Home & Environment

For most of our nation's history, our options were to stay put as we grew older, or to move in with a family member. Not any more!

Never before have there been so many residential choices for older people. Our consumer economy is responding to an aging American society with a vast array of options -- independent senior living, assisted living, co-housing, continuing care retirement centers, and more. The price tag can range from an affordable monthly rental to a luxury retirement center at thousands per month and hundreds of thousands in up-front fees. Yet 90% of Americans would prefer to remain in their own home. (Source: AARP)

For those who are able, remaining at home is not only one of the most affordable options, it can also be one of the healthiest. But it does require thoughtful preparation to make your home and environment a safe, secure place to remain through the older years.

If you've lived in the same place for a number of years, it may be a challenge to know what to do to make your home a healthy and safe place to live. For one thing, you are so used to your environment that you may not even "see" some of the most common dangers. For another, you're not accustomed to thinking about what can go wrong when you're just taking a bath or walking down the hall in the middle of the night. The very idea of growing older takes some getting used to. It's easy to assume that strength, coordination and balance are just as good as ever. Often they are not.

Our homes can be a very unhealthy place to live. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury among older Americans. Up to 70 percent of accidental deaths result from falls, and the most common injury is a hip fracture. One in four people suffering a hip fracture die within a year of the fall. Another 50% never return to their prior level of mobility and independence. (Source: National Safety Council) For too many, a hip fracture is one-way ticket to a nursing home, often at a cost of $5,000 per month or more.

Home modification should not wait for an accident or sudden event. In fact, if you do have the misfortune of an accident or operation that results in hospital care, not having a safe, secure home may prevent you from getting back home as quickly as you would prefer.

Headway Interactive offers a service to help you and your family make sound, cost-effective decisions to make your home and environment safe and healthy for as long as you are able to live on your own. This service includes:

•  Home inspection to identify specific risks and to recommend appropriate modification.
  
  
•  Home adaptation -- referral to an experienced handyman for installation of grab bars, ramps, or other safety devices.
  
  
•  Home remodeling for bathroom or other areas -- referral to a qualified design-builder for a practical and esthetically pleasing "barrier-free" design.

Contact us about our Home & Environment Program.