NeighborWorks celebrates funding to help older homeowners age in place
Jan. 20—SCRANTON — Mary Ann Bauman and her husband, Paul, moved into their two-story Archbald Street home in the summer of 1963.
A stair lift, shower grab bars, a back porch ramp and other safety modifications made through a nonprofit program helped keep Paul there until he passed away April 1, 2021.
"It was the one thing he really and truly wanted and now it's great for me, because I don't want to leave my own home either," said Bauman, 85, at an event Friday celebrating $1 million in federal funding that will allow NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania's Aging in Place program to serve 115 additional older homeowners in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties.
The federal community project funding is the latest boost for the program providing critical home safety and accessibility improvements to allow older residents to continue living independently in their homes. NeighborWorks officials lauded U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, and Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Scranton for their work securing the federal allocation.
The Aging in Place program has received millions in funding support from government and private philanthropic entities since its inception in 2017 and has helped about 700 older homeowners.
NeighborWorks President and CEO Jesse Ergott described the layout of a typical older home in Scranton, with bedrooms and a master bathroom on the second floor and a basement laundry room down a steep set of stairs.
"As people age, they've got to get places that are really difficult for them to get," he said. "So accessibility improvements, stair glides, walk-in showers in bathrooms, all those types of things are really, really critical to keeping our seniors safe in their homes."
"We know that the average cost of a modification is around $10,000," Ergott continued. "We also know that the average cost of a stay in an assisted living or skilled care facility is about $4,500 a month, so we do some quick math. ... If we can prevent people from having to be in those situations, we save the system a lot of money (and) we save the families a lot of heartache as well."
Casey, who chairs the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and participated in Friday's event, noted a third of adults ages 65 and older experience falls each year, many of which occur in the home.
"When these modifications are made earlier rather than later, or too late, we can prevent falls and home accidents, and we can prevent seniors from getting hurt," Casey said.
The senator also called for increased investments in home care at the federal level.
"In the United States of America, you shouldn't just have one option, a nursing home," Casey said. "Most nursing homes are great and they do a good job for you, but if you choose as an individual and as a family that you want a second option, you ought to be able to exercise that option and have that care in your home."
Ergott said NeighborWorks embraces the idea that "home is where it all starts."
"If somebody has a stable, safe place to live, so many good things can come from that foundation," he said. "We truly believe that, and especially believe that for our seniors."
Information on the Aging in Place and other NeighborWorks programs is available online at nwnepa.org, or by calling 570-558-2490.
Contact the writer: jhorvath@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9141; @jhorvathTT on Twitter.
