The Lake Cumberland Area Development District (LCADD) recently received a 2024 NADO Impact Award for its Older Adults Home Modification Program (OAHMP). Pictured left to right: LCADD Executive Director Waylon Wright, LCADD Deputy Executive Director/CED Director Lyndsey Brown, Casey County Judge/Executive/LCADD Board Past Chair Judge Randy Dial, Russell Springs Mayor/LCADD Board Chair Eddie Thomas, Adair County Citizen-at-Large/LCADD Executive Committee member Sharon Payne, LCADD Community Development Specialist/OAHMP Administrative Assistant Paige Coe, McCreary County Judge Executive/Executive Committee Member Jimmie Greene, Green County Judge/Executive/LCADD Board Vice-Chair John Frank, and McCreary County Citizen-at-Large/RLF Committee Chair Allan Chapman.
The Lake Cumberland Area Development District (LCADD) in Russell Springs, Kentucky, has received a 2024 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for its Older Adults Home Modification Program (OAHMP).
The Lake Cumberland OAHMP supports low-income older adults across LCADD’s 10-county region. Backed by a $740,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the program offers up to $5,000 per home for safety and accessibility upgrades, helping seniors stay in their homes and avoid early placement in long-term care.
The program includes initial screenings, occupational therapy assessments and contractor visits to identify the most effective modifications. Common updates include grab bars, comfort-height toilet seats, ramps and safety additions like smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
The program has completed modifications for dozens of individuals, with more in progress and 24 approved for future work. OAHMP addresses a crucial need in a region with a higher-than-average elderly population and poverty rate among seniors.
"Our Older Adults Home Modification Program is making a real difference for seniors in our communities," said LCADD Executive Director Waylon Wright. "By providing essential home modifications, we’re helping older adults live safely in their homes and maintain their independence longer. This award from NADO is a testament to the impact our team is making across the Lake Cumberland region."
NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation's regions and local communities.
Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO's 2024 Annual Training Conference held in New Orleans Oct. 21-24. The 2024 class of award recipients consists of 98 projects from 64 organizations spanning 21 states. The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck who served as NADO's first executive director for 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.
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The Lake Cumberland Area Development District (LCADD) serves as a regional forum for local governments and citizens, helping identify issues and opportunities and providing leadership to plan and implement projects that improve quality of life across the district. LCADD represents 10 counties in south-central Kentucky: Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, Taylor, and Wayne.
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