Description

Do you want to age independently in your own home and neighborhood? Staying home, aging in place, is most people's preference, but most American housing and communities are not adapted to the needs of older people. And with the fastest population growth among people over 65, finding solutions for successful aging is important not only for individual families, but for our whole society. In Independent for Life, former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros and a team of experts on aging, architecture, construction, health, finance, and politics assess the current state of housing and present new possibilities that realistically address the interrelated issues of housing, communities, services, and financial concerns.

Independent for Life covers a wide range of smart solutions, including remodeling current housing and building new homes for accessibility and safety, retrofitting existing neighborhoods to connect needed services and amenities, and planning new communities that work well for people of all ages. Case studies show how the proposals can be implemented. The authors offer action plans for working with policy makers at local, state, and national levels to address the larger issues of aging in place, including family financial security, real estate markets, and the limitations of public support. Lists of essential resources, including a detailed "to do" list of aging in place priorities and an individual home assessment, complete the volume.

About the Author

Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and four-term mayor of San Antonio, is Executive Chairman of CityView, a company that specializes in urban real estate, in-city housing, and metropolitan infrastructure. Cisneros is the author of several books, including Interwoven Destinies: Cities and Nation and Our Communities, Our Homes: Pathways to Housing and Homeownership in America’s Cities and States.

Margaret Dyer-Chamberlain is Senior Research Scholar and Managing Director at the Stanford Center on Longevity.

Jane Hickie is Senior Research Scholar and Director of the Politics, Scholars, and the Public Program at the Stanford Center on Longevity.