Monday, April 8, 2013

Remembering the empathetic side of aging-in-place

I came across this post the other day and thought it was better then the average repost of aging-in-place checklists and maxims (tho there is a link to the CDC list).  What I liked was the way the author, Rob Tufel, reminded us that decisions around aging-in-place are about a whole lot more than fixtures and floorplans. We have to maintain an empathetic approach if we want to be able to get past initial denial and resistance to a good plan.

And, I love the sentiment he conveys of "Better barley soup in your own home than a roast in someone else's home."

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/68259/seniors-home-care-often-the-best-option-for-aging-in-place/

Thursday, April 4, 2013

International approaches to AIP

It's hard to believe that in current political environment it would be possible to get funds for such programs that provide support for aging-in-place.  But certainly if there were a policy shift from supporting facilities to supporting in-home care experiences from countries like Norway and the Netherlands could be very valuable. 

It certainly could address the impracticality of measures like Medicare providing a wheelchair to someone who has no accessible entry to the home.  When I complained about this to one of our state senators a few years ago he said "well, that's where you have to rely on the role of the community."  At the current rates projected for growth in needs to support seniors in the community, that's not practical--it's not even practical today, lots of needs go unmet.  And with that philosophy, why provide policy support to assisted living when the payback and number served is much lower.

http://reversemortgagedaily.com/2013/03/26/u-s-can-benefit-from-global-approaches-to-aging-in-place/