Aging in place requires forethought

Look around your house. Is there a step at the front door? Are the hallways wide enough for a walker or wheelchair? How about the doorknobs: Do you have to twist them, or can you simply push down on them to open the door? Maybe those home features don't matter now at this point in life. But what might you need 10, 20, 30, 40 years from now to get around your house? The Clark County Commission on Aging aims to get people thinking about these forward-looking questions. Aging in place, and other issues related to housing and getting older, will be discussed at monthly talks held by the commission through the end of this year. To start, Alan DeLaTorre, a Portland State University research associate, will talk Tuesday about what housing options are needed for the increasing number of older people. Currently, about 20 percent of Clark County's population is 60 or older, which is estimated to increase to 25 percent by 2030, according to the county's Aging Readiness Plan. A survey by AARP says that 87 percent of seniors want to live out the rest of their life at home. Doing so requires being proactive as opposed to reactive, said Bill Ritchie, chair of the Commission on Aging. "We are all in denial about aging. Everybody is aging except us," he said. The commission, which was formed in 2012, has never dedicated a year to just one topic. Housing seemed particularly relevant for 2016 given the affordable-housing crisis, said Ritchie, who's 71. "Affordable housing obviously becomes more and more an issue not just for those who are younger, but those who are older, too," he said. Judi Avvocato, 63, is looking to move to a more affordable 55-plus community and one that's better designed for the aging population. About half of her limited income goes to rent, she said. "The housing costs are going up and up and up, and people don't make the money for it," she said. Avvocato, who is disabled and retired from bookkeeping, wants to live the rest of her life in Vancouver. "It's my home. I've been in the Northwest for 30 years."

Modifications

A lot of the new developments Ritchie sees popping up are stacked homes on smaller lots. A multi-story house could work for somebody for a while, but down the road maybe they develop a knee problem, or perhaps they have to use a walker, and the home needs to be retrofitted. "How do you make those modifications and how do you do it economically?" Ritchie said. Chuck Frayer, a 65-year-old retired accessibility specialist with the U.S. Forest Service, chairs the Commission on Aging's housing committee. The group has looked into building codes, universal design and what's being done around the country for those who are trying to age in place. "I live in a home that is very, very accessible. Our plans are to stay right there," said Frayer, who gets around in a wheelchair. Frayer and his wife found an accessible, custom-built home after a year of looking in the Portland-Vancouver area. "We just flat lucked out," he said. Frayer believes a certain percentage of homes should be built to be accessible. If people develop health problems down the road, an accessible home would accommodate their new needs, he said. If more accessible homes were in the housing supply, it would be easier for him to go visit people, too, he said. Often, being in a wheelchair means he can't stay long at other people's houses. "Where do you see yourself living 10, 15, 20 years from now? Is it going to be in the house that you're in?" Frayer said. "People do not ask themselves that question." He hopes that the Commission on Aging's talks will raise awareness among residents, builders and contractors that would be tasked with retrofitting homes to make them accessible.

The little details

When Ivan Olin's pastor at Crossroads Community Church, Ritchie, said he should look into building accessible homes, he listened. Olin Homes has refined its design and has two ADA-compliant homes in its Battle Ground subdivision, Parkview Trails, with two more under construction. It's the little details that aren't particularly noticeable that can go a long way for somebody who has trouble getting around, said Olin, 46. No-step entryways into the house and garage, wide hallways, pocket doors in the bathrooms, a light switch within reach from the bed, outlets that are higher than normal, and a paved path around the house are a few of the features. The 1,814-square-foot model home is listed for $351,635. Olin consulted with the Commission on Aging to figure out what basics should be in a home and what could easily be added as people move through different life stages. There aren't grab bars in the bathroom, but extra backing in the walls means they could be installed later. After all, young families may not like the idea or look of grab bars when shopping for a new home. People can recoil at the idea of buying an accessible home, which comes with the stigma that it's an "old-person home." "People don't like to talk about it," Olin said. "That makes it tricky as a builder to do advertising." Finding lots big enough for single-story accessible homes is a challenge, Olin said. Parkview Trail's lots were left over from the housing market crash, so they're a bigger than today's standard lots. Also, building in the Northwest where it rains a lot means doing those flush entries thoughtfully to prevent water damage. The way the Commission on Aging looks at it, there's an opportunity to fuel discussion and build a market for accessible homes in Clark County.