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Elder Care

Access campus and community resources to assist you in caring for your family

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ECCE's Community Choir, the Beat Goes On

Date: Every other Thursday during the academic year
Time: 6:00pm (snacks start at 5:30pm)
Location: Creativity and Innovation District (CID) Building at Virginia Tech

Description: A community choir project that aims to grow the Town-Gown relationship between the Virginia Tech community and older adults population in Blacksburg, Virginia, with a big data twist. The Beat Goes On started in Fall 2023 with a start-up grant from the Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology.

This choir is specifically designed to invite persons experiencing cognitive change (usually due to a form of dementia) and their caregivers to engage in choir singing together with students, faculty and staff from VT, along with other members of the community. Singing in a choir has a wide range of physiological benefits, such as improving breathing, posture and muscle regulating heart rate, supporting a healthy immune system, helping symptoms of some chronic diseases and overall improving status of someone’s physical health.

Have any other questions or comments? Email joculligan@vt.edu.

Learn more.

Fill out the interest form.

Empowering Caregivers: Building a Future of Care for Aging Parents: Housing

Date: October 11, 2026
Time: 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Location: Christiansburg Meeting Room, Christiansburg Library

Description: Do you have loved ones you will assist as they age? Are you aging and want to set your loved ones up for success? This four-part course is for those already caring for aging parents or another adult relative and those who see the early signs that more time and care will be needed. Don't get caught in a crisis. Be Prepared, Not Scared.

Learn more.

Caregiver Wellness Lecture Series -- The Holidays Without the Overwhelm: Lead your Caregiving, not the Chaos

Date: November 9, 2026
Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Steger Auditorium, Virginia Tech

Description: The holidays can bring more decisions, more expectations, more logistics—and more pressure for caregivers. Whether you’re caring for a spouse, an aging parent, or managing caregiving alongside the rest of your life, the season can quickly become reactive and exhausting. This practical, thought-provoking session will help you step back, identify what truly matters, make intentional decisions, set realistic expectations, and lead your caregiving through the holidays with less chaos and more time for enjoying the season.

Our lecture series is an opportunity open to all caregivers, related family members, local students, community members and others who are interested. We host one lecture per semester that cover varying topics.

Learn more and register.

2026 Elder Care Symposium

Date: December 1, 2026
Time: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: North End Center, Virginia Tech; and online

Description: This free event, hosted by Hokie Wellness and co-sponsor Warm Hearth Village, is open to all Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and wage employees. The symposium will feature a keynote speaker and concurrent 50-minute workshops. Registration for the symposium will open Oct. 20.

Caregiving and aging are no longer future concerns. They are current realities affecting employees, families, and communities. This creates an urgent need for education, support, innovation, and connection. “Caregiving at the Crossroads” is where aging, work, health, and family meet. We invite new and returning presenters to share evidence-based strategies, innovative programs, and practical resources that help caregivers thrive. This is an excellent opportunity to engage with members of the Virginia Tech community most in need of this information.

For more information or questions, contact Ana Agud at aagud@vt.edu or call 540-231-8878.

Resources

For employees in the New River Valley area

Taking Care: A Resource Guide for Caregivers, is a handbook created by the Virginia Caregiver Coalition that provides practical information, tools, and resources for family caregivers supporting older adults, people with dementia and disabilities, children with autism, and grandchildren. 

Center for Healthy Aging: Carilion Clinic's Center for Healthy Aging offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to addressing the unique needs of older people. We work with physicians, families, and individuals to maximize the independence and functional ability of people as they age.

Roanoke Office information: https://www.carilionclinic.org/locations/carilion-clinic-center-healthy-aging

The Dementia Road Map provides dementia-related resources, education, and support for individuals living with dementia, their families, caregivers, healthcare providers, and researchers. 

Engagement Center for Creative Aging: ECCA provides innovative community services for families aging in place while enhancing the education of future healthcare professionals. This center at Virginia Tech offers four programs:

  1. The Engaging Aging program of ECCA serves adults aged 55+ who are concerned about their brain health, including but not limited to those with mild cognitive impairment, family members of individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementias and care partners. Engaging aging provides a series of introductory lessons, sharing strategies to maximize brain health, build community of new social networks in-person and via social media platforms as well as offer geriatric wellness assessments conducted by certified allied health professionals and consultation.  Program offerings include: Memory Masterclass, Brain Food Supplemental course, Open Gym, and Mahjong Club.

  2. The Caregiver Wellness seeks to support caregivers for older adults in our community through council, coaching, companionship and respite. Our Caregiver Wellness Program offers creative, holistic programming and respite services to improve quality of life and help caregivers realize they are stronger when they intentional care for themselves.  ECCA currently offers two caregiver support groups, consultations, and care planning.

  3. Adult Day Services: Virginia Tech Adult Day Services (VT ADS) offers a friendly and engaging environment for older adults that benefit from socialization, healthcare monitoring, rehabilitation, and dementia care.  This respite program supports older adults to age in place.  Here, participants can enjoy the company and support of their peers.  Staff and students provide therapeutic programming focused on maximizing and maintaining the highest level of function possible.  Participants can expect opportunities to engage in creative art, music, gardening, intergenerational programming, reminiscence, exercise, and more during their day at VT ADS.  While adults are at VTADS their care partners are free to run errands, work, and maintain their own health and wellness.  To inquire call 540-231-3161

  4. Caregiver Support Groups: A space where caregivers or care partners of people living with dementia can share the highs and lows of caregiving. Resources are provided and it is a great opportunity to find community. The group meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 3:30pm in Wallace Hall. Interested in joining? Email us at ecca@vt.edu.

Elder Care Resource Contact List: For caregiving, skilled care, PT, and more please reference our cultivated list of resource contacts.

Eldercare Locator: A public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging connecting you to services for older adults and their families. 

Giles County Adult Day Care: Adult Day Care program for adults, 18 years of age and older, who need supervision and care during the day while their caregiver(s) rest or work.

  • Pearisburg, VA  |  540-921-3024

Leading Age Virginia: Leading Age Virginia is an association of not-for-profit aging services organizations serving residents and clients through life plan/continuing care retirement communities, senior housing, assisted living, nursing homes, adult day centers and home and community-based services. We are not-for-profit organizations working together to expand the world of possibilities for aging.

Lifelong Learning Institute of Virginia Tech (LLI) provides intellectual, cultural, and social experiences for adults 50 and older. A program of Continuing and Professional Education (CPE), LLI works with current and past Virginia Tech faculty and community members to provide the bulk of our outstanding programming content.

Med-Ride: The Med-Ride Program uses available volunteers to provide non-emergency transport to clients in the New River Valley.

  • New River Valley  |  540-980-0754, 540-980-8906

Pulaski Adult Day Service and Fall Prevention Center: Offers a safe and secure day program for adults 18 and older that will provide peace of mind to family members of regular participants, health oversight of frail older adults, and social, physical, and cognitive enhancement of function and quality of life.

Contact information: Call 540-307-5487 or email Linda.Davis@PulaskiAdultDayService.org

 

Senior Navigator: Provides a comprehensive directory of resources for seniors in Virginia.

Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging: Exists to support and enhance the lives of older adults, their families, and caregivers through advocacy, information, and services.

Local, State, and National 

Administration on Aging Eldercare Locator:

Virginia Tech full-time faculty and staff across all locations have unlimited, premium access to the Care.com network for finding child care, adult care, pet care, housekeeping, and tutoring. You can book short- and long-term care, with a wide range of provider types including those with experience assisting children and adults with special needs. All caregivers within Care.com’s network have completed a CareCheck background check. Employees are able to search for caregivers, post jobs, purchase additional screening, and pay caregivers in real-time through the platform. If you have questions about Care.com, contact their Member Care team at careteam@care.com.

This Aging In Place Workbook is built around five key topics which aging experts have identified as the critical factors that people should consider and plan for to successfully age in place: Housing, Health & Wellness, Transportation, Personal Finance, and Connection & Growth.

Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging (for Richmond) | 804-343-3000

USAging: National association supporting the network of Area Agencies on Aging | 202-872-0888

The list of resources, programs, and organizations, external and not affiliated with the university, are for informational purposes and are not endorsed by Virginia Tech. Please consult the necessary professionals, including medical and financial, to determine what is most suitable for your particular needs.