Our vision for Rebuilding Together Express has come true: small teams of 4-5 volunteers, working 4-5 hours, and spending $400-$500 for materials are helping seniors age in place safely in their homes. We’ve refined our procedures, enlisted the help of more than 40 volunteers who want to work regularly throughout the year, and completed repairs to more than 75 homes. Read more
Patti Klein, Christy Zeitz, Dr. Richard Lindsay and Don Ryan (l-r)
The Commonwealth Council on Aging presented its top Best Practices Award to Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church for demonstrating the effectiveness of surprisingly simple, low-cost repairs to correct health and safety hazards in low-income seniors’ homes. Dr. Richard Lindsay, Chair of the Council on Aging Best Practices Committee, presented this competitive award, which comes with a $5,000 prize funded by Dominion Energy. Read more
With the increase in injuries from falls among older Americans, there’s a growing need for health care providers, insurers, and hospitals to do more to deal with hazards in the home. This paper highlights the need for more comprehensive fall prevention strategies, including:
* The disproportionate risk low-income seniors face from fall hazards in their homes.
* The benefits of helping seniors who want to age in place.
* A gap in the current continuum of care for some patients undergoing joint replacement.
* The availability of surprisingly simple and low-cost home repairs and modifications.
* Solid evidence of the effectiveness of these interventions.
* The growing trend in other states to address fall hazards in the home. Read more
For two years, Teresa Oliver and her son Michael couldn’t go home. They lived in a basement apartment, waiting for their house to be restored. Their Fairfax home had been decimated by termites and water damage and condemned by the city.
RT-AFF pulled the community together to help the Olivers, and after months of work, the house was finally ready. On her first day back, Teresa shared her gratitude for the dozens of volunteers who helped save her home.
“These people, they’re dirty, they’re sweaty, they’re tired, [and] they have had the time of their life,” Teresa said of the volunteers. “They are so happy, and I realized this is love your neighbor made manifest…I was so lucky to be that neighbor.” Read more
