Reverse Mortgage Guide

The idea of helping people to stay in place whether with or without a reverse mortgage seems like an eminently desirable and attractive idea. If homes can be more habitable for longer periods that should be seen as a social good.

How many times have you seen people move because the home where they live is no longer practical? There are too many stairs, bathing facilities are inconvenient and systems are too costly? We have a lot of products, services and concepts that can make home ownership longer and better. Just look at the architecture found in many newer communities for those age 55 and above. There’s no reason such ideas cannot be incorporated into all homes — or, in many cases, retro-fitted.

The release below looks at National Aging in Place Week. I don’t see why such a subject should only be highlighted once-a-year or for a week. It ought to be something that
concerns everyone in real estate. Besides, if it’s really a holiday where’s the card from my children?

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Washington, DC – Most Americans want to age in place. Current Census Bureau data tells us that over 90 percent of seniors who move stay within their county. Survey after survey tells us that a majority of those 65 and over - say they would like to stay where they are for as long as possible.

To help older adults prepare for their later years, leaders from the aging in place field—home modification experts, geriatric care managers, financial planners, home care workers, to name a few—have banded together to host educational events in communities around the nation. Their goal is to help make aging in place a safe and comfortable experience for older Americans. The culmination of their efforts is National Aging in Place Week hosted on October 1-7. Events hosted during this week, in communities around the nation, will give residents the information they need to find products and services they might need to continue to live in the home of their choice throughout retirement.

“While an overwhelming majority of older Americans want to remain in their homes for as long as possible, most are not aware of local services that make prolonged independent living possible,” said Peter Bell, Executive Director of the National Aging in Place Council. “Our goal is to bring families together during National Aging in Place Week to discuss livability issues with parents and older relatives and provide them with the resources they need to make informed decisions that will enable them to age in place.”

Since 2003, National Aging in Place Week events have brought together families and professionals to begin the conversation about aging in place. Last year, members from the National Aging in Place Council, an association of public and private service providers, successfully coordinated educational activities in over 60 locations across the country. These events help seniors, recent retirees, and Boomers to learn about local resources, including healthcare, housing, and other support services, that enable older Americans to remain healthy and independent throughout retirement.

This year, NAIPC members from the aging, healthcare, financial services and building sectors have again worked together in many parts of the country—including Vermont, California, South Carolina, Arizona, Washington state and Pennsylvania—to host activities that encourage older adults to be proactive in thinking about their future long-term care needs. This year professionals in the aging in place field will host over 100 events in:

Arizona: Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona,

California: Laguna Hills, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Leandro, Santa Rosa

Florida: Naples

Georgia: La Grange, DeKalb County

Kansas: Lenexa

Louisiana: New Orleans

Massachusetts: Abington, Allston, Arlington, Bellingham, Belmont, Brewster, Brighton, Brockton, Cambridge, Canton, Dedham, Derry, Exeter, Fall River, Gardner, Leominster, Malden, Middleborough, Millis, Norfolk, North Easton, Plymouth, Quincy, Reading, Wakefield, Walpole, Watertown, Wellesley, West Roxbury, Westford, Weymouth, Whitman,

Wilmington Winchester, Woburn, Woburn

Maryland: Fort Meade, Rockville, Wheaton

Michigan: Ann Arbor, Bedford, Brighton, Canton, Dearborn Farmington Hills, Novi, Plymouth, Port Huron, Rochester, Southfield, Taylor

Oregon: Forest Grove, Portland, Tigard,

Pennsylvania: Berwyn, Broomall, Lehigh Valley Area, Wayne,

South Carolina: Charleston

Texas: San Antonio

Virginia: Fort Myer

Vermont: Derby, Lyndon, Montpelier, Newport, St. Albans, Tacoma

Washington, DC

To promote the long-term effort, NAIPC has created a national forum for skilled persons from a wide variety of fields, including remodeling, architecture, interior design, financing, product design and manufacturing, urban planning, social services, and healthcare to work together to help meet the needs of our growing aging population. To keep one’s quality of life, the choice to age in place may require many changes to one’s home or daily routine, but as Bell says, “Whether you’re a senior or planning your retirement, learning about your options is the first step towards independent living in your later years.”

To learn more about NAIPC and upcoming events in your area visit our web site at www.naipc.com.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 3:39 pm and is filed under Reverse Mortgage . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.