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Updates: Here you'll discover a variety of information, resources and details we've discovered and updated to share a wealth of knowledge and information. Enjoy.
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Is It Cheaper If You Can Stay At Home? You Bet It Is.
It is doubtful that many people like the idea that one day they may have to be in some type of extended care facility, a nursing home or other institutional setting. Circumstances however do occur, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, that force some to give up their own home and move into a place that will provide some measure of specialized care. And it is not cheap to do that.
Recent studies show that "quality care" facilities can cost anywhere between $5,000 and 7,000 a month, a bit less if one selects a group home environment. But it can a whole lot more if the choice is to live in an independent living center with lots of amenities. Much depends of course on the type of care one needs and how much one can afford. But consider this,... spending $60K to 84K or more a year for five or ten years and we're talking significant dollars and cents.... upwards of a half a million dollars if you do the math.
Now consider these steps to make your home the home of a lifetime:
• Be thoughtful. What will you need to do to your current home to stay in place?
• Plan for your future. Think short term and long term as you plan your dream.
• And work the plan. Decide to make changes to your home - now - decisions that could allow you the option to "stay in place" before an unexpected, critical decision needs to be made by you for yourself, or by a family member or friend.
• And finally set a budget for this year to make even the most basic of changes,... then start working the plan.
It is doubtful that many people like the idea that one day they may have to be in some type of extended care facility, a nursing home or other institutional setting. Circumstances however do occur, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, that force some to give up their own home and move into a place that will provide some measure of specialized care. And it is not cheap to do that.
Recent studies show that "quality care" facilities can cost anywhere between $5,000 and 7,000 a month, a bit less if one selects a group home environment. But it can a whole lot more if the choice is to live in an independent living center with lots of amenities. Much depends of course on the type of care one needs and how much one can afford. But consider this,... spending $60K to 84K or more a year for five or ten years and we're talking significant dollars and cents.... upwards of a half a million dollars if you do the math.
Now consider these steps to make your home the home of a lifetime:
• Be thoughtful. What will you need to do to your current home to stay in place?
• Plan for your future. Think short term and long term as you plan your dream.
• And work the plan. Decide to make changes to your home - now - decisions that could allow you the option to "stay in place" before an unexpected, critical decision needs to be made by you for yourself, or by a family member or friend.
• And finally set a budget for this year to make even the most basic of changes,... then start working the plan.
Here are ten cost effective things to do to age in place:
(1) Change all the knobs on your doors to handles. It just makes sense for so many reasons.
And in some cities, like Vancouver Canada, it is required by their building codes.
(2) Choose finishes, paints, lighting, building materials and flooring that reduce maintenance.
You don't want to be up on a tall ladder (or down on the floor) unless you can't help it.
(3) Plan to use balance bars not only in the shower but all thru the house.
They can add safety and security and if you choose those that are stylish, you'll add beauty.
(4) Weather strip and insulate doors and windows to save on energy costs.
This is a no brainier for any one at any age but especially for those with declining incomes.
(5) Consider sharing your home with someone else to save money and have companionship.
Multi-generational homes lower living expenses and can keep families together.
(6) Swap out toilets for dual-flush to reduce water usage & choose a seat height that is appropriate.
It is easier on the knees,...plus people are different sizes so pick a "chair height" toilet that 'fits best."
(7) Steps and stairs are challenging so now is the time to plan for at least one no-step entry.
Eliminate thresholds at the doorways. And gardens & berms can integrate ramps into the yard.
(8) Make sure the residence has a house number that can be easily seen from the street.
And light it up. Imagine what emergency people go thru to find a house at night.
(9) Getting doorways to be wider can be costly so as a first step, use off-set hinges.
They increase the jamb-to-jamb dimension by nearly 2" and just enough to make it easy to pass.
(10) Plan for a first floor accessible bathroom if its practical to do.... or update a space on the first floor of the home.
Who knows, ... you and your guests might need to use it some day as well.
So there you go. Ten simple ideas for making a home a place for a lifetime.
(1) Change all the knobs on your doors to handles. It just makes sense for so many reasons.
And in some cities, like Vancouver Canada, it is required by their building codes.
(2) Choose finishes, paints, lighting, building materials and flooring that reduce maintenance.
You don't want to be up on a tall ladder (or down on the floor) unless you can't help it.
(3) Plan to use balance bars not only in the shower but all thru the house.
They can add safety and security and if you choose those that are stylish, you'll add beauty.
(4) Weather strip and insulate doors and windows to save on energy costs.
This is a no brainier for any one at any age but especially for those with declining incomes.
(5) Consider sharing your home with someone else to save money and have companionship.
Multi-generational homes lower living expenses and can keep families together.
(6) Swap out toilets for dual-flush to reduce water usage & choose a seat height that is appropriate.
It is easier on the knees,...plus people are different sizes so pick a "chair height" toilet that 'fits best."
(7) Steps and stairs are challenging so now is the time to plan for at least one no-step entry.
Eliminate thresholds at the doorways. And gardens & berms can integrate ramps into the yard.
(8) Make sure the residence has a house number that can be easily seen from the street.
And light it up. Imagine what emergency people go thru to find a house at night.
(9) Getting doorways to be wider can be costly so as a first step, use off-set hinges.
They increase the jamb-to-jamb dimension by nearly 2" and just enough to make it easy to pass.
(10) Plan for a first floor accessible bathroom if its practical to do.... or update a space on the first floor of the home.
Who knows, ... you and your guests might need to use it some day as well.
So there you go. Ten simple ideas for making a home a place for a lifetime.
Aging in place and universal design is about building or modifying places and spaces—both public and private—to accommodate people of all ages and abilities.
It means providing people of all ages and all abilities with more options. More than just the next big, the ideas and concepts behind the design is a win-win for sandwich generation boomers caring for aging parents and their children at home, for grandparents raising grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and for all who are facing the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other chronic diseases.
In a recent edition of Reader's Digest, an article offered ideas how to keep the options open and everyone safe and secure.
"Whether your family needs the support now or down the road, universal design features are a good long-term investment for the home itself. So what does an age-friendly home look like? AARP.org outlines the most important elements of universal design:
• No-step entry: You should have at least one step-free entrance (either at the front, back, or side of the house) so everyone, including wheelchair users, can enter the home easily and safely.
• Wide doorways and hallways: A doorway that is at least 36 inches wide is great when you’re bringing home a new mattress or couch, but it’s even better when someone you care for, or a regularly visiting friend or family member, is in a wheelchair. Also, hallways that are 42 inches wide are good for multigenerational family members with varying “mobilities.”
• One-floor living: Access to essential rooms without the use of stairs makes life more convenient and safe for residents ages 0 to 100.
• Easily accessible controls and switches: A person in a wheelchair can reach light switches that are 42-48 inches above the floor. Thermostats should be placed no higher than 48 inches off the floor, and electrical outlets 18-24 inches off the floor. Keep these measurements in mind when modifying your home.
• Easy-to-use handles: Consider replacing twist/turn doorknobs and faucets with lever-style handles for (painless) ease of use."
It means providing people of all ages and all abilities with more options. More than just the next big, the ideas and concepts behind the design is a win-win for sandwich generation boomers caring for aging parents and their children at home, for grandparents raising grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and for all who are facing the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other chronic diseases.
In a recent edition of Reader's Digest, an article offered ideas how to keep the options open and everyone safe and secure.
"Whether your family needs the support now or down the road, universal design features are a good long-term investment for the home itself. So what does an age-friendly home look like? AARP.org outlines the most important elements of universal design:
• No-step entry: You should have at least one step-free entrance (either at the front, back, or side of the house) so everyone, including wheelchair users, can enter the home easily and safely.
• Wide doorways and hallways: A doorway that is at least 36 inches wide is great when you’re bringing home a new mattress or couch, but it’s even better when someone you care for, or a regularly visiting friend or family member, is in a wheelchair. Also, hallways that are 42 inches wide are good for multigenerational family members with varying “mobilities.”
• One-floor living: Access to essential rooms without the use of stairs makes life more convenient and safe for residents ages 0 to 100.
• Easily accessible controls and switches: A person in a wheelchair can reach light switches that are 42-48 inches above the floor. Thermostats should be placed no higher than 48 inches off the floor, and electrical outlets 18-24 inches off the floor. Keep these measurements in mind when modifying your home.
• Easy-to-use handles: Consider replacing twist/turn doorknobs and faucets with lever-style handles for (painless) ease of use."
A Changing Older Population Means Changing How We Live In Homes + Cities
Here is a great article written by Henry Cisneros, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is co-chairman of the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission. His passion for keeping people in their homes is based on his own family experiences. Read what he has to say abut the changing nature of the population and what they will need to successfully maintain their independence.
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As baby boomers, some 78 million strong and our nation’s largest demographic group, head into their retirement years, they will present enormous challenges for housing providers and policy makers.
The overwhelming majority will seek to “age in place” in their own homes and communities, foregoing long-term institutional care. The potential savings to our health care system are great.
Most baby boomers want to avoid institutions, but millions will have a hard time affording the changes needed to make their homes accessible.
But many homes and communities lack the structures and services that make aging in place safe and affordable. For millions of older Americans who spend more than half their income just to cover housing costs, financing options will be more limited.
Nonprofit organizations like Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future and LeadingAge have done pioneering work to develop strategies that link low-income senior housing with health care and supportive services. The federal government should help by encouraging housing and health care providers to more fully integrate their services.
Today, the federal government provides vital support for more than 1.5 million elderly households through its rental-housing programs. These programs, however, meet only a fraction of the need. In addition, many of the rental properties that receive federal subsidies and serve the low-income senior population desperately require modernization. Those properties often lack essential features like hand rails, barrier-free entrances, and roll-in showers.
Efforts to address the capital backlog and ongoing accrual needs of the existing public housing stock, as well as to preserve the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program would go a long way toward improving housing quality for senior residents. These improvements will require a sustained commitment of additional funds, but will yield substantial savings to the health care system over time as more seniors are able to age in place.
While some states and localities are beginning to measure these cross-sector savings, the Office of Management and Budget, in evaluating the costs of housing programs, should account for any savings to the health care system made possible by safer, more accessible housing linked to essential supportive services.
In a report in February, the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission proposed how federal agencies could work together to meet the housing needs of our nation’s burgeoning senior population. That's crucial as the nation's seniors grow.
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As baby boomers, some 78 million strong and our nation’s largest demographic group, head into their retirement years, they will present enormous challenges for housing providers and policy makers.
The overwhelming majority will seek to “age in place” in their own homes and communities, foregoing long-term institutional care. The potential savings to our health care system are great.
Most baby boomers want to avoid institutions, but millions will have a hard time affording the changes needed to make their homes accessible.
But many homes and communities lack the structures and services that make aging in place safe and affordable. For millions of older Americans who spend more than half their income just to cover housing costs, financing options will be more limited.
Nonprofit organizations like Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future and LeadingAge have done pioneering work to develop strategies that link low-income senior housing with health care and supportive services. The federal government should help by encouraging housing and health care providers to more fully integrate their services.
Today, the federal government provides vital support for more than 1.5 million elderly households through its rental-housing programs. These programs, however, meet only a fraction of the need. In addition, many of the rental properties that receive federal subsidies and serve the low-income senior population desperately require modernization. Those properties often lack essential features like hand rails, barrier-free entrances, and roll-in showers.
Efforts to address the capital backlog and ongoing accrual needs of the existing public housing stock, as well as to preserve the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program would go a long way toward improving housing quality for senior residents. These improvements will require a sustained commitment of additional funds, but will yield substantial savings to the health care system over time as more seniors are able to age in place.
While some states and localities are beginning to measure these cross-sector savings, the Office of Management and Budget, in evaluating the costs of housing programs, should account for any savings to the health care system made possible by safer, more accessible housing linked to essential supportive services.
In a report in February, the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission proposed how federal agencies could work together to meet the housing needs of our nation’s burgeoning senior population. That's crucial as the nation's seniors grow.
Visitability ~ An Evolving Trend For Aging In Place
Another key issue facing aging baby boomers is ensuring their homes can pass the “visitability” test — that is whether they are easy to visit for friends or relatives in wheelchairs or with other mobility problems, said Michael A. Thomas, a specialist in aging-in-place design.
Some cities, such as Tucson, have passed visitability ordinances, requiring new homes to incorporate several features, such as entrances with no steps, wide doorways and light switches no higher than 48 inches from the floor.
Thomas would like to see similar laws in all cities, with at least three key provisions.
■ One entrance with no steps and a clear route from the sidewalk or driveway.
■ Doorways at least 32 inches wide.
■ A half-bathroom on the ground floor that is wheelchair accessible.
It makes so much sense to incorporate such features and it adds to the property values as well.
Some cities, such as Tucson, have passed visitability ordinances, requiring new homes to incorporate several features, such as entrances with no steps, wide doorways and light switches no higher than 48 inches from the floor.
Thomas would like to see similar laws in all cities, with at least three key provisions.
■ One entrance with no steps and a clear route from the sidewalk or driveway.
■ Doorways at least 32 inches wide.
■ A half-bathroom on the ground floor that is wheelchair accessible.
It makes so much sense to incorporate such features and it adds to the property values as well.
A Great Article About Michael Thomas and His Passion Of Aging In Place.
Palm Springs Life magazine interviewed Michael about his work with clients and to help them understand that making a few changes in their homes and houses would open up opportunities to remain independent and to age in place. The article is available on their website and includes several pictures of projects that showcase just how great looking these interiors can be.
If you would like to read the article, just CLICK HERE !
If you would like to read the article, just CLICK HERE !
It Is About Time That Changes Are Made To Your Home Environment
As Boomers continue to look toward their retirement years, many are considering what their options might be,... including where and how they will live in homes of their own. In this article in the Desert Sun, learn how our designer Michael A. Thomas, FASID, CAPS, remodeled a small bathroom in Palm Desert, CA for a client. It shows that universal design and aging in place are being accepted on many levels and for many good reasons. It creates independency.
To read the article... CLICK HERE !
To read the article... CLICK HERE !
Check Out The Online News Journal Dedicated To Aging In Place.
We've created a daily journal that aggregates reports, websites, blogs and photos about aging in place, sustainable independence and universal design. We're sharing a lot of great up-to-the-minute stories from around the world.
CLICK HERE To Read !
CLICK HERE To Read !
Sustainable Homes Will Need To Feature Aging In Place Concepts
When we hear the words “sustainable design,” it refers to buildings that are designed to reduce their carbon footprint. But with the growing population of 76 million baby boomers, creating a “sustainable life” at home will the next big wave in design according to Michael A. Thomas, a Palm Springs, CA. interior designer with a special interest in creating live and work environments to sustain the quality of life.
• Click Here For More.
• Click Here For More.
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Updated Guide For Aging In Place Now AvailableJust updated and freshly published is a guide to the ten essentials for creating homes that are safe, secure and last a lifetime. Written by Michael A. Thomas, FASID, an interior designer with a passion for creating homes that are accessible and adaptable over time, this guide provides the ten basic elements that Thomas suggests should be a part of any living environment.
• To View The Guide Online, CLICK HERE |
Will You Be Living Longer? Looks Like You Will.
According to new research, primitive hunter gatherers in their 30s faced the same odds of dying as a modern 72-year-old man. Scientists looked at modern Swedish and Japanese men, the two countries with the longest life expectancy, and compared them to their counterparts in 1800; the latter had the same life spans as primitive humans. The researchers say odds of death at all ages has fallen so drastically since 1900 that life expectancy has risen faster than it has in the previous 200 millenia!
A New Concept In Aging Place Community in Oklahoma
Thinking out side the box is what two individuals in Stillwater, Oklahoma have been doing since imaging what it would be like to live in a "co-op" of sorts with people of a similar age and background. Initially created as an idea by two friends, Pat Darlington and Kay Stewart, the co-housing community is now a reality, located just north of the campus of Oklahoma State University and a community of people building relationships and caring for each other.
Is this the new wave of senior housing? Sure seems like a great concept.
That 2009 idea turned Pat and Kay with no real estate experience into business partners who now have Oklahoma’s first cohousing community nearly built and a substantial chunk of their bank accounts at risk.
“Pat was so curious about it and took off for that workshop in Colorado,” said Stewart. “I was on a trip to Greece and she kept emailing me: ‘You outta be here!’”
That workshop, led by cohousing guru Charles Durrett, convinced Darlington that she and Stewart could create a community where seniors would be interdependent, sharing skills and helping one another live full lives. Darlington expresses disdain for the assisted-care residences developed 30 years ago, which she says were built to keep aging people entertained until they died.
“I don’t want to be entertained,” Darlington said. “I want to make a difference in the world, and I don’t want to retire from that.”
For More Information, CLICK HERE
Is this the new wave of senior housing? Sure seems like a great concept.
That 2009 idea turned Pat and Kay with no real estate experience into business partners who now have Oklahoma’s first cohousing community nearly built and a substantial chunk of their bank accounts at risk.
“Pat was so curious about it and took off for that workshop in Colorado,” said Stewart. “I was on a trip to Greece and she kept emailing me: ‘You outta be here!’”
That workshop, led by cohousing guru Charles Durrett, convinced Darlington that she and Stewart could create a community where seniors would be interdependent, sharing skills and helping one another live full lives. Darlington expresses disdain for the assisted-care residences developed 30 years ago, which she says were built to keep aging people entertained until they died.
“I don’t want to be entertained,” Darlington said. “I want to make a difference in the world, and I don’t want to retire from that.”
For More Information, CLICK HERE
Great Idea: Creating A Network Makes Life Easier To Age In Place
Single and retired, with no family nearby, 64-year-old Lorna Grenadier knows she'll need a better support system if she wants to grow old in her apartment in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where she has lived for 40 years. So she's added community organizing to her list of interests and is helping create a service network she hopes will enable her and others like her to remain in their own homes as they age.
For the past 18 months, Grenadier has been working with other volunteers to research and launch the Foggy Bottom West End Village network. The group aims to provide paying members ($600 a year for singles; $900 for households) a range of services, including transportation and connections to vetted local businesses, as well as serve as a contact point for emergencies. Some of the annual fee will also cover social activities for members.
"It’s also about providing peace of mind," says Grenadier -- a sort of insurance policy should someone need help. In a survey of potential members in the her area, 75 percent said they were interested in the concept, though just 50 percent said they would need the services today.
For the past 18 months, Grenadier has been working with other volunteers to research and launch the Foggy Bottom West End Village network. The group aims to provide paying members ($600 a year for singles; $900 for households) a range of services, including transportation and connections to vetted local businesses, as well as serve as a contact point for emergencies. Some of the annual fee will also cover social activities for members.
"It’s also about providing peace of mind," says Grenadier -- a sort of insurance policy should someone need help. In a survey of potential members in the her area, 75 percent said they were interested in the concept, though just 50 percent said they would need the services today.
Are You And Your Home Ready For Universal Design?
Check out what Readers Digest has to say on the topic.
CLICK HERE.
Internet Connection Keeps Seniors Connected To The World.
From Senior Housing News:
Seniors need to have better access to high-speed Internet in order to benefit from Web-based technologies that support aging in place such as telehealth and “smart home” systems, says AARP in a Public Policy Institute report.
Many older adults still do not have affordable, high-speed connectivity at home, and a review of 2010′s National Broadband Plan suggests a “slow and uncertain progress” to address barriers to older adults’ adoption and use of broadband, according to the report.
Just under four in ten people aged 65 and older had high-speed Internet access in their homes as of 2012, compared to 77% of the 30-49 age demographic.
Among minorities, access dips much lower, to 18% of African-Americans aged 60 and older, and 20% of Hispanics in the same age cohort.
Lacking access to broadband access is a problem, according to an FCC chairman who said that “broadband has gone from being a luxury to being a necessity for full participation in our economy and society.”
While the Internet was once predominantly used by consumers for email and reading Web pages, says AARP, it has become a more powerful and common platform with many more capacities.
Internet-based technologies can help support the needs and ambitions of older adults in five interrelated areas, the report says: personal fulfillment, health preservation, social connectedness, functional capability and activity, and caregiver support.
The ability to work from home thanks to higher-speed Internet service, for example, could be “particularly valuable” to older adults facing “growing demands to manage complex health, retirement, and care arrangements.”
Other uses include self-management of chronic diseases that can help prevent or postpone functional decline, such as home-based “smart medical services.” Game systems like Nintendo Wii or Sony PlayStation can help seniors stay physically active and encourage seniors to exercise, while video conferencing and telepresence technology can connect patients living at home with health professionals and services.
Seniors need to have better access to high-speed Internet in order to benefit from Web-based technologies that support aging in place such as telehealth and “smart home” systems, says AARP in a Public Policy Institute report.
Many older adults still do not have affordable, high-speed connectivity at home, and a review of 2010′s National Broadband Plan suggests a “slow and uncertain progress” to address barriers to older adults’ adoption and use of broadband, according to the report.
Just under four in ten people aged 65 and older had high-speed Internet access in their homes as of 2012, compared to 77% of the 30-49 age demographic.
Among minorities, access dips much lower, to 18% of African-Americans aged 60 and older, and 20% of Hispanics in the same age cohort.
Lacking access to broadband access is a problem, according to an FCC chairman who said that “broadband has gone from being a luxury to being a necessity for full participation in our economy and society.”
While the Internet was once predominantly used by consumers for email and reading Web pages, says AARP, it has become a more powerful and common platform with many more capacities.
Internet-based technologies can help support the needs and ambitions of older adults in five interrelated areas, the report says: personal fulfillment, health preservation, social connectedness, functional capability and activity, and caregiver support.
The ability to work from home thanks to higher-speed Internet service, for example, could be “particularly valuable” to older adults facing “growing demands to manage complex health, retirement, and care arrangements.”
Other uses include self-management of chronic diseases that can help prevent or postpone functional decline, such as home-based “smart medical services.” Game systems like Nintendo Wii or Sony PlayStation can help seniors stay physically active and encourage seniors to exercise, while video conferencing and telepresence technology can connect patients living at home with health professionals and services.
