Helping older Clark County residents age in place well

Occupational therapist Kelly Nesbitt has spent years helping older Clark County residents recover after falls, hip fractures and other life-changing injuries.

Many returned home without a plan or the support they needed to live safely. That motivated her to connect with other professionals who share her goal of helping people remain comfortable, independent, and safe in their own homes and communities.

“There’s just so many incredible professionals out there doing great work, and everyone’s kind of siloed,” said Nesbitt, who works at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. “We see the need for that to change, because of just where we’re at right now with the aging population, it’s really starting to catch up.”

Already, 122,664 Clark County residents — 23 percent of the county’s total population — are older than 60, according to recent U.S. Census figures.

Nesbitt and a handful of local business owners, healthcare workers and advocates are establishing a National Aging in Place Council chapter serving Southwest Washington and Oregon to address the needs of the aging population.

The goal for the local chapter is to be an all-in-one resource for businesses and residents looking for vetted professionals who can help older adults age comfortably and in place, wherever that may be, said Melissa Boatwright, general manager of Ace Handyman Services in Vancouver and a board member.

The group is offering a series of online information sessions before officially launching at the end of September. Prospective chapter members include real-estate specialists and remodelers certified as aging-in-place specialists by the National Association of Home Builders.

In total, 87 different professions will be represented in the chapter. A seat to represent Clark County on the board remains open to a resident or professional interested in helping the group grow its presence in Southwest Washington.

“Customers want to make sure that they’re not being taken advantage of, so I think there’s this big need for people who need these types of services to have a way to understand how to properly vet people that are providing these services,” Boatwright said.

Local data from the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington — which encompasses Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties — suggests the number of people at any age needing in-home, skilled-nursing facility or community residential services will increase significantly as well in the next decade and a half.

The number of people older than 60, who are more likely to need long-term care services than any other age demographic, is projected to increase 31 percent by 2040. Those living at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level will increase by 48 percent, and the number of people older than 65 with dementia is projected to increase by 92 percent.

Yet, many might not be prepared for the steep costs or know where to start when building a home that meets their needs, said Kimberly Steele, a co-founder of the local National Aging in Place Council chapter.

Steele owns Changing Places, which helps older adults across the Vancouver-Portland metro area with various relocation services, such as home organizing, decluttering, downsizing or home modification. She said many families often don’t know what services are available, what questions to ask, or how to navigate aging and caregiving.

She hopes the chapter can be both educational and helpful for people approaching their aging journey.

“So many of my clients make a decision in crisis,” Steele said. “It just takes one change of health, and all of a sudden, instead of having choice, you have to make movement. If people could get ahead of that and really start doing some planning, having those things in place means you know if something bad happens to you, your choices are out there and can be honored.”

Most people want to live as long as possible in the home they’ve lived in for decades, but aging in place means aging in the right place, Nesbitt said. As an occupational therapist, she believes it’s important to understand how someone lives in the home.

Other options like senior living facilities or skilled nursing homes may be better for some.

Alan Pierce, program chair for the local National Aging in Place Council chapter, said he’s been taking care of his 102-year-old grandmother for seven years and believes there isn’t enough awareness on best practices for making a home suitable for older adults.

He’s eager for the local chapter of the National Aging in Place Council to launch.

“It can really, really help people be informed before they make a big decision,” he said.