When Sally Betta, an 82‑year‑old resident of Olathe, moved into her apartment, she could keep living independently thanks to the CAPABLE program – Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders. The pilot, funded by a $250,000 Kansas state grant, assisted 14 seniors by identifying home hazards and providing modifications such as shower rails, lifted toilet pads, and rollators.
Program timeline and funding shortfall
The grant, drawn from leftover COVID‑19 relief money, was administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) and Midland Care, a licensed CAPABLE provider based in Olathe. The pilot ran from May 2025, when the state committed the funds, until April 2026, when it stopped accepting new participants. Only about $50,000 of the grant was spent – roughly $3,500 to $5,000 per senior – leaving roughly $200,000 unspent when the program closed.
Kay Findlay, a former CAPABLE clinical specialist, said participants repeatedly expressed a wish the program would continue. “It can help so many people,” she recalled from a survey comment.
Growing need for elder‑care solutions
Johnson County’s aging population is projected to rise from about 95,000 seniors in 2020 to 148,344 by 2029 and 230,455 by 2049, according to county data. Deputy Secretary of Programs Andy Brown of KDADS warned that the state lacks sufficient facilities and workforce to meet that demand, making preventative programs like CAPABLE critical for long‑term care cost savings.
Good Faith Network, an interfaith nonprofit, plans to launch a new 12‑to‑18‑month pilot and hopes a managed‑care organization such as Sunflower Health Plan or UnitedHealthcare will fund it. “Instead of giving seniors a little help to live independently, we institutionalize them, which costs everyone more,” said Vicki Love, a network member, at the organization’s annual Nehemiah Summit.
Why Kansas lags in low‑care nursing home placements
Kansas ranks 47th of 48 states for the percentage of low‑care residents in nursing homes, according to America’s Health Rankings 2024. Many seniors who could remain at home with modest modifications end up in costly institutional settings. The CAPABLE program showed that simple home upgrades can keep seniors like Betta driving, cooking, and exercising independently.
Betta noted that without the program she would likely have moved to a nursing home, losing her freedom. “You’re basically stuck and you can’t get out and drive,” she said, recalling her experiences in senior homes.
Next steps
The Good Faith Network is seeking additional funding to revive the CAPABLE model in Johnson County, emphasizing that a few targeted home modifications can prevent expensive hospitalizations, falls, and nursing‑home admissions. As the county’s senior population swells, community leaders argue that such preventative measures are essential to uphold family stability and fiscal responsibility.
Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.
