It’s not about having more people — it’s about giving the right people the right tools.”
Do you want to learn more? View the full recorded webinar here: Use passcode: 3?8iwQ2L
