Aging In Place Old Housing, New Needs

By Marilyn katzMan

Linda Chinman Pollock had a career in construction and real estate that evolved into staging and renovating homes. As she interacted with clients seeking advice on presenting their homes for sale, she found that many people needed help with adaptations that would allow them to remain in their homes as they aged, or perhaps following an accident or surgery that changed their daily lives. One client she was working with fell in a home that only had a powder room on the first floor. With a broken pelvis, the client was unable to go up the stairs to bathe and was asking her daughter to constantly come over for a sponge bath. Pollock was able to modify that bathroom, adding a walk-in shower with grab bars.

She soon found herself making needed modifications to her 85-year-old mother’s home. As she realized that many people had similar challenges such as widening a bathroom door to accommodate a wheelchair, she changed her focus, creating “Setting the Stage LLC,” a Tenafly-based company focused on accessibility and safety for people who want to remain in their homes.

Pollock was right to recognize the need and the opportunity. A 2021 AARP survey found that 77 percent of adults 50 and older want to remain in their homes for the long term, a number that has been consistent for more than a decade. The U.S. Census Bureau identified 52 million people who are age 65 or over, a demographic projected to almost double in size by 2060. The Bureau also found that only 10 percent of U.S. homes have aging-accessible features. The topic has also been addressed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which defines aging in place as “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability.”

In addition to doing newsletters and presentations to community groups, Pollock began networking with geriatric professionals. She engaged in training and became a “Certified Aging in Place Specialist” by the National Association of Home Builders. Additional training led to certification as a “Living in Place Specialist” by the Living in Place Institute. One educational session, for example, had participants prepare a meal using stuffed rubber gloves to mimic the feelings of arthritis in the hands. The students then had to eat with modified eyeglasses to feel what a visually impaired person might experience.

“These simulations bring out a new level of understanding of what some people are going through,” she said.

As a member of the Geriatric Advisory Council’s New Jersey Chapter, Pollock accesses other local businesses and non-profit organizations that assist seniors and their caregivers with educational resources and referrals.

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“Beyond making changes to retrofit homes, there can be questions regarding long term care options, such as assisted living, a retirement community or a nursing home,” said council member Seymour Semaya.

Older adults may face limited mobility and dexterity, difficulty with memory and cognition, and the risk of social isolation. As a result, they may face even bigger life changes if they’re forced to move into another living situation.

“Many people don’t know where to start,” said Seymour, who explained that a care management professional helps spouses and children identify legal, financial and medical needs that may or may not involve moving.

“Perhaps a spouse died, and the surviving spouse doesn’t know how to drive or even where things in the house were kept,” he noted. “The Council offers resources, referring residents to elder attorneys, geriatric physicians, home lab or ultrasound services or home health care aides.”

The Council also provides referrals for residents in need of short, or long, term assistance with accessibility issues such as ramps and stair lifts. Englewood’s AmRamp Northern NJ offers purchase or rental modifications following evaluations that can even lead to a pool life or portable shower.

“An assessment of staircases and hallways in someone’s home may find that there is only a need for multiple handrails,” said Manager Jamie Higley. “Inquiries often originate when an aging parent is moving to a child’s home or someone has experienced an injury and has difficulty accessing the outdoors.”

Pollock said beyond physical adaptations, new smart home technology can help aging adults live longer safely in their homes.

“With new innovations, there are powerful ways to help people who are living alone to feel, and be, connected,” she said.

Many technology-based solutions such as assistive devices, medical alert systems and mobile apps can help keep people with changing health needs. Monitoring devices that allow lights to be turned on an off can also send alerts via smartphones, helping ensure long distance family members about the safety of their loved ones, especially if an aging adult is living alone. Cameras in multiple rooms can show if someone is active. Properly placed sensors can see how well someone is sleeping, track when someone is opening the refrigerator or track movement and changes in gait.

While some new homes are being built with accessibility in mind, adapting existing homes for seniors is a growing trend to consider, making homes safe and accessible that can facilitate living independently.

St. Joseph’s Health Foundation held their annual Fashion with Compassion fundraiser at The Rockleigh. For more information, visit www.givetostjosephs.org.

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