Safe at Home: Making Aging in Place Possible
By 2035, around one in three American households will be headed by someone age 65 or older, and the number of older adults that earn less than 80% of the area median income will reach 27 million. According to the AARP, nearly 80% of older adults would prefer to stay in their current homes as long as possible.
The Safe at Home program provides no-cost preventive home modifications to people with mobility issues and other disabilities to improve accessibility, reduce falls, increase independence, and facilitate aging in place. Safe at Home is designed to improve aging-in-place outcomes for low-income older adults through the modification of their home environment to meet their specific needs.
In 2022, Safe at Home worked with 10 different homeowners to increase accessibility in their homes. With an average age of 71 and an average annual income of $20,078, obtaining these repairs can be out of reach for many of these homeowners.
This program led us to meeting Carol Minor, who has lived in Charlotte for 43 years and been a resident of Hidden Valley for almost her entire time here. All of Minor's family lives out of state, and she uses a walker to get around.
After going through the intake process, our construction team was able to assist in making her home much more accessible. Modifications included placing additional grab bars in the bathroom, removing the tub for easier access, and building a ramp into the home.
"I feel so much better since I don't have to worry about falling," Minor said. "They did great work in no time."
As we began the process of making repairs to the home, Minor informed us that she didn't trust people easily. However, as our team continued to work with her, she grew fond of the organization and the volunteers who were helping.
"You all put a big, warm, caring smile in my heart," she said. "I am so grateful for all of my blessings, and I am so happy for all of the hard work, peace, and kind understanding."
As many of the elders who helped to build our neighborhoods continue to age in their homes, Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte is committed to helping them remain safe in their homes and age in place with dignity as they desire.
Carol Minor’s story first appeared in the 2022-23 Annual Report. View the report to see more stories like Ray’s.
Behind Every Front Door
There’s a homeowner with a story like Carol’s behind every front door. A home should be a safe and healthy place we can rely on, but that’s not the case for many of our Charlotte neighbors. Make a gift today to support neighbors in need. With your support, we will provide critical home repairs and accessibility modifications at no cost to homeowners like Carol who need but can’t afford them.