Seniors Stay Put

Seniors Stay Put

Do you know any older people who, given a choice, would prefer to move to an institution rather than stay in their own home? Of course not. But AARP and other organizations fund surveys that ask respondents which option they prefer. And, of course, most people answer as you would expect: they prefer to remain at home.


Fortunately, many creative options are becoming available to make staying put as you age a reality. One of the most innovative alternatives is a grassroots effort to set up neighborhood “villages,” a play on the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. The first village was started in Boston, MA, in 2002 and is named for its exclusive neighborhood, Beacon Hill. The program was organized by local residents who wanted to stay in their homes on the hill rather than move to senior housing. Aging experts refer to this stay-at-home concept as “aging in place.”


The Beacon Hill Village (BHV) is so attractive that one national expert on aging, Joseph Coughlin, director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told AARP that it could well change the way Americans—and the rest of the world—grow old. "The assisted living and the die-with-a-golf-club-in-your-hand communities had better take notice," said Coughlin.

Members of the Beacon Hill Village pay an annual membership fee of $580 for an individual or $780 for a household, which is far less expensive that the costs of assisted living or a similar “retirement housing” option. Members must be 50 years of age or older. In addition, foundations and neighbors contribute money so that low income people over age 60 can join. BHV now has about 400 members who receive an impressive package of services and are eligible for additional programs at reduced rates. All BHV services are vetted, and include:


· Computer classes at home.
· Educational seminars.
· Errand running such as picking up prescriptions and dropping off laundry.
· Exercise and stretching classes.
· Grocery shopping.
· Group meals. Home-delivered meals, elegant or casual.
· Home adaptation.
· Home cleaning.
· Home repair.
· Individual and group rides to anywhere–doctors, airport, friends, and cultural events.
· Volunteer opportunities in the community.


BHV programs are tailored to the needs of the individual. One member called the village’s concierge service from his hospital bed and asked to have his betting slips picked up at the race track. A BHV representative ran the errand (probably with a twinkle in his eye).


Similar aging-in-place villages are springing up across the US. By one estimate there are currently about 100 villages open or about to open in areas as diverse as Capital Hill in Washington DC, Bronxville, NY and San Francisco, CA. The village held a conference in 2007 to teach attendees how to turn neighborhoods into villages. 240 people attended including a representative from Australia. BHV also has developed a manual to guide startups called "The Village Concept: A Founder’s Manual."



To get copies of the manual and/or the conference DVD, go to Beacon Hill Village’s website: http://www.beaconhillvillage.org/.


Kristin Kopp, At Home Solutions, LLC, 952-292-5801
http://www.athomesolutionsllc.com/


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