Housing

Photo example – neighborhood landscape including a white fence, plants, trees, and an empty street

Photo example – aerial view of downtown Sarasota

Photo example – Herron House, a 1957 mid-century modern residence in Venice, Florida

It’s totally unsurprising that The Golden Girls would be coined as trendsetters. After all, those four women had enough fazzazzle to keep a six-year-old entertained! Today they are being recognized by a growing number of Boomers, who like The Golden Girls, are saving money and living happily ever after with other people who share similar values in shared residencies.

Along the housing spectrum are other age-friendly practices to consider, like Universal Design, if we want to age in place. Have you ever tried to get around in a wheelchair? Or open a door with full hands? Our environments can be major obstacles to our ability to do things we need to do. Any efforts to help us get around with ease and promote our mobility are good for people at any age.

The Age-Friendly Sarasota Action Plan includes the goals, objectives, and strategies for the "Housing" domain during the plan's implementation phase (June 2017 – May 2020).

How Can You Become Age-Friendly Today?

Use housing options incorporating universal design
Switch the door handles in your house from knobs to levers
Become roommates/housemates with someone outside your generation
Add lighting to your entryway
Offer to change your neighbor’s smoke detector batteries every six months ... a good way to remember is to change out batteries when you change your clocks for daylight saving time
Ask your neighbor if they need help fixing something, but hire a professional when the task requires a ladder