The Senior Center has hired a former community liaison to fill a new city position to advocate for a growing movement that will allow seniors to live in their own homes longer.
Trish Evans, the city’s first senior villages facilitator for Rockville’s Senior Services Division, assumed her new role in mid-December. She will investigate ways to grow the villages movement in the city. The need for a coordinator to liaison with Rockville’s emerging villages movement was identified in the city’s 2016 Senior Citizen Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis. The Mayor and Council approved the post after hearing support from the Villages Advisory Committee and Rockville Senior Citizens Commission.
Villages are neighbor support networks that assist seniors who wish to remain in their homes, a concept known as “aging in place.” Seniors get support from their neighborhood with help on yard chores, rides to doctor’s appointments, tutoring and more, villages offer multigenerational opportunities to give back.
“Everyone benefits from these networks and everyone can be involved,” Evans said. “There are no age requirements.”
Evans, who had a successful career as a film and video producer before transitioning into senior health care, spent the last 10 years as community liaison for Collingswood and Potomac Valley nursing centers. She has experience in health care transitions, marketing and outreach, and creating and developing community relationships.
The Villages Program is housed in the Rockville Senior Services Division at the Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive.
Two meet-and-greet sessions at the Senior Center are planned: 10 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14 and 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 22.
To contact Evans, email her at tevans@rockvillemd.gov or call 240-314-8807.