by
Lynn Wilson, Founder of The CareGiver Partnership
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| Our aging-in-place demonstration center is under construction. |
We’re
taking our work home with us! We’ve long served as a resource for seniors who
wish to live safely in their own homes for as long as possible, and now we are
in the process of constructing a home designed around these aging-in-place
concepts.
Aging
in place — the preferred lifestyle for older adults — requires tools and
support that allow seniors to live in their own homes safely and independently.
And now we are practicing what we preach — building a home that serves as a
state-of-the-art demonstration center by incorporating a wide range of
aging-in-place elements.
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. 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. Our business is built on
helping seniors and family caregivers
manage at home, and what better way than
to experience these aging-in-place innovations firsthand.
Construction
of the ranch-style home in Neenah, Wis., began this month and is expected to be
completed by Nov. 1. It embraces the concept of universal design — producing
buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to older
people, people with and without disabilities — by combining the latest
technology and modifications:
- A leading-edge automation system allows homeowners to control security, lighting, temperature, music and more from easy-to-use, touch-control panels. These functions also can be controlled remotely with an iPhone or Android smartphone application.
- Environmental sensors shut off water if a leak is detected and notify homeowners of fire, window breakage and carbon monoxide.
- Motion sensors in driveway and over doors control lighting and report door positions to a control panel or smartphone, while high-definition, closed-circuit security cameras monitor activity inside and outside the home.
- A dumbwaiter lift system will help the homeowners move items safely and easily, helping prevent falls and injuries that can lead to loss of mobility and independence.
- Green features, including a car charging station, energy-efficient appliances, LED outdoor lighting, drain water heat recovery system and an energy-efficient on-demand hot water circulation system.
- Conveniences designed around limited mobility or dexterity include zero-egress entry, wide doorways, easy-access counters, pull-out shelves, no-step shower, levered faucets, and a multi-room, multi-source sound system. Post-construction additions will include other daily living and monitoring tools as needed.
By
combining these aging-in-place innovations with our experience as caregivers,
we can provide our retail customers with additional expertise that will help
enable them to live at home safely, comfortably and affordably. We’ll publish
monthly progress of this initiative over the next 6 to 8 months and at the end
will offer a best practices guide to aging in place.
For
more information and one-on-one customer service, call The CareGiver
Partnership at 1-800-985-1353 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Central
Standard Time. And be sure to download our free home
safety guide, “It All Starts with a Fall.”
About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver
Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones
with answers to their
caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and
supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all
current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest
online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from
arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as
access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care,
mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was
founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wis. Visit
http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.
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| Call our team of Product Specialists! We're here to help! |
Watch this video on ways to make any home safer.
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