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Many older
adults find it increasingly difficult to
remain in their own homes as their health
declines and external conditions work
against elders or those with a disability.
It becomes more difficult for us to perform
the activities of daily living (walking and
transferring, bathing, dressing, and
toileting) much less grocery shopping,
cooking, or cleaning. There are also
factors in our communities that prevent
people from being able to remain home; lack
of adequate transportation, poor home
design, lack of community supports, poor
city design such as a lack of sidewalks,
shopping & doctors within short distances.
Those who choose to remain in more rural
settings face even more challenges as they
are often more isolated and have less access
to resources than those in cities or even
small rural towns.
Despite
these hurdles an AARP study in 2000 showed
that nearly 90% of adults want to remain in
their own homes, as opposed to a nursing
facility or other institutionalized
setting. To help people achieve this goal
there is a movement that is gaining support
called Aging in Place that is designed to
keep older adults in their homes and
overcome barriers to doing so.
Aging in
Place initiatives can come in a variety of
models though they all share a common goal;
keeping someone in their own home easily and
as long as safely possible. There are
several resources that need to be provided
to support Aging in Place initiatives. An
integral part of staying home is having
adequate transportation. Often it becomes
unsafe or too costly to maintain a car with
all the necessary maintenance, insurance and
fuel costs. Therefore, easily accessible
public transportation, such as that provided
by
Catch-A-Ride is essential to grocery
shopping or making doctor's appointments.
Perhaps the largest challenge Aging in Place
initiatives face is proper housing. The
majority of housing was not designed with
accessibility or the needs of older adults
in mind. Therefore accessible and
affordable housing usually comes in the way
of specialized elder apartments or
independent living facilities. A new
example of home building techniques is
called Universal Design - or homes that are
accessible and designed for people of all
abilities. Home modifications (like
handicapped showers, raised toilet seats,
stair lifts) or renovations can be done that
follow
Universal Design principles as well.
Some
communities can collectively come together
and form a Naturally Occurring Retirement
Community (or
NORCs) and act as a kind of co-op where
residents will naturally age together and
support themselves with services or supports
that work together in an effort to keep
persons in their own home. While NORCs
require an organized effort by a large
committee and often find it very challenging
to succeed, particularly in the early stages
were the set up costs can be significant,
there are alternatives in place right now.
Home and
Community Based Services, such as those
offered by Area Agencies on Aging like
LifeTime Resources, are also supporting
older adults who choose to age in place and
they take the burden of coordinating and
sometimes paying for services off of
individuals. LifeTime does this by
promoting independence and working with home
health care providers to bring supports into
the homes of persons in need rather than
forcing them into an institutional setting.
For example, some of the supports include
bathing, cleaning, dressing, home delivered
meals, home modifications and safety
monitoring devices. LifeTime Housing Group
also offers affordable housing throughout
our five county service area in addition to
providing beneficial home modifications to
help people age in place. LifeTime's case
management services also give an individual
a trained case manager who will monitor
changing needs or conditions who also acts
as a navigator for a health care system that
is becoming increasingly complex. Without
these needed supports many older adults
would find it impossible to remain in their
own homes safely.
LifeTime
supports local elders in our communities age
in place with programs designed to provide
benefits and enjoyment for elders. LifeTime
currently conducts a Chronic Disease Self
Management Program that is an evidence based
program with proven results to help people
successfully manage their chronic
conditions. There are also EnhanceFitness
classes held throughout our service area.
EnhanceFitness is another evidence based
program that has demonstrated positive
results and given adults an easily
accessible and effective exercise class,
provided at no cost. Our Senior Nutrition
and Activity Centers (SNACs) serve as a
community hub for elders to have a meal,
socialize, and participate in various kinds
of programming and community events.
If you or
a loved one who, due to health concerns, age
or disability need assistance to age in
place call LifeTime Resources at
877-234-3641 and ask how we can assist you
achieve your goals.
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