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GENERAL PRINCIPLES

  • Demographically there is a major shift in population occurring - we as a nation and community are aging. The "elderly" represent approximately twenty percent (20%) of the general population and is projected to exceed twenty-three percent (23%) in the near future.

  • In a national housing study conducted by AARP found:

    • Eighty-six percent (86%) of those surveyed wanted to stay in their present home and never move.

    • Seventy-six (76%) prefer to live in a neighborhood with people of all ages.

  • Approximately twenty percent (20%) of the general population are disabled in one form or another and this figure will grow as the general population ages and life expectancy increases.

  • Due to the common maladies of aging, the existing physical environment will require modification to allow this population to continue to live in their present residences and neighborhoods.

    • A study conducted by the National Research Council Committee found that "approximately thirteen percent (13%) of older people who live at home exhibit at least one major decline in physical mobility ...and may end up in nursing homes for lack of relatively simple changes in their home."

  • It is very cost effective to modify an existing home or apartment to enable an individual to remain independent.

    • According to a recent study by the Southern Tier Independence Center, it currently costs an average of $78,110 for one year in a nursing home compared to serving a disabled person in his or her home which costs an average of $13,754. This is a yearly savings of $64,356.

    • Based on these numbers, if the first year savings was used to modify an existing residence (which would allow for a substantial renovation project) and the individual was able to maintain their independence for five years, a savings of more than one quarter of a million dollars ($257,424) could be realized.

  • The quality of life for the elderly and disabled members of our community can be greatly enhanced, at a minimum of cost, by modifying their existing physical environments to provide for their special needs at a substantial savings for the individuals, their families, and society.

  • There is nothing in the established regulations, codes and references standards which require that proposed home renovation projects must be "ugly".