“Aging in Place” is the focus of a multi-platform report by the PBS NEWSHOUR

As Americans live longer, more-productive lives, many seniors are seeking ways to “Age in Place” – to grow old in their own homes rather than move in with family or to traditional retirement facilities.  As part of its ongoing reporting on the challenges of aging and long-term care, Ray Suarez reports from Boston on a non-profit membership organization that helps seniors grow old in their own homes.  The broadcast report airs Thursday, August 08, 2013 on the PBS NEWSHOUR (check local listings.) 

The group, Beacon Hill Village, was founded by Susan McWhinney-Morse and 10 of her friends and neighbors who wanted to find a way to grow old in their homes without having to depend on their children for help.  For an annual membership fee, the group offers transportation, social events, and other low-cost services for seniors. The organization has become a model for the nation – there are now over 100 villages across the country and over 200 in development.

Produced with support from The SCAN Foundation, the report is the second in TAKING CARE: a 6-part series on long-term care that will continue throughout the year with reports that show the magnitude of the problem, the challenges faced by individuals and governments, and some of the models for change being tested.  

PBS NEWSHOUR’s reporting on “Aging in Place” continues online:

• 7 simple repairs to help seniors safely age in place  and an opportunity to share your own tips;
• a “quilt” of photos and anecdotes of living alone, submitted by seniors and their relatives;
•  an extended interview with one of the founders of Beacon Hill Village;
• And on Friday –a video showing the work of CAPABLE, a Johns Hopkins-run, Baltimore-located organization that fixes up homes to increase mobility and function.

The SCAN Foundation is an independent, non-profit public charity devoted to advancing a world where all of us can age with dignity, independence, and choice.

PBS NEWSHOUR is seen by over 5 million weekly viewers and is also available online, via public radio in select markets and via podcast. The program is produced with WETA Washington, D.C., and in association with WNET.org in New York. Major corporate funding for the PBS NEWSHOUR is provided by BAE Systems and BNSF Railway with additional support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers. www.pbs.org/newshour