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. It may feel
988-7866 or email him at this ad-
like you’re giving up your indepen-
dress: healthyhousinginspections@
dence,” he said.
multco.us.
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