Steven Mintz, a Department of Energy economist, had multiple sclerosis diagnosed more than 30 years ago, so he and his wife, Suzanne, have had plenty of time to think about adapting their Kensington home in preparation for the disease’s progression.
John Salmen is not facing mobility issues yet, but he and his wife, Ann Scher, have converted their Takoma Park bungalow to “a house for the next 50 years.”
What the couples have in common is a desire to stay in their own homes as long as possible, instead of moving to housing designed for seniors. It’s an option called aging in place. Increasingly, it appears that the turmoil in the housing market may also tie others to homes they are unable to sell.
“One of the unwritten tragedies of the current housing price collapse is that for a host of reasons [e.g., money, job security, depreciated properties], a higher share of older Americans will be ‘forced’ to age in place, who might otherwise have considered alternative housing arrangements,” said Stephen Golant, a gerontologist and geographer who teaches at the University of Florida.
As we age, the day-to-day challenges of getting around will most likely increase, whether for simple things such as turning a doorknob or more complex tasks such as taking a shower or navigating a stairway. Often, people wait until a stroke, heart attack, hip replacement or other crisis before thinking about housing adjustments. Such hasty decisions can end up being unattractive and costly.
Awareness of these issues is rising, said Peter Bell, executive director of the National Aging in Place Council. “Boomers may be more cognizant of the need to plan ahead because they have had to deal with their parents in a reaction mode.”
Read the article “A Home You Can Grow Old With” at the Washington Post.