The time has come
My name is Chris Moore. I am the Director of Education for the Western and Central Virginia Aging in Place Council. I have been involved in construction in one form or another for thirty years and have owned my contracting business for fifteen. I have been actively involved in promoting Aging in Place issues for about eight years. I am passionate about people having the right, the availability, and the resources to remain in the home of their choice throughout the course of their lives. I don’t think that it is too strong of an opinion to state that the idea of the ability to stay in our own homes is as foundational to our way of life as these words from the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” If any of you have spent much time listening to someone who feels that circumstances are forcing them out of the home that they love into some sort of living arrangement that they detest, then you have seen someone struggling with the core issues of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Studies show that more seniors fear being admitted to a nursing home than fear death. The ability to live independently on one’s own terms is really at the very heart of who we are as people. What these people desire is what we call Aging in Place. Aging in place is commonly defined as the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level. Aging in Place is simply the idea that we can continue living in the home we are comfortable in throughout the course of our lives rather than be forced to move somewhere else because of the consequences of aging or disability. I don’t particularly like the term Aging in Place because it seems to suggest that there is a certain point in our lives when we start aging and at that point, when most people move, we decide to stay put instead. However, we will continue to use it until someone comes up with a better term. There are some who advocate using the term living in place to indicate the idea that it is a lifelong process. Whatever we call it, our challenge as advocates is to make the “place” as conducive as possible to the process of continuing to live there throughout the course of our lives. My interest in Aging in Place began in earnest when my mother’s health began to decline. My parents had been living in Arizona for quite a few years. When she began to have health issues, they moved back to the area to be closer to family. Like most family caregivers, we found ourselves in a caregiving role quite suddenly. Being a contractor, I knew how to build a ramp for getting in and out of the house and to install some grab bars in the bathroom to help prevent falls, but I really didn’t know what other kinds of modifications to make, nor did I have any idea what other products and services my mother might need or where to find them. Since that time I have become a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, a Certified Environmental Access Consultant, earned an Executive Certificate in Home Modification, and performed dozens of home modifications and consulted with hundreds of family members and caregivers who had grave concerns about their loved one’s safety. Throughout these experiences I have found that my experience of suddenly finding myself in a caregiving role is typical. Most people simply do not anticipate that they may become the primary caregiver for a parent, a spouse, or other loved one, who to some degree, is now unable to care for themselves. Whether the need is sudden such as from a fall or accident or the knowledge of the need is sudden because it has been kept hidden due to embarrassment or not wanting to bother anyone, the result is the same. Suddenly you are a caregiver. Now what? When you suddenly find yourself in a caregiving role there are really two issues at play and it is at the point that the two issues intersect that the adjustment must be made. One issue is the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual ability of the individual with regard to mobility, sight, hearing, balance, range of motion, cognition, memory, well being, overall health, etc. This issue generally falls into the jurisdiction of a health care practitioner, such as a doctor, nurse, or occupational, physical, or speech therapist, counselor, pastor, or minister among others. The other issue is the built environment with regard to obstacles to activities of daily living. These obstacles can include stairs, raised thresholds, narrow doorways and hallways, slippery floors, poor lighting, inaccessible bathrooms, doorknobs that are difficult to turn, and a host of other fixtures found in a typical home. These items generally fall into the realm of architects, interior designers, contractors, builders, and remodelers. However it is at the point that these two issues meet that is critically important to the individual struggling to live in their home. That is why it is so important to have professionals from different disciplines at the table in order for us to offer real world solutions to people trying to age in place in our community. A home that is perfectly suited to someone with one type of disability would be totally inappropriate for someone with a different type of disability. The solution must meet the need. As an example as long as I am wearing these glasses, I can read my notes. The minute I take them off, I have become visually handicapped. The long term approach is to build homes that we can all live in comfortably for our entire