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About The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2017)
8 • The Southwest Portland Post FEATURES November 2017 Free assessment, minor changes can help seniors live safely at home By Jack Rubinger The Southwest Portland Post The U.S. Center for Disease Con- trol and Prevention defines aging in place as “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or abil- ity level.” Not that it makes sense or is feasible for everyone, but for some there are positive changes that can be made to accomplish the goal of living at home as a senior. Jeff Strang, an environmental health specialist for Multnomah County, addressed this topic at a presentation at the Capitol Hill Li- brary. Strang conducts home health and safety assessments for low- income seniors and the disabled, and is a certified home inspector. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2050 the number of Americans aged 65 and older will be 88.5 million, and nearly one in five Americans will be aged 65 and older by 2030. Senior citizens make up more than 10 percent of the population of Oregon. Six percent of Oregon senior households have an annual income of less than $10,000 and 23 percent receive less than $20,000. According to the bureau, 25 percent of Oregon residents 60 and over received food stamps in the last year. Many homes in Southwest Port- land were built 50 years ago or more before grab bars, ramps, and even smoke alarms were widely used. Finding a responsive and reliable contractor who can help with more challenging projects like upgrading electrical systems for your older home can be difficult, according to some of the folks who attended the presentation. “They don’t call back with esti- mates or come back to you with ridiculously high estimates,” said one woman. Attendees agreed that maybe it’s a case of supply and demand or maybe all the good ones are getting older or perhaps younger people don’t want to be contractors. In any event, incremental im- provements can begin sooner rather than later whether you do them yourself or hire a contractor. Some improvements are so simple they can take seconds to complete. Other projects require skill, time and help from a friend or professional. It’s pretty easy to install night lights in a bathroom and in hallways that are used after dark. Strang offered room by room tips, including opening doors with levers instead of round knobs, as seniors may lack the strength to turn a knob. Surface changes can cause trips and falls, such as going from carpet to hardwood floors. Also in the easy-to-install cat- egory are higher toilet seats which can fit over standard toilets. LED lights can be an easy replace- ment as they offer better light and more contrast which can help seniors with poor vision. Strang also recommended testing smoke alarms once a month and us- ing a combi- nation carbon monoxide and smoke alarm. Seniors with asthma are cau- tioned about using aerosol fragrances. “If it smells bad, it’s bad. If it smells good it’s bad. If it doesn’t smell, it’s good,” said Strang. Hoarding be- havior, while not necessar- ily a symptom Jeff Strang gave a recent presentation at the Capitol Hill Library of aging, can on seniors aging in place. (Post photo by Jack Rubinger) cause problems such as crowding open spaces and Strang said that if you’re older creating confusion and clutter. or disabled, you may qualify for a When people own their homes for free home assessment to identify 40 years, an accumulation of furni- safety hazards and get suggestions ture and paperwork is likely. of non-profit organizations that can There’s a lot that can be done, but help make improvements. people don’t know where and when To sign up for a free home as- to start, Strang said. “It’s tough for sessment, call Jeff Strang at 503- some to ask for help. 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