Aging well at home, with a little help
iStockphoto
Claire Soroko, a Los Angeles resident in her ’70s, didn’t feel she could ask her busy daughter and son-in-law to come stay with her after she broke her rib on Christmas. So she called a local agency that’s involved in a burgeoning movement called “aging in place.”
More than 500 residents in her area aged 60 and above have formed a network to help stay at home despite health problems, according to this Los Angeles Times feature. After receiving Soroko’s call, the staff lined up daily caregivers, transportation to doctor’s visits and the hair salon, and visits from neighbors who brought meals and encouragement, the Times says.
A package of LAT articles offers some useful tips and resources for people who’d opt to stay at home rather than enter a nursing home or another type of extended-care facility. This sidebar lists a variety of services that can help, including local chapters of the National Aging in Place Council and contractors specially trained by the National Association of Home Builders to help seniors remodel their homes to fit their needs.
For lots more resources, take a look at another Times sidebar. Among the options: The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is a network of organizations that provide services for seniors living at home; The American Association of Homecare offers tips on choosing a home health agency; the Center for Aging Services Technologies provides information on the development of technologies to enhance and improve aging.
For the WSJ’s take on “aging in place,” here’s a feature on home makeovers for seniors. This Page One article tells the story of a 96-year-old who continued to live at home in New York. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog)
Original post by WSJ.com: Health Blog
You must be logged in to post a comment.