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28 D e s e r t C o m pa n i o n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 1
conditions who are not consistently disabled, or people who are temporarily disabled by injury or accident. And they do not include people who are institutionalized, but could be living in the community with accommodations. But whatever the number of disabled people in the state, experts say Southern Nevada is not prepared to meet the coming wave of demand for adaptable housing. “I wish there was some hope,” says Suzanne Thomas, a local disabilities consultant, “but right now people are saying, ‘There’s no time to think about this because I have to worry about how to raise money.’ There wasn’t a lot going on (in adaptable housing) before the economic downturn, now there’s nothing. The Baby Boomers will have to become vocal and until that happens, I don’t think much will get done.” Ah, the Baby Boomers. 2010 marks the beginning of the much-anticipated retiring of the Baby Boomers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people 65 and older to every 100 people of traditional working ages (20 to 64) — called the old age dependency ratio — is projected to climb rapidly from 22 in 2010 to 35 in 2030. For Clark County, whose population of people 65 and over is lower than the national average, the bump is still significant. Our ratio will go from 18 persons per 100 in 2010 to 23 persons per 100 in 2020. As people grow older, they develop disabilities that require medical and practical attention — and cost money.
As our population ages, experts say Southern Nevada is not prepared for the next wave of demand for adaptable housing. The questions that concern Bennett will confront older adults as they seek retirement homes — or try to stay in their current ones. In short, accessible housing will become an issue that touches just about everyone.
Visitable homes, adaptable homes The key to addressing this coming wave of demand: visitability. More than just a design buzzword, visitability describes basic features that ensure short-term access to a home for a person with mobility limitations; or it allows a person to live in a home while recovering from a temporary injury or illness. Over the long term, a visitable home presents fewer barriers to adapting the home for use by someone with more permanent limitations. A 2008 AARP report encourages more visitable homes be built so that, as people grow older, they can age in place. “Aging in place”