Aging in Place Home Environment

“Where we love is home, home that the feet may leave, but not our hearts.

– Oliver Wendell Holmes

The  Home Environment and Aging in Place

Esther Greenhouse is an Environmental Gerontologist, as such, her job is to study how the built environment effects the functioning and well being of seniors in their homes. Esther is that unique blend of academic and practitioner; she can show you the nuts-and-bolts of building a safer environment to age in, and back it up with researched theory.

~Patrick

The Basic Concepts of Adapting for Aging in Place

Esther has outlined the following basic Concepts to include in a systems approach to aging in place. From her background as a formally trained designer/environmental Analyst , and gerontologist, she has distilled the essential elements:

1. Understand the Physical and cognitive changes associated with normal aging

2. Knowledge of Person-Environment fit

3. Grasp the concept of Universal Design in housing environments and how it related especially to aging

4.  Understanding of the concepts of home modification and “visitability”

5. Awareness of aging in place technologies and the future impact of them

6. Training and knowledge of Certified-Aging in Place Specialist, and ability to translate Universal Design concepts into reality

7. Having the assessment tools required to do the job, such as the checklist lists which enable evaluation of the home for aging in place

Greenhouse has done the “heavy-lifting” by providing this comprehensive list for all professionals and lay-persons interested in the bulit environment and keeping older adults home as they age. I encourage you to visit her visually lovely website for more rich content and practical resources.

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Esther Greenhouse:  Helping society create environments which enable people to thrive!

Gerontological Environmental Modifications (GEM) Tool