Model Home to Set Senior Aging in Place Standard

By Elizabeth Ecker| As published in Senior Housing News, June 6, 2013 | Used by permission

A model home under development could serve as a best practices guide for aging in place housing features geared toward senior living.

Currently on schedule for completion this fall, the Neenah, Wisconsin-based home project, launched by The CareGiver Partnership, includes an automation system, environmental sensors, motion sensors, fall prevention tools and mobility features, among others, that are geared specifically toward the needs of older residents who wish to remain in their homes.

“With thousands of baby boomers turning 65 every day and a shortage of affordable long-term care facilities and trained caregivers, aging in place is an important and emerging trend,” says Lynn Wilson, Founder of The CareGiver Partnership, a national retailer of incontinence products and home health care supplies.

Toward the trend of builders and construction companies that are increasingly implementing design features that help people remain at home, the model works toward security, comfort as well as safety and care of those who it is planned to serve.

“Builders, manufacturers, and service providers are adapting to this growing need for tools that allow seniors to safely and affordably remain in their homes as long as possible,” Wilson says. “Our business is built on helping seniors and family caregivers manage at home,”

The home will serve as a demonstration center and is expected to be completed by November 1, at which point the Partnership plans to publish aging in place best practices.