A proposed aging-in-place program has made significant progress and is about to enter the organizational phase, organizers told the German Village Society board of trustees this week.

Members of the long-range planning committee said they are at a critical juncture in the process and asked the GVS board to consider becoming a partner in the program, which would provide concierge services for the neighborhood's senior population.

The board of trustees, which met Feb. 13, was asked to consider getting involved on many levels, from providing meeting space to overseeing the finances for German Village Connections.

Board president Bill Case said a public meeting likely will be held in the next month and the board will discuss the issue at its March meeting.

“I would anticipate we'll have some direction” by then, he said.

Judy Neidig, who made the presentation to the board, said the program has been two years in the making.

The long-range committee studied many aging-in-place groups, often referred to as “villages,” in communities with profiles similar to German Village, she said.

Although a scope of services has not been established for German Village Connections, they generally include transportation, social activities and routine maintenance around the house.

The plan is to have $100,000 in place before launching the program, which would include one or two staff members and a bevy of volunteers. Membership dues would cover 50 to 60 percent of the costs, while the rest would be paid with grants, private donations and fundraisers.

The committee has reason to believe plenty of community members support the initiative, Neidig said. The sample area has nearly 500 people over the age of 65 and roughly 1,600 older than 50, she said.

In a survey conducted last summer, 100 people said they would be interested in joining and paying dues, although they did not indicate whether they'd need the services. However, there might be some initial sticker shock: annual membership dues would be roughly $600 a year for an individual and $800 per household.

“You have to do outreach and you have to publicize the value of being a member of the village,” she said.

The benefits of such programs can be measured in meaningful ways: Seniors will stay in their homes longer and their quality of life will be improved, Neidig said. And by keeping seniors out of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, societal costs of care for a large and growing segment of society will be reduced, she said.

Carolyn McCall, a long-range committee member who has been involved with German Village Connections from the beginning, said that while the board's involvement would be welcome, it might not be necessary.

“We believe that it's got enough interest and there are enough opportunities, so there's certainly potential it can continue,” she said.

Since the discussion of German Village Connections began, people from Worthington, Clintonville and Upper Arlington have called about establishing similar services in their neighborhoods, said Ed Elberfeld, a member of the long-range planning committee.

“We need to keep older citizens with us,” he said. “It's better for the community, no matter how we do it.”

Cindy Farson, director of the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, called moving forward with German Village Connections a “bold move” for the neighborhood.

“German Village is unique,” she said. “There is a core of community.”

In other news from the Feb. 13 GVS meeting, Beth Ervin, chair of the marketing committee, updated the board on the society's rebranding effort. Ervin said the logo is still being modified because the committee lost its pro bono designer. Officials are trying to create a unified look for literature designed to promote the village and its activities, she said.