Let Freedom Ring! Aging in Place is about respect, dignity, control, independence. The choice of home, the timing and content of meals, the time you go to bed and the scheduling of visitors are the currency of self respect. The way we treat our older citizens is one way we can measure our success as a culture.
Ageism, discrimination based on age whether in employment or living choices, is a disease like racism or sexism. The movement to eliminate ageism , to pay attention, pro-actively, to the plight of those who suffer from discrimination is another step in providing the full rights of citizenry to our whole population. Overcoming ‘isms’ makes us proud and strong. When we allow rights to linger unattended we all suffer from the shame of those who do not receive fair treatment.
I don’t want to lecture. I just want us to do what is right. Marin Luther King Day is another chance to ponder what is right and act. People need to choose the home they live in and have that choice respected. It needs to be easy to live out your choice. Let Freedom Ring!
Louis Tenenbaum, one of the nation's leading authorities on aging in place, is the founder of HomesRenewed, a coalition of business, consumers and nonprofits, driving policy and investment to increase the number of age-friendly homes.
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Louis, the late Robert Butler coined the term “ageism†and he was a life long advocate for preserving dignity in old age. He would, I trust, fully support your clever connection with Dr. King and independence. To live within the natural rhythms of the self was the goal of these two extraordinary men; aging in place supports that…
See Robert Butler: http://tiny.cc/6a373