WHY THE AGING IN PLACE INITIATIVE?

“Our county is approaching a crossroad where we will begin to see a drastic increase in our senior population. Now, thanks to the foresight of our Office on Aging and The Horizon Foundation, we are heading in a pro-active direction to help fulfill our aging residents’ desires to stay in their homes in later years.” James Robey, Howard County Executive

Most Americans want to remain in their homes as they get older.

Surveys by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in 1989, 1992 and 1996, found that more than 80 percent of Americans age 50 and older want to "stay in my own home and never move." Personal comfort and satisfaction with a familiar house or apartment, neighbors and community constitute powerful reasons to search for ways to make this possible.

The shifting structure of public financing of services for the elderly has also highlighted the importance of increasing options for aging in place. Publicly funded reimbursement for nursing home care has become more narrowly focused on patients who require the most intensive medical care. Coupled with the reality of a growing, aging population, these policy changes have increased the importance of developing community-based services for seniors who may be frail or have less acute needs, whether for personal care and treatment of chronic illnesses, or for rehabilitation services following an illness or an accident.

Any effort designed to enable older adults to remain in their homes must take into account the changes in physical and mental health that contribute to their reduced functioning. These changes result in predictable occurrences, including increased needs for: affordable home care (including personal care, help with chores and respite services for caregivers); homes that are safe and have modifications that accommodate the residents' reduced functioning; fall prevention; and identification and treatment of depression and other mental health problems.

Extended dialogue and contacts with the Howard County Office of Aging, as well as with other community practitioners and leaders, revealed to the Foundation that the county lacked a sufficient supply of low-cost in-home care, a coordinated program of home repair and modification, a strategy to reduce the incidence of falls and a mental health outreach program designed specifically for adults. The Adult Community Evaluation Services, created by the Office more than a decade ago, has served as a central source of consultation and referrals for older adults who were living independently, but the county had not been able to marshal the resources to develop a more comprehensive service system or to keep pace with growing needs. It was also clear that the Office of Aging has limitations in its data resources and lacks benchmark information against which to monitor community progress in promoting aging in place.