Help with Housing for Aging in Place
We’ve written before about the importance and power of “aging in place“: the ability for a senior to remain in their home as they age, rather than having to move to an institutional setting.
Ample research shows that aging in place is incredibly valuable in every sense of the word: it costs much less, and it provides better outcomes in mental health and ability to complete activities of daily living.
One particular aging in place initiative that we’ve written about in the past has continued to have great success. The Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) program created by the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is a client-centered, home-based approach to helping seniors age safely, comfortably, and productively in place.
CAPABLE has evolved from a research project to a full-fledged training program that teaches other organizations how to deliver the program to their own clients. The CAPABLE program is now being offered throughout the US.
In the CAPABLE program, a team composed of a registered nurse, an occupational therapist, and a handyman work with clients to assess their strengths, needs, goals and challenges with living at home. Then together with the client, they develop a plan and complete home modifications. The entire process takes about five months, but the outcomes are long-lasting. Here’s a video that shows the benefits that CAPABLE has for seniors:
In Rhode Island, Livable Homes Modification Grants are available to assist with the costs of home modifications in a home you own or rent. The grant will pay for 50% of the total costs of your home modification, up to $5000.
For a good overview of what the grant covers, see this post by Alyssa Gleason, Case Management Coordinator for the RI Governor’s Commission on Disabilities: 5 Things You Should Know About the Rhode Island Livable Homes Modification Grant.
To get an up-close-and-personal look at what a truly age-friendly home looks like, check out the AARP Age-Friendly Home at next month’s Rhode Island Home Show, from April 4-7 in Providence. AARP was a champion of the Livable Homes Modification Grant, calling it a “win-win for people with disabilities or aging into disability, as well as their family caregivers.”