Senior Housing and Driving Housing The Unites States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a program called HOME that is designed to remodel or construct homes for people with low income. HOME can be utilized by elderly persons to remodel or construct a home that provides a safe and livable environment. How HOME Works Home provides the largest Federal block grant to states in association with community groups and organizations. The HOME program provides over two billion dollars that is distributed among all fifty states every year. HOME requires that all communities that receive aid match the funding by 25 cents for every dollar granted. This allows communities to actively participate in the bettering of a neighborhood. Many companies such as the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation (MBCDC) which caters toward elder housing have taken advantage of the grant. The MBCDC used $1.6 million dollars of HOME’s funding to provide 34 apartments aimed at giving low income, elderly individuals housing. Elderly Driving Eyesight and muscular control lessens as people become older. Pride and embarrassment can hinder seniors from wanting to give up the freedoms that come with being able to drive. However, there are programs such as Meals-On-Wheels that help deliver food to seniors who are receiving long term care as well as other programs that deliver medicine to seniors. This makes it easier for family members to persuade seniors to stop driving in the interest of safety. Warning Signs There are warning signs that can tell a person when it is time to give up their driving privileges or can key family members in to the fact that they may need to intervene and take a senior’s driving privileges away. Seniors that experience nervousness that affects their driving performance should consider limiting their driving or stopping altogether. Many times seniors are not flexible enough to adequately turn around when backing up and have trouble staying in the proper lane as a result of eyesight problems. Seniors who have trouble judging distances and navigating between close spaces are also at risk. Drivers who experience halos around the lights of oncoming traffic at night should consider limiting their driving during the night and seniors should be honest with themselves when considering whether their reaction time is quick enough to safely navigate the roadways. |
