Guest Opinion | Aging in place — result or intention?

||| FROM LYNNETTE WOOD for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER |||

I have a neighbor. He lives in a home that is held in a trust. Although he does not own the home or control the trust, he is allowed to stay in the home as long as he lives. If he becomes unable to stay in the home, or when he dies, the home will be sold. I have another neighbor with advanced dementia. As his disease advanced, the deed to his home was transferred to his younger sister, along with responsibility for managing his finances. I have a friend. She owns her home, a historic cabin on an acre of land inherited from her grandfather. Her home is truly a “cabin in the woods.” It is more than 80 years old and does not meet modern county code. If sold, even in the current market, it would not bring enough money to purchase even a small home on the mainland. Both of these neighbors and my friend rely entirely on social security to get by. All three are childless. All three live alone.

Polls taken over the years consistently report the vast majority of people say they want to “age in place”—to age and eventually die in their homes. My point in telling you about my neighbors and friend is that, for many, aging in place is not a choice; it is a necessity. For many, the only option is to age in place. Many people do not have the money or the resources to move to another home, and certainly not to an assisted living facility on the mainland. They cannot simply “sell their home and go somewhere else.” These people often remain invisible to us, especially here on Orcas Island where our focus is often on things other than an elderly person living alone in a cabin in the woods.

So what do we do? First, let’s recognize that we are not all blessed with money and resources, and that there are other housing situations than just those of direct ownership and rentals. Let’s not assume that our situation is the same as that of our neighbors and friends.

Once we recognize this, how can we not pay attention? How can we not help find ways to support people so that they may stay in their homes safely, as they age? Not just people who wish to stay in their homes, but also people who have no other choice than to stay in their homes, no matter how difficult that option may seem to be.

The Orcas Senior Center’s Companion Services and Home Maintenance and Repair programs are designed to do exactly this. By providing companionship, carrying out basic household tasks and making simple home repairs and safety upgrades, these two programs can help people stay in their homes as they age. Maybe these programs will help you someday, even if you are one of the lucky ones for whom aging in place is a choice and not a necessity. To find out more about these programs or to support Orcas Senior Center by donation, go to www.orcasseniors.org or call 360-376-2677.

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