What is Aging in Place (July 2023)
By Mark Zawacki
When you think of home, what comes to mind? Everyone’s home looks a bit different, but ideally, we want a place where we feel safe. A place where we can be ourselves. A place where we are surrounded by loved ones, like friends, family and pets.
Many of the people supported by Heritage Christian Services live in homes supported by Heritage Christian Services (HCS). But just because they are operated by HCS doesn’t mean the homes are “ours.” The homes belong to the people who live there, and they have the right to live there with dignity and privacy. When HCS staff visit or give tours at the home, they are expected to knock or ring the doorbell.
The goal of our Homes with Heart campaign is to provide the kind of home where people can choose to live their entire lives, even as their needs change – to age in place. More than half of the people supported by HCS are over 50 years old. They face the same (if not more) challenges that are a part of getting older, such as reduced mobility. The renovated and newly built homes will be fully accessible to people of all ages, and will eliminate barriers to mobility. They will feature wider hallways that allow for easier wheelchair mobility, walk-in showers, and more rooms on the first floor.
We need to ensure that every person living in a HCS supported home can age in place safely in comfortable and familiar surroundings. The Homes with Heart campaign is helping to ensure that can be accomplished.