AgeWell receives Promising Practices Award from Mather Institute

The AgeWell Counseling Program has received the 2020 Promising Practice Award from Mather Institute, a national resource for research and information about wellness, aging, trends in senior living, and successful aging service innovations.

AgeWell's Counseling Program is a partnership between Virginia Tech's Counselor Education Program and Warm Hearth Village, a comprehensive, nonprofit retirement community in Blacksburg, Virginia. The partnership allows graduate students in counseling to provide pro bono services to residents at Warm Hearth. Now in its third year, the program has provided more than 500 hours of direct counseling services to residents.

“We estimate that we’ll double that number in the coming year,” said AgeWell founder Dr. Matthew Fullen, in the Mather Institute's award announcement. Recent additions to the AgeWell partnership include couples counseling focused on helping couples navigate a dementia diagnosis, and launching virtual support groups that help residents and staff navigate the impact of COVID-19.

Read more about Mather's Promising Practices Award and the AgeWell partnership, including tips on replicating the program in other communities.

Each year Mather Institute recognizes organizations working with older adults in a variety of settings that are moving away from conventional practices by developing and implementing innovative approaches. The Promising Practices Award is awarded to organizations based on their innovation, outcomes, replicability of the practice, and impact of the practice on senior living or aging services.