||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER |||
One of the main barriers to aging well on Orcas is seniors’ decreasing ability to maintain a safe home. Home maintenance for many low- and mid-income seniors on Orcas has been deferred for years. Their homes are no longer healthy or safe. Unsteady seniors struggle to navigate rickety or dimly lit staircases. Most cannot safely reach a smoke detector to change its battery. Seniors with asthma or other heart/lung disease may live in homes with mold due to leaky roofs and flooding gutters.
A startling seventy-five percent of Americans over 65 live with multiple chronic health conditions, including vision and hearing loss, diabetes, and dementia. Seniors with asthma or other heart/lung disease may live in homes with mold due to leaky roofs and flooding gutters.
Many elders of all income levels are unable to obtain and execute contracts with reliable contractors for home repairs. In response, Orcas Senior Center (OSC) has undertaken a one-year home maintenance and repair (HM&R) pilot project designed to provide seniors and people with disabilities access to competent and affordable, licensed, and bonded contractors.
The project does not currently have the resources to subsidize payment for maintenance and repair work. The responsibility for agreements and payments remains with the homeowner and contractor. In the future, the project scope may include an HM&R assistance fund to subsidize home maintenance, repair and safety modifications for low-income persons who qualify.
For more information go to orcasseniors.org or contact Allan Rosato, HM&R Coordinator, at 360-643-4419 or homerepair@orcasseniors.org.
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