Find out how housing options for the elderly are changing—and not always for the better To maintain or improve their quality of life, many seniors in the United States will move to new locations and into new types of housing. Housing for the Elderly addresses the key aspects of the transitions they’ll face, examines how housing programs can help, and looks at the role social workers can play to ensure they remain healthy, happy, and productive as they age. Housing for the Elderly provides the tools to build a comprehensive understanding of how housing is changing to support the growing number of elderly persons in the United States. This unique resource examines a full range of housing options, including assisted-living communities, elder friendly communities, and homelessness; looks at the effects of the Olmstead Decision of 1999, which requires states to place persons with disabilities in community settings rather than in institutions; and summarizes current research on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs). The book also presents a historical perspective of housing issues for the elderly, with a special focus on the discrimination of African-Americans. Topics in Housing for the Elderly include: creating elder friendly communities homelessness among the elderly in Toronto housing disparities for older Puerto Ricans in the United States grandparent caregiver housing programs how the Olmstead Decision affects the elderly, social workers, and health care providers New York State’s experience with NORCs relocation concerns of people living in NORCs the integration of services for the elderly into housing settings-particularly low-income housing moving from a nursing home to an assisted-living facility assisted-living and Medicaid and much more! Housing for the Elderly is an essential resource for social work practitioners, administrators, researchers, and academics who deal with the elderly.

Discover the diverse range of housing options available to the elderly population with this excellent new book. This timely volume addresses the public policy and design and development issues that must necessarily face those concerned with housing our steadily growing elderly population. The chapters cover a broad spectrum of populations including elderly people in “aging ghettoes” in suburbia, continuing care retirement community residents, full-time recreational vehicle travelers, and the homeless elderly. The authoritative contributors go beyond descriptions of wide-ranging elderly housing options and delve into the central themes that influence them all. Optimizing Housing for the Elderly explores some common considerations such as personal security, food and medical services, independence, and social interaction, that are important determining factors when selecting a style of housing, and addresses economic questions including advice on reducing costs in popular continuing care retirement communities, currently inaccessible to lower-income elderly people. Professionals involved in any aspect of housing for the elderly will benefit from the information in this insightful book.

“Longer lifespans and the needs of the oldest old are challenging the senior living industry to find bold and compassionate solutions to combine programs and services with housing. Victor Regnier's latest research provides a thoughtful and insightful roadmap that arrays new ways of thinking from small-scale settings to community based options. International case studies offer possible solutions with the best thinking from around the globe...all with Vic's unique perspective of extracting themes and concepts that are broadly applicable and essential to addressing the needs of those that live on life's fragile edge.” —David Hoglund, FAIA “Supporting the independence of the oldest-old is a tough problem Victor Regnier addresses in his latest book on aging and housing. Like previous work, Victor relies on the best practices of northern Europeans to outline a three-prong approach. First, providing extremely comprehensive home care services in an "apartment for life" setting. Second, reforming the conventional nursing home by exploring small group style accommodations. Third, combining new technology with community based services to age in place. Case studies document the experiences of others in making these programs work here and abroad. The magnitude of the 90+ and 100+ population increases in the next 50 years make it clear how important it is to address this concern today.” —Edward Steinfeld Darch “The movement of health care from the institution to the home is a theme that Regnier identifies as one of the most important lessons in rethinking the issue of how to support the ever growing and increasingly aged older population here and abroad. He examines simple but profound approaches we can take in making long-term care a more humane proposition. Familiar themes like humanizing technology and optimizing the impact of the natural environment are brought together with clear policy thinking about what we need to do. The timing is good because the impact of this growing segment of society will have major repercussions on health care for the next 50-70 years.” —Stephan Verderber, Ph.D. A comprehensive guide to designing housing for the world’s aging population The dilemma of helping older people maintain their independence through better housing with services is growing. This book presents innovative solutions for those who create and provide housing for the world’s increasingly longer-living population. By focusing on three specific housing and service arrangements, it offers alternatives that provide greater freedom of choice than the current living arrangements that exist today. It presents selected examples of housing and service solutions from the US, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands to stimulate thinking about the possibilities of community-based service models. Housing Design for an Increasingly Older Population looks at a trio of options for housing the “oldest-old:” the Dutch Apartment/Condo for Life Model (AFL); decentralized Small/Green Houses; and the provision of enhanced personal and health care for people who want to stay in their own home. It offers unique and eye-opening chapters covering: what older people want; what age changes affect independence; demographics and living arrangements; how long-term care is defined; concepts and objectives for housing the frail; care giving and management practices that avoid an institutional lifestyle; innovative case studies; programs that encourage staying at home with service assistance; therapeutic use of outdoor spaces; how technology will help people stay independent; and more. Based on the author’s numerous conversations with other experts, as well as his examinations of high quality settings from Northern Europe and the US Building case study examples showcase innovative and compassionate solutions In-depth coverage of three major systems that work Examines successful programs such as PACE, Friendly Cities, NORC, and the “Village to Village Network” to demonstrate the progress made in helping older, frail people stay in their own homes for as long as possible Housing Design for an Increasingly Older Population: Redefining Assisted Living for the Mentally and Physically Frail is an important book for those who create, design, and manage assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, as well as for those who set policies regarding health, and personal care for our world’s aging society.