CATHOLIC HEALTH PARTNERS
Emergency shelters are typically not set up to meet the needs of older adults. They tend to be noisy places, full of young families and utterly lacking in privacy. For anyone with vision or hearing loss, dietary restrictions, mobility or memory problems and other common issues of aging, shelters can be extremely difficult environments to navigate.
In addition, many older Americans who find themselves suddenly without adequate shelter have been subject to elder abuse — they are victims not only of physical or verbal mistreatment at the hands of family, friends or caregivers; but also of neglect, abandonment or financial exploitation.
The Laurel Lake Retirement Community in Hudson, Ohio, hopes to help address such concerns with the opening of Laurel House, an emergency shelter for seniors. The facility is slated to open next month.
Statistics show the number of elderly homeless is rising nationwide, a function of the country's greying population and its prolonged economic downturn. A recent study by the Homelessness Research Institute — part of the National Alliance to End Homelessness — forecasts a 33 percent increase in the number of homeless Americans 65 and older by 2020. By 2050, it projects that 95,000 older Americans will be living in homeless shelters or on the streets.
"In terms of social safety nets, programs addressing elder abuse and homelessness are 20 years behind those for child abuse and domestic violence," says Kristin Keller, a social worker and community resource coordinator for Laurel Lake and the Hudson Ministerial Association. That association is a group of Hudson-area churches that together address the needs of people in Summit County, Ohio.
Advocates for the elderly did register a big win in 2010 when Congress passed the Elder Justice Act as part of sweeping health reform. That act seeks to expand and strengthen adult protective services nationally, but it does not speak directly to the plight of homeless seniors.
According to the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging of Cleveland, there are approximately 20 facilities nationwide that function exclusively as emergency shelters for seniors. The institute runs Fairhill, a senior guest house for Cuyahoga County, Ohio, residents.
Shelter number 21
The facility Laurel Lake is opening originally was built as a single-family home and it is located next to Laurel Lake's 150-acre campus. That not-for-profit retirement community acquired the home in 2005. Laurel Lake is now in the final stages of redesign to provide comfortable, temporary housing for Summit County residents age 55 or older.
"When this property became available, Sr. Anne Marie Diederich, director of mission integration at Laurel Lake, toured Fairhill and decided to try to replicate the idea here," says Keller. "It is a perfect example of our commitment to improve the health of the community, with emphasis on people who are poor and underserved."
The three-bedroom home has been retrofitted with a wheelchair-access ramp and a ground-floor laundry facility, as well as a first-floor living room, dining room, kitchen and full bath. The lower level contains a family room, office, half bath and walk-out patio.
Funds for the renovations came from Laurel Lake's community benefit budget and several grants from local organizations, including $20,000 from the Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital Advisory Committee. Laurel Lake residents donated furnishings for the home — as they often find themselves downsizing when they move into the retirement community's 1,600- to 2,700-square-foot villas.
The new Laurel House will accommodate up to five residents at a time, rent-free, for stays ranging from one to 90 days. Guests must be able to live independently.
"We expect referrals to come from Hudson Ministerial Association as well as the area agency on aging, local police and fire departments and area parishes and congregations," says Keller. "People facing a wide variety of crises — everything from housing issues like fires, structural damage, lack of heating/air conditioning and problems with black mold to social issues like sudden loss of income due to job layoffs or spousal death, neglect or abandonment, even hoarding — will be eligible to stay at Laurel House."
Laurel House will provide more than temporary shelter for guests; Keller plans to help residents access local resources, government benefits and support groups to formulate plans for safe, permanent housing. A Laurel Lake nurse will assess and coordinate health services as needed. And guests will be able to take advantage of Laurel Lake facilities, such as a wellness center and library with computer access, as well as participate in various classes there.
"Our hope is that Laurel House will not only be a safe haven for older adults in crisis, but also their launching pad to a better life," says Keller.
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