Recipient Organization
UNIV OF MINNESOTA
(N/A)
ST PAUL,MN 55108
Performing Department
Design, Housing & Apparel
Non Technical Summary
The expanding U.S. population over the age of 65 will challenge the housing industry and communities to accommodate their needs. In Minnesota, by 2020, those aged 65 years and older will be greater than the number of school-aged people. Based on a survey of baby-boomers considering a move in Minnesota, over half currently living in a single family home do not expect to living in such a structure by 2020 (Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2010). And, among those who are considering a move, many are planning to do so because of their current housing characteristics (over 40%) and/or the location of their home (over 30%). Less than 5% indicated that they were planning to move because of a change in health. And, yet, statistics indicate that in Minnesota, about 20% of individuals aged 65 and over have at least one disability, and of those aged 75 to 84, 37.5% have at least one disability (Minnesota Compass, 2017a). Thus, implementing strategies to ensure that the housing in which they live does not contribute to their health issues is important for individuals.Individuals who can remain in their existing homes--regardless of structure type--may be better positioned to afford housing costs as they age. However, most housing structures are not conducive to aging in place; for example, one study estimated it to be less than 1% of the single-family housing stock (Memken & Earley, 2007). Modifications may be required and could include many features known to prevent falls, which can lead to chronic physical problems, such as grab bars, ramps, wider doorways to accommodate mobility devices, etc., and they are. Age is often a predictor of making home modifications (Cook, Yearns, & Martin, 2005), but it may be after an adverse health outcome rather than as a preventative measure (Tabbarah, Silverstein, & Seeman, 2000).For a relatively modest expense in home modifications, individuals have been shown to increase their confidence of living in their dwelling and reduce their fear of falling (Gitlin, Winter, Dennis, Corcoran, Schinfeld, & Hauck, 2006). In addition to preventing health issues, many research studies have examined the positive relationship between well-being and lower rates of depression with home modifications (e.g., Cook, Yearns, & Martin, 2005).Working in partnership with two non-profit organizations, this project proposes to explore how modifications installed in homes (includes weatherization and healthy housing improvements as well as home modifications) for very low-income elderly individuals influence their sense of well-being. Additionally, community-level opportunities to respond to an aging population will be examined. These two approaches can serve to help other communities and organizations address the needs of an aging population. Strategies could help to retain current and attract new residents, creating and sustaining elder-friendly, vital communities and homes that encourage healthy, active living (Myers & Ryu, 2008).
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
The purpose of the proposed research is two-fold:To assess if elderly individuals who have received selected improvements and modifications to their homes report a greater sense of comfort and safety in the home.To analyze opportunities for a community to create opportunities for their residents to remain in the community.
Project Methods
Objective 1The first research objective will be carried out in partnership with the Live Well at Home program of the Sustainable Resources Center (SRC), a non-profit organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota. SRC's mission is to provide comprehensive healthy, safe and energy efficient housing services to low income families and communities. For the Live Well at Home program, SRC recruits individuals who are 64 years and over, who have annual household incomes not exceeding 30% of the area median income, and who live in Hennepin County, Minnesota (includes the City of Minneapolis). SRC conducts healthy homes assessments, energy audits, and assesses home modifications needed to allow residents to age in place. Work orders are written for each home and include weatherization improvements, reduction of healthy housing hazards (such as mold, moisture, toxins, pests, excess heat and cold and poor indoor air quality), and aging in place modifications. The work is funded using a combination of HUD funds, Low-Income Weatherization funds, Minnesota Department of Human Services grant funds, and private resources, as appropriate. This whole house/whole person approach supports the goal of maintaining elderly residents in their homes and in their communities for as long as possible.While SRC is effective at performing the home improvement work, the organization does not have the capacity to do follow up interviews to assess the effectiveness of the work that they complete on the lived experiences of the residents. This project will provide qualitative documentation regarding the impact of the home improvements on the participants. The proposed research will allow SRC to have a more robust evaluation of their work and to share best practices with other agencies.At least six-months after the SRC work has been completed in a home, the PI will contact the resident to set up an in-person interview. (At the time work is completed, SRC will obtain informed consent from residents willing to be contacted by the PI.) The meeting location for the interview will be the choice of the participant. The interview questions will be open-ended and conversational, so that the resident feels comfortable in talking about themselves and their home. For example:Can you describe if your experience of living in your home has changed because of the work completed by SRC? Prompt: Do you enjoy living here?Have you experienced any changes in the comfort of your home in terms of staying warm in the winter and cool in the summer? Can you give me any examples?Have you experienced any changes in your ability to use all of the rooms that you want to use? Can you explain? Prompt: Do you feel safe walking around your home because of the work SRC did?Do you feel that the work SRC did has lessened concerns you may have had about your home and your ability to continue to live here? Can you explain?Is there anything I haven't asked about that you would like to share?Objective 2 The second research objective will be focused on a neighborhood in the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota, named West Seventh, and carried out in partnership with its non-profit community organization, the West 7th/Fort Road Federation (W7/FRF). The mission of the W7/FRF is to provide physical, social, and economic opportunities for the people who live and work in the West 7th/Fort Road community. The neighborhood is one of the oldest in the city and represents just under 4% of the population of the city. However, the proportion of residents aged 65 years and over is 13.9%, almost 50% higher than the 9.3% proportion of residents aged 65 and over in the city at large.Saint Paul established an Advisory Committee on Aging (ACOA) more than 20 years ago, and in January 2017, they released their most recent report to delineate how to advance opportunities for aging in community (Saint Paul ACOA, 2017). The primary sections of the report include recommendations to cultivate healthy aging, to broaden housing options, and to expand connectivity. While the report addresses opportunities for the entire city, working with the W7/FRF, there is an opportunity to conduct a case study of how the recommendations of the ACOA could be integrated into the strategic plan of a neighborhood, specifically to broaden housing options.One ACOA recommendation to broadening housing options is to conduct a survey of the housing preferences of neighborhood residents aged 45 and older. For this research project, a survey instrument will be developed that can be used electronically and in paper for the neighborhood residents. The questions will include what kind of housing participants currently live in, whether participants want to stay in the neighborhood or move and, if so, to where, and, what kind of housing and community attributes they desire in the future. The invitation to complete the survey and paper copies will be distributed through, for example, places of worship, at clinics, at neighborhood meetings, and at community centers. The data will be analyzed by age groups to understand the preference differences of residents as they age.In order to know whether the neighborhood is positioned to meet the housing needs of the neighborhood going forward, an analysis of the current housing stock will be completed. Additionally, the current zoning districts of the neighborhood and code requirements will be examined to identify opportunities for innovative housing solutions such as cohousing, pocket neighborhoods, congregate homes, accessory dwellings, and multigenerational housing.