{"id":21043,"date":"2022-08-12T15:59:50","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T15:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=21043"},"modified":"2025-05-16T17:41:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T17:41:38","slug":"habitat-for-humanity-aging-in-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/habitat-for-humanity-aging-in-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Habitat for Humanity’s Aging in Place program brings hope to families","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 19 million older Americans are living in homes that are in disrepair or ill-equipped to safely meet their needs, according to Habitat for Humanity. For many homeowners, much-needed repairs are too costly or difficult to manage themselves.<\/p>\n

Tacoma\/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity\u2019s Aging in Place program provides low-cost home modifications and repairs to low-income homeowners who are seniors, veterans and\/or persons living with disabilities.<\/p>\n

Aging in Place projects run the gamut from building wheelchair ramps to repairing damaged porches, installing grab bars to making roof repairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about housing preservation and stepping into our skillset as a builder,\u201d says Sherrana Kildun, chief philanthropy officer for Tacoma-Pierce County Habitat for Humanity.<\/p>\n

These repairs fill a crucial need for homeowners \u2014 both for their safety and for their quality of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of homeowners we serve simply wouldn\u2019t be able to stay in their homes if they didn\u2019t have certain modifications,\u201d says Tracey Sorenson, director of community engagement for Tacoma\/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity. \u201cThey\u2019d have to go to assisted living or an alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Pierce County homeowners Gus and Janet Hayes, partnering with Habitat for Humanity to install a ramp in their home was an easy choice. Gus lives with Lewy body dementia, a disease which affects his memory, strength and mobility. Until Habitat for Humanity installed the ramp, he was more or less confined to his home.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving the ramp installed was a feeling of relief and hope,\u201d says Janet, who is both Gus\u2019 wife and primary caregiver. Getting Gus to medical appointments had become increasingly difficult, and activities like walking around the neighborhood had become out of the question.<\/p>\n

Now, thanks to the ramp, Gus is able to leave the house to take a two-hour walk around his neighborhood and feel the sun on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way I could even begin to tell you how much it\u2019s added to my life,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Habitat\u2019s Aging in Place program advances both housing and health equity for older Americans. Surveys of homeowners who partner with Habitat for Humanity show they are mentally and physically healthier, feel safer at home and engage with their family and friends more.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to stay in your home is important. It anchors people, especially at a time in life that can be scary as you lose your ability to take care of things yourself,\u201d says Habitat for Humanity volunteer Elly Claus-McGahan, PhD. \u201cHaving an organization like Habitat for Humanity that\u2019s trustworthy and shows it cares bolsters your faith in humanity and provides a sense of security and validation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of these homeowners have been in their homes for decades,\u201d says Habitat for Humanity volunteer Givin Chase. \u201cKeeping that comfort and familiarity is very important for caregivers and for the people who live there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gus and Janet have lived in their home since 2009.<\/p>\n

\u201cGus worked very hard to give us a beautiful home and a nice life,\u201d says Janet. \u201cHe needs to be able to stay in it as long as he can; it\u2019s wonderful, it\u2019s healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like many nonprofits, Habitat for Humanity relies on volunteers. While some volunteers are initially hesitant about their own proficiency with power tools and construction concepts, that shouldn\u2019t deter anyone who wants to help from reaching out, according to Sorenson.<\/p>\n

\u201cFewer than 5 percent of our volunteers have done any type of home construction before,\u201d says Sorenson, explaining that professional staff is on-site at every project to provide training, guidance and safety. Volunteers can also help in other ways, such as staffing a Habitat for Humanity store or providing snacks for other volunteers at a build site.<\/p>\n

And the need for support is great. Repair coordinator Virginia Phelps says there is much more demand than current capacity \u2014 she could work 80 hours a week and still not reach every eligible homeowner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe serve a lot of homeowners that get caught in the middle \u2014 maybe they can\u2019t afford all of the repairs themselves, but they don\u2019t qualify for other social services,\u201d Phelps says. \u201cWe can provide hope to families who otherwise might feel overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visit Tacoma\/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity\u2019s website<\/a> for the Aging in Place program application and eligibility information or to learn more about volunteer opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cPartnering for healing and a healthy future\u201d is MultiCare\u2019s mission, and it inspires us to form connections that help improve the quality of life for our communities. Community organizations all around us are doing amazing work, and we\u2019re inspired and excited to support that work.<\/em><\/p>\n

Stories from our Community<\/em><\/strong> is an ongoing series conceived to dive into some of these organizations*, bring their stories to life and spread the word about how they are making our communities better.<\/em><\/p>\n

*Some of the organizations profiled in this series are recipients of MultiCare\u2019s Community Partnership Fund<\/a>, which awards funds to nonprofit organizations working on initiatives, programs and projects that improve our community.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 19 million older Americans are living in homes that are in disrepair or ill-equipped to safely meet their needs, according to Habitat for Humanity. For many homeowners, much-needed repairs are too costly or difficult to manage themselves. Tacoma\/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity\u2019s Aging in Place program provides low-cost home modifications and repairs to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":467,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,143],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-equity","category-community-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAging in Place program brings hope to families - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Habitat's Aging in Place program advances both housing and health equity for older Americans.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/habitat-for-humanity-aging-in-place\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Aging in Place program brings hope to families - 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