Aging in place — create your own adventure
Where and how we live as we get older will depend on the level of support and care we need. When these needs are minimal, creative living arrangements, such as homesharing, co-housing and multigenerational living, can foster companionship and lead to cost savings. The team at COURAGE asked Cailan Libby, founder of Happipad, to share his thoughts about the future of aging in place.
Thirty years had gone by in the blink of an eye. Pouring a freshly brewed coffee, Lynn peers out of her kitchen window to see rays of sun shimmering over the alpine peaks.
This is the same view she enjoyed with her husband and three children, raising them all in this very home. So many great memories were shared in this home — family gatherings, dinner parties, wedding celebrations, birthday parties and countless games nights. But as her knee makes it a bit harder to walk the stairs, she wonders how much longer she can keep living in this home.
Across Canada, this scene is becoming increasingly common. Millions of family homes that used to be buzzing with energy and children are now often occupied by one senior occupant. Urban centres are increasing in density, while rural communities are often shrinking. It’s a situation that calls for new social solutions where people of all ages and backgrounds, including a growing number of older adults, can support one another to thrive.
In Lynn’s town of Golden, B.C., the population has been steadily declining for the past two decades. Many of her friends have moved on, and since the recent passing of her husband, she has begun to question whether she should sell her home.
But Lynn is not ready to move on. Like the majority of older Canadians, she wants to remain living in her home as long as she can, on her own terms. In fact, a 2020 survey by the National Institute on Aging showed that nearly 100 per cent of Canadians 65 and older want to live safely and independently in their own home as long as possible.
Lynn does love her home, but it is getting harder to maintain the larger house and yard, especially during heavy snowfalls. Sometimes she feels so far behind on chores and feels bad always having to call a friend to come help.
While her daughter, Maria, was in town visiting some friends, Lynn was introduced Dave. He had recently graduated from high school and moved across the country to start a new job as a mechanic. Dave had been living in a hotel a 15-minute drive outside the city because he was unable to find a place to live. Then an idea came to Maria:
Dave, what if you live with my mom for a bit. She has lots of extra space in her house. If you help her out a bit with some chores, I am sure she would absolutely love to have you around. After all, I am leaving soon, and it would be nice to know she has someone around.
That was the beginning of a new chapter for Lynn. What was intended to be a short stay ended up lasting three years. Her home had a new purpose, and she could finally feel energy in the house again.
Sharing homes is an important part of combatting social isolation and solving our country’s housing challenges. It’s a way to build healthy, age-friendly communities through intergenerational connections and belonging. But for seniors looking at this option it can feel uncertain: How will we get along? Will my housemate respect my things and my space? How can I be sure that I trust this person?
Sharing homes is an important part of combatting social isolation and solving our country’s housing challenges.
Lynn was fortunate enough to find Dave through her daughter. As this idea gains popularity, new options and social enterprises like Happipad are emerging to make it safer and easier for older adults to share their homes with compatible people.
Since Dave moved on, Lynn has been a homesharing advocate and uses Happipad to make the process easier and safer. She has had up to three people staying with her at times and people from a diverse range of backgrounds and ages, each one bringing a unique story to share a special chapter of life.
Healthy communities are rooted in the health and happiness of the people who live there. By promoting the creation of new social connections, sharing healthy meals and providing opportunities to help others, we can collectively create amazing communities.
Cailan Libby is the founder and CEO of Happipad. He is a graduate from the University of British Columbia in electrical engineering and a leader in Canadian homesharing. He developed Canada's first companion housing education course and has led two major grant projects with Canada Mortgage and Housing focused on innovations and applications of homesharing to serve seniors and vulnerable populations.