www.StayInPlace.org
DAASE
  • Welcome
  • News & Views
  • About
    • Mission + Vision
    • Code Of Ethics
    • Basics
    • Leadership
    • Need More Info?
  • Hire A DAASE Member
  • Welcome New Members
  • For Members Only
  • Big Picture Ideas

Design of Cities Part Of Staying In Place

9/17/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
We often consider that staying in place is just about homes and houses.  However, cities and towns can be designed to provide people of all ages and abilities with options on how and where to live. 

In an article by Minnesota Public Radio just published, an expert panel identified 5 ways communities can prepare to take care of their residents.  

1. Cities and towns should make neighborhoods more accessible as their population ages and can't rely on cars for independent transportation.

"The majority of older adults live in suburban environments," said Andrew Scharlach, professor of aging at University of California, Berkeley. "They basically live in the environments that they raised children in or they came to live in with their children. They tend to be highly automobile dependent."

Approximately 90 percent of all trips by older adults are in an automobile, he said. When they can no longer drive themselves, they tend to become socially isolated.

Scharlach said communities need to make more amenities accessible by foot.

2. Make it financially easier for seniors to transition into different housing if that is the best option for their needs.

Rebecca Cohen, senior policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said it's important to remember this isn't just about building more senior housing.

"Senior housing is part of a full continuum of housing policy," she said. "In some cases you have folks who may be in homes that are no longer appropriate for their needs, but they may be locked in because they are underwater on their mortgage and they are unable to sell the home at an amount that enables them to move out or they may be unable to find new homebuyers."

3. Build or modify homes so they are more friendly to aging owners.

Cohen said new homes should be built with aging in mind and existing homes can be updated with simple additions that add safety for seniors. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a list of 11 home modifications for seniors, which includes levered doorknobs, grab bars in bathrooms and movable shower heads.

4. Improve a sense of community for all residents.

While many seniors are attached to their homes and determined to stay there, it can be a challenge socially, said a home health aide who called the show.

"Their lives are so bleak," she said. "They will go all day without seeing anybody. Maybe one or two hours a day they'll see their home health aide, they'll see the Meals on Wheels person for five minutes at the door."

Scharlach said people often become invisible as they develop physical and social losses, but community support can improve their lives.

"Think about the way community perhaps once was in many parts of the world, the way it still is in some parts of the world, where you knew your neighbors," he said. "Where if Mrs. Smith or Mrs. Jones was down the block and you knew she was isolated, you'd stop by there every so often to see how she was doing or give her a call. If you saw her newspaper hadn't been picked up, you'd go knocking on the door to find out what was going on. In a very fundamental way, this is about rebuilding a sense of community and that is good not just for seniors, but for all of us."

5. Consider adding alternative housing options and programs.

• Granny flats: Multi-generational housing, where another unit is added to a lot to accommodate additional family members while still maintaining privacy.

• Co-op community programs: Mill City Commons in Minneapolis was one member-based organization noted for bringing people together to help one another.

• Senior trailer parks :

Seniors who can live on their own cost the country relatively little — they even contribute to the economy. But those who move into nursing homes start to run up a significant tab — starting at $52,000 a year. People who are isolated and lonely end up in nursing homes sooner. Hence, finding ways to keep people living on their own, socially engaged, healthy, happy, and out of care isn't just a personal or family goal — it's a national priority. Among seniors' living options, there is one we overlook: mobile homes. Time-tested, inhabited by no fewer than three million seniors already, but notoriously underloved, manufactured-homes can provide organic communities and a lifestyle that is healthy, affordable, and green, and not incidentally, fun. (Pacific Standard)

0 Comments

Empathy: We Often Forget About Others.

9/13/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
Sometimes in our busy world, we are frequently caught up by our own drama and forget what may be going thru the lives of others, be they family, friends or the stranger on the street.


And sometimes we need to pause and reflect what is just outside our personal set of events. 

Here is a YouTube video that takes about 4 minutes to view but worth every minute.  Enjoy. 

Click HERE to view the video. 


1 Comment

Remember The Golden Girls Were Blazing New Trails. 

9/3/2013

0 Comments

 
Those Golden Girls were on to something.... and we just didn't know it.  But as those 76 million Boomers consider their options for the future... Boomers are finding a fresh way to look at housing solutions as they age. 

Thanks to the growing phenomenon of home sharing, Boomers may do what the Golden Girls did years ago. That is to establish new relationships with friends, create new "extended" families, collectively share a home and all live together like in Blanches house in Miami. 

“Golden Girls” references aside, home sharing is becoming more of a viable option for those entering retirement or leaving an empty nest, and is often more appealing to widowed or single female Boomers. According to an AARP analysis, there were approximately 480,000 female Boomers cohabiting with at least one non-related female roommate back in 2010 alone.

Recent statistics show that only 34% of over-65s say they live alone, and that figure jumps to 45% of women (who live an average of five years longer than men). Granted, it’s not a completely new phenomenon. Back in the pre-Social Security days, large numbers of older persons (particularly widows) combined households for companionship and to share expenses.

To read the entire article, go HERE
Picture































Here is what Blanche's Miami Beach home looked like for those that can't recall.  

0 Comments
    Picture

    About DAASE

    We are a passionate group of people who believe that staying in place, in a home of one's own choosing is the best place to be.

    Archives

    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Categories

    All
    Aging In Place
    StayInPlace.org
    Sustainable Design
    Universal Design

    RSS Feed

www.StayInPlace.org
© 2017 Design Alliance For Accessible Sustainable Environments
Visit Us On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/StayInPlace/