Peter Pan housing – for people who won’t get old
NPR host Michele Norris explores housing options for America’s aging population in her interview with Jon Pynoos, a professor of gerontology policy and planning at USC. (Listen to the broadcast or read the transcript HERE.)
Pynoos describes the high costs of nursing homes and assisted living facilities and the insurance options that pay for them, including Medicare & Medicaid. He then promotes aging-in-place at home as a much lower-cost option, but most homes were designed for people who aren’t old. He calls them Peter Pan homes. They have stairs, inaccessible bathrooms, and inadequate lighting, and they lack many of the safety features that would help people avoid falls.
“I won’t grow up.
I don’t want to go to school,
Just to learn to be a parrot,
And recite a silly rule.”
To help you assess your home and make modifications, contact a certified aging in place specialist (CAPS).
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