Engaging Villages as Key Partners
for Healthy Aging Research
Virtual Summits Archive:
Summer 2024
Villages Healthy Aging Research Ambassadors Group
The Villages Healthy Aging Research Ambassadors collaboratively designed and implemented a series of national outreach events on healthy aging research with Villages in the summer of 2024 (click here to learn more). Ambassadors met approximately twice a month by Zoom from February - June 2024 and sunsetted at the end of 2024. The Ambassadors Group consisted of over a dozen individuals representing diverse individual backgrounds, organizational contexts, and geographic settings.
Meet the Ambassadors
The Ambassadors Group consisted of more than a dozen passionate individuals who are committed to advancing Villages through healthy aging research. Ambassadors were from nine states, in addition to Washington DC, with various skills and backgrounds. Some members had been involved with Villages for over a decade, and others were in their first year of participation. The Ambassadors' diversity, alongside their shared passion for Villages and collaborative research, were core strengths of the group.
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What was the purpose of the Zoom discussion groups?The discussion groups are part of a project that aims to strengthen mutual understanding and help develop a shared vision among Village leaders, Village members, and researchers for future collaborative studies focusing on the health outcomes that matter most to Village participants.
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Who was eligible for participation?Village members, officers, and leaders in the United States were invited to participate. We ran five discussion groups: two with Village members in general, one with Village members with a healthcare background, one with individuals who lead regional networks of Villages, and one with Village professionals and officers.
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Who conducted the project?RAND researchers conducted the discussion groups in consultation with Rutgers University and Village to Village Network. The discussion groups were part of a larger project with support from a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington Engagement Award (#EACB-26583).
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What did participation involve?The online group discussion was expected to last approximately two hours. The main discussion topics were: Priorities for healthy aging research Implications of Village governance & infrastructure for research collaborations Health outcomes of particular interest to Villages How to improve Villages’ engagement with researchers
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What was the consent process?The consent process was part of due diligence. Before participation, all participants had the consent process explained to them along with any privacy issues arising from the discussion group format.
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How will information from the discussion groups be used?With participants’ consent, we recorded the focus groups. The researchers will analyze the information from the groups and will summarize findings in reports. No attribution to specific individuals for any information will be reported publicly as part of the findings.
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Why did Village members and leaders participate?Participants contributed to a better understanding of ways that researchers and Villages can collaborate and shape future research into healthy aging.
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Did participants have to accept the $50 gift card?Participants could choose to accept or decline the gift card after the focus group has concluded. They also could choose to use the gift card in whatever way they see fit (e.g., donate it to their Village operations or programs, keep it for themselves, give it to another person).
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When were the discussion groups held?Village Members, week of Oct. 23, 2023 Village Members with a Healthcare Background, week of Oct. 30, 2023 Village Professionals and Officers, week of Nov. 13, 2023 Regional Village Network Leaders, week of Nov. 27, 2023 Village Members, week of Dec. 4, 2023
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Who do I contact to ask questions?Please contact the RAND Principal Investigator, Alina Palimaru: VillagesResearch@rand.org or (310) 393 0411 ext.7312.
If you have additional questions, please
email the research team at the Rutgers Hub for Aging Collaboration.