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Senior Citizens' Housing E-Review 06/13/05 Volume 50
The Senior Citizens Housing Council
About the Council. Across the nation, builders and developers are striving to meet the housing needs of boomers, empty nesters, active adults, retirees and older senior citizens. The Senior Citizens Housing Council serves the special needs of NAHB members involved in all aspects of 50+ senior citizens housing, including design, development, finance, ownership, management, and sales and marketing.
The NAHB Senior Citizens Housing Council supports members by providing nationally recognized educational programs, industry research, networking opportunities, specialized publications, awards and recognition programs, and regulatory and legislative assistance to senior citizens housing professionals. Since 1989, the NAHB Senior Citizens Housing Council has been at the forefront of the 50+ housing movement at NAHB.
Benefits. As a Senior Citizens Housing Council member, you receive updates on industry issues, find out the latest demographics and trends, participate in educational seminars and training, network with industry experts, take advantage of member-only discounts, and more. Benefits of membership:
Senior Citizens' Housing News Magazine. Discover what's happening in the growing 50+ senior citizens housing industry by subscribing to Senior Citizens' Housing News, the award-winning quarterly magazine for the Senior Citizens Housing Council. A one-year-subscription is included in annual Senior Citizens Housing Council dues ($150 for non-SHC members). Each issue is packed with articles by industry experts, the latest research and trends, economic and legislative updates, and new technology and products designed exclusively for senior citizens.
Join the Senior Citizens Housing Council. To join the Senior Citizens Housing Council, you must be a member of NAHB.
For additional information about the Senior Citizens Housing Council go to http://www.NAHB.org/senior citizens
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The Remodelors Council
Membership in the NAHB Remodelors Council reflects a remodeler's commitment to responsible business practices, quality construction, and reliable customer service. With industry-leading programs in education, networking, marketing, advocacy, and recognition of excellence, the NAHB Remodelors Council gives you the tools you need to build your remodeling business.
Marketing and Promotion. The Council's official home on NAHB's consumer site is available to millions of Internet users worldwide. The site provides information on the remodeling industry, offers advice on how to choose a remodeler, how to live with a remodeling project, and what to expect from the remodeling experience. A national directory of local Remodelors Councils provides home owners easy access to contact information.
Various marketing and promotion projects include National Home Remodeling Month, National Housing Endowment/NAHB RemodelersTM Fund, brochures and booklets for consumers, news releases and legislative advocacy.
Industry News and Information. The Council provides, ReNEWS, an e-newsletter for its members. The CGReport, (Certified Graduate Remodeler) created exclusively for CGR's, offers unparalleled entrée into the remodeling industry's most influential market segment, with maximum visibility for all sponsors through a carefully calibrated editorial/advertising ratio. The CAPS Connection keeps all Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists on top of what's new in the aging-in-place arena and offers bottom-line building information to help CAPS designees market their designation to consumers.
Additionally, Council staff regularly responds to numerous requests each month from the media, remodelers, market research firms, suppliers and manufacturers for data on both the remodeling market and the industry, and conducts market research, including the "Remodelers Compensation Survey" and the Remodeling Market Index.
You can subscribe to the monthly electronic newsletter, ReNews, by visiting the NAHB website. Membership in NAHB is not required.
Education Programs. The Council's educational efforts include providing educational programs and seminars at the Remodeling Show and the International Builders Show.
Training & Certification. The Council created the Certified Aging-in-Place (CAPS) program in conjunction with the NAHB Research Center, the NAHB Senior Citizens Housing Council and AARP. For more information on CAPS, read the article below.
Additionally, members receive a substantial discount on Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) fees, and discounted registration for CAPS training.
Publications. Home Builder Press, a division of NAHB, is the industry's leading publisher for the remodeling trade. The Council provides direction and support on books and manuals that address remodelers' educational and professional development needs. To order publications, visit www.BuilderBooks.com.
For more information on the Remodelers Council, visit www.nahb.org/remodelors.
THE CAPS PROGRAM: What Is Aging-In-Place Design, Anyway?By Dan Bawden, CAPS CGR GMB
Name one thing you've been doing since you were born. I've got one: getting older! In response to the huge wave of Baby Boomers starting to retire, all sorts of products and services are popping up catering to the 50-and-over crowd. However, none of them hits as close to home as the new CAPS Program.
CAPS stands for "Certified Aging in Place Specialist," a new construction credential that has builders, architects, remodelers, designers and even occupational therapists buzzing. Far beyond using universal design ideas, aging-in-place principles are sweeping changes designed to custom-fit your home to you and your family. CAPS design takes your current and future circumstances into consideration, and its design principles focus on elegant, aesthetically enriching, barrier-free environments. These are changes that can actually increase the value of your home, according to some real estate agents.
What is "aging-in-place" exactly? If you are like the majority of Americans, you want to continue living at home in a familiar environment throughout your maturing years. Aging-in-place means living in your home safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age or ability level. It addresses the need to remodel existing homes and design new homes so people can "age-in-place" and not have to move to assisted living facilities as they age. Because the vast majority of homes we live in are not well designed for this, a new movement in residential construction has sprung up to meet this new consumer demand.
Boomers are catching onto this trend fast - and they are 77 million strong, making up 28 percent of the total U.S. population. The economics of aging-in-place modifications are a no-brainer. Moving to a typical assisted living facility can cost upwards of $40,000 per year plus the cost of the move. The cost to widen the bathroom door, put in safety bars and install a roll-in shower would typically run about $5,000 to $6,000 - a one-time expense. In addition to the economics, consider the psychological impact of being uprooted from your community, familiar rituals, independence and privacy. The affordability of aging-in-place remodeling is enhanced by the fact that medically necessary changes (such as wider doorways or a roll-in shower) are deductible on your taxes, if backed up by a letter from your doctor.
Too early to think this applies to you? Consider how many folks struggle with bouts of arthritis at an early age. If you fell and broke a leg, how easy would it be to get up and downstairs in your house? Or perhaps you have an aging parent who is facing challenges and may need to move in with you. How well can they manage in your home?
Construction and design professionals are beginning to take advantage of the CAPS training. This new designation is taught through the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), in collaboration with AARP. In fact, you may have recently seen an article about aging-in-place in AARP'S Magazine, Modern Maturity. Research by AARP showed two clear themes: 1) over 85 percent of Americans want to remain in their homes as they age, and 2) they don't have faith that contractors have the proper expertise or businesses practices to help them do it. Enter the CAPS program. CAPS connects responsible professionals with home owners who need these services on an ever-increasing basis. CAPS is a nationwide initiative, and it is just beginning.
Look for the CAPS credential as a reliable way to identify professionals to modify your home or build a new one that is designed for a lifespan. CAPS graduates receive training about the technical/construction aspects and learn about the unique aspects of working with older Americans. They must also take formal business training, maintain their credential through continuing education, and subscribe to a Code of Ethics.
What kind of changes are we talking about?
A host of things! The overall goal is to make the home safer and more barrier-free. Typical issues include the following:
These are just a few examples. Virtually all rooms of your house can be improved, even closets and garages.
If you are interested in the CAPS program or are seeking a CAPS-trained contractor or builder, call Barbara Drobins at the NAHB Remodelors Council at 1-800-368-5242, ext. 8217, or visit the NAHB website. You can also contact the author:
Dan BawdenPresident, Legal Eagle Contractors, Co.Certified Aging in Place SpecialistCertified Graduate RemodelerGraduate Master Builderdbawden@legaleaglecontractors.com5530 Yarwell Drive, Houston, TX 77096713-723-8850
NAHB Honors Icons of Senior Citizens Housing Industry at National Conference
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Senior Citizens Housing Council recently named five Icons of the Industry during an annual breakfast at Building for Boomers & Beyond: Senior Citizens Housing Symposium 2005. Now in its fifth year, the Icons Awards program recognizes individuals and companies who have contributed to 50+ housing market through leadership and innovation.
One winner was selected in each of the program's five award categories: Active Adult Community Builder, Product Manufacturer, Educator, Service-Enriched Builder/Developer and Lifetime Achievement. For more information on each builder, read the complete press release.
New Technologies Help Elderly Stay Independent
According to a recent article in the Rocky Mountain News (Rachel Brand; May 23, 2005), baby boomers and their aging parents represent a growing demographic highly sought after by companies that produce home-monitoring systems. These systems seek to improve senior citizens' quality of life without taking away their independence. For example, by employing motion and temperature detectors, then uploading the information several times a day to a central monitoring website, the systems allow adult children to easily check their parent's status. The technology is also aimed at taking the strain off the nation's limited, expensive long-term care resources.
Home-monitoring systems aren't the only technology aiming to keep senior citizens out of nursing homes. Researchers are currently testing whether senior citizens will warm up to the idea of a toy that resembles the 1990s fad virtual pets that required its owners to care for a digital character. The Pill Pet will "live" if the senior takes his or her medication; otherwise, it must be taken to a pharmacy for attention.
A high-tech grocery list in development could allow shoppers to first scan a card with their medical record, then their groceries into a Palm Pilot at the grocery store. The adviser would note if items are recommended for their conditions, and offer better choices if not.
A television set-top box that is linked to medical devices and a remote control in the patient's home could allow senior citizens to keep track of their own medical conditions at home, and send the information wirelessly through the set-top box to their doctors.
To learn more about these technologies, read the complete article.
A recent article in Florida Today (Scott Blake and Wayne T. Price; May 16, 2005) reports that the new Microsoft "home of the future" features many innovative home technologies, including a front door that unlocks by identifying palm prints and a wall screen that identifies the whereabouts of other family members. According to the software company, the "smart" house technology could also help elderly people with diminishing mental and physical disabilities live on their own longer by simplifying tasks.
For more information on the home, read the complete article.
According to a recent press release, senior citizens can find information about innovations, technology and resources that can allow them to live more securely and independently in their homes on the website www.SafeHome.net. The site provides links, recommended products and research on high-tech products for senior citizens.
For more information, read the complete press release.
Survey Indicates that Affluent Baby Boomer Customers Plan Future Home Purchases
The majority of affluent Baby Boomers are "on the move," according to a recent survey conducted by Coldwell Banker. The Baby Boomer Real Estate Survey, an online random sampling of 363 of the company's sales associates who market luxury homes, found that affluent baby boomer home owners (ages 40-58) remain an upwardly mobile group.
In fact, more than half of the Boomers who purchased a luxury home through the company within the last two years told their sales associate they plan to spend fewer than five years in their current home.
Eighty-six percent of these homebuyers said they have purchased three or more homes throughout their lifetimes. Almost half said they have lived at their most recent residence for a period of only one to five years. And 65 percent made their most recent home purchases because they wanted bigger residences.
For more information on the survey results, read the complete press release.
OPEN Prototype House Initiative Begins Testing
The OPEN Prototype House Initiative, led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Open Source Building Alliance (OSBA) and Bensonwood Homes, has announced that it will begin testing advanced home designs, materials, systems, and fabrication strategies. The program's goal is to demonstrate how high-quality, sophisticated and personalized homes can be built more cost-effectively and in less time. MIT and Bensonwood Homes will build one home every 18 months, starting in the spring of 2006 and continuing through 2010.
The first prototype, constructed with innovative building technologies, will be located on the grounds of the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Greenfield, N.H. and will be designed to respond to a wide range of physical and cognitive abilities of the center's clients, reflecting the complexities of the future baby-boomer housing market.
At the completion of each prototype, a symposium will be held to discuss and evaluate the result, and to set increasingly challenging goals for the next prototype. OSBA will provide advanced academic research while Bensonwood will discuss its design and production processes to build the homes.
For more information on the OPEN Prototype Initiative, read the complete press release or visit the initiative's website.
Many American Communities Ill Prepared for Aging Population, AARP Report Finds
America's cities, towns and neighborhoods are not ready to serve the needs of the nation's surging older population, according to a recent AARP study. A report of that study, "Beyond 50.05-Livable Communities: Creating Environments for Successful Aging," reviews the adequacy of communities to serve the needs of persons of all ages, especially those 50 and older, and provides AARP's prescription for improving them.
The report also establishes a link between the qualities of livable communities and Americans' ability to age successfully, which found that when older people are not engaged in their communities, they have lower feelings of self-control, less success dealing with aging issues, lower life satisfaction, and a poorer quality of life.
Planning during an original design phase or making modifications to an existing structure can make homes suitable for people to age in their communities if they wish, or provide them alternatives in other communities where they want to live. According to the report, this can reduce the number of people feeling forced to move into assisted living facilities or nursing homes while they are still capable of living independently.
Additionally, because many older Americans don't drive, public transportation can be a critical source of mobility for this population, as can safe walking options, taxi services, and human services transportation.
For more information on the report, read the complete press release.
White House/VA conference on emerging technologies for disabilities
Proceedings from the "White House/VA Conference on Emerging Technologies in Support of the New Freedom Initiative: Promoting Opportunities for People with Disabilities," held October 13-14, 2004, is now available.
The conference addressed emerging technological innovations in research and development, building collaborations, and reducing barriers to meet the needs of people with disabilities. The conference was attended by researchers, engineers, policymakers, clinicians and advocates, and featured several keynote addresses, panel discussions and breakout sessions.
For a copy of the proceedings, please contact Judith LaVoie by phone at 410-962-1800 x 229, or by email at Judith@vard.org, or visit http://www.vard.org/whc2004/entry.html. For more information, read the complete press release.
Active Adult Rental Housing Is an Emerging Trend
A variety of age-qualified rental products are available today, according to a recent article in Nation's Building News. The properties offer senior renters a wide spectrum of financial and service characteristics, from few amenities to extensive packages.
According to the article, senior rental housing is just beginning to emerge and will surely evolve in the coming years. The growing demand for "active adult" rental properties for the 55-64 year-old demographic is driving almost every market in the country to offer age-qualified or age-targeted communities. Products in these communities range from condominiums and villas, to attached homes with first floor master bedrooms.
Yet the article explains that market-rate senior rental housing does not work in all markets. Markets must have a strong economic base to support this level of housing. Typical markets in which these projects have been successful include affluent suburban and exurban markets.
To learn more, read the complete article.
'Downsizing' a Dirty Word for Aging Baby Boomers
Home builders who are waiting for the first wave of the 77 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 to start retiring may be missing out on a growing market force in the housing industry, according to speakers at NAHB's Building for Boomers and Beyond Senior Citizens Housing Symposium, which was held May 16-18 in Chantilly, Va.
The 50+ population is looking for new housing, but not within the context of retirement traditionally associated with this age group, symposium panelists said. By and large aging boomers do not see themselves trading down but instead expect to be moving up to the best housing they have ever had, even if it means taking out a hefty mortgage to finance their lofty housing aspirations.
One expert observed that boomers want a one-story home, which will cost more to build because it takes up more land, an increasingly precious and scarce commodity in many of the urban areas where boomers currently live and expect to stay even as they trade up to new housing. Builders can make up for those higher construction costs by providing the "extravagant" options and upgrades that boomers demand and will be more than willing to finance.
Another expert said that baby boomers are not at the age where they see age-restricted products as being appropriate. There is roughly a seven year difference in the ages of those buying age-targeted housing and age-restricted housing. Concierge services, valet services, dog walkers, elegant finishes and upscale amenities can help create the lifestyle that will draw reluctant boomers.
To learn more about the findings presented during the Building for Boomers and Beyond Senior Citizens Housing Symposium, read the complete article in Nation's Building News.
New Technology Can Help Elderly Stay Alone
According to a recent article in Sify News (June 1, 2005), a model house on display in Portugal is providing a showcase for the latest technology aimed at helping elderly or disabled people live independently.
Dubbed the "House of the Future," the home occupies about 1,600 square feet of Lisbon's Museum of Communications and features items made by multinationals as well as prototypes still in development by local universities.
Solutions range from the simple, like a telephone with easy-to-read extra large buttons, to the high-tech, such as a talking kitchen scale. Other technologies include a computer that transforms text into a digital voice, a vacuum cleaner that works by itself, fingerprint scans that open doors and several voice-activated appliances. The house also features ramps instead of stairs and has no doors separating rooms to make it easier for people with special needs to get around.
Its colorful interior has won the house comparisons to the high-tech world of the 1960s animated television show "The Jetsons" and it has been used itself as a set by several Portuguese televisions series.
For example, the surface of the dining room table can change color at the press of a button to create a different mood while electronic artwork hanging on the walls can be changed just as easily to match new furniture. A robotic dog that dances, takes pictures and can play with a ball is popular with visitors, as is a virtual garden where electronic flowers bloom and butterflies and rabbits appear when visitors step on its plasma screen floor.
To learn more about the model home, read the complete article.
AoA Announces 2005 Solicitation for Proposals for the Development of Aging and Disability Resource Centers
The Administration on Aging (AoA) Assistant Secretary Josefina G. Carbonell recently released a solicitation for proposals to bolster state efforts to help consumers make informed choices regarding their long-term care decisions through Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC).
According to the press release, a broad range of programs and services are available to assist older adults and individuals with disabilities in need of long-term support services. However, these services are supported by numerous agencies and frequently have complex eligibility requirements that may be difficult to sort through. In some cases, this may lead to unnecessary institutionalization.
The ADRC grants are designed to give states flexibility in the development and administration of their programs. Some states may utilize a single agency as the entry point to long-term support while other states will establish centers with multiple sites that may work together to ensure uniform access to long-term support options.
Applicants must have the support and active involvement of the Single State Agency on Aging and the Single State Medicaid Agency. Applications must be received by July 7, 2005.
The ADRC grants are administered through a joint effort of the Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For more information on the Aging and Disability Resource Centers Grant program, read the complete press release, or visit www.grants.gov, the AoA website or the CMS website.
2005 WHCoA Date Moved to December 11 to 14, 2005
Dorcas R. Hardy, Chairman of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) Policy Committee, announced that the Policy Committee has voted to move the date of the 2005 WHCoA to December 11 to 14, 2005. The new location will be announced shortly. The original date of the WHCoA was October 23 to 26, 2005.
In discussing the new date, WHCoA Executive Director Scott V. Nystrom said, "Due to the overwhelming interest in this decade's WHCoA, and an extraordinary response from potential exhibitors, it makes sense to move the WHCoA to a larger venue. This change will improve the comfort and overall experience for our 1,200 delegates to the Conference."
The White House Conference on Aging is a decennial event intended to produce recommendations for the President and Congress to help guide national policies on aging for the next decade and beyond. "We are entering a bold, new, and exciting era of America's history - one characterized by an aging population. The 2005 WHCoA will be an excellent opportunity for citizens across the United States to help shape a positive future for all Americans as we enter this new era," said Chairman Hardy. The 2005 WHCoA will address the aging issues of today and tomorrow including the nation's 78 million baby boomers who will begin to turn 60 in 2006.
Delegates selected by the Governors, Members of Congress and the National Congress of American Indians will be announced soon, and will be notified in the very near future about the WHCoA registration process.
For more information about the 2005 WHCoA, please visit the WHCoA website.
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