Community Corner
Older Adults May Need Help to Age in Place
Q. My husband and I raised our family in the middle-class neighborhood of a medium-sized rural town. We still live in the same house and hope to until we die or can no longer stay here without help. We are concerned, though, as crime seems to be cropping up more and more in the neighborhood. We are thinking of moving – especially since we are in our late 70s and it’s getting harder to do things around the house, but we don’t really want to go. We love our neighborhood. Any suggestions?
Unfortunately, the web of crime has inched into the suburbs of America, according to a recent report. The report concluded that in the U.S., cities are a safer place to live than are the suburbs or rural communities. In addition, seniors in rural areas appear to be more vulnerable to homicide risk.
The new study overturning the common belief that cities are the most dangerous communities in America appears online in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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Findings from the study conducted by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia support prior work showing that overall homicide rates are lower in rural areas than urban areas. This was found to be true in all age groups, except the oldest adults (over 65 years old).
One program that has a proven track record of success is Neighborhood Watch. Why not talk with a few neighbors. If things have changed in your neighborhood and you are concerned, others are likely worried as well.
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When you get a group together, talk with your neighborhood city or village council representative as well as your local police or sheriff’s department. They should have information about how to start a watch program or can help you get the resources you need.
It’s amazing the difference a few neighbors standing together against crime can make in a community.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care, contact Sharon Massafra at (203) 386-1151 or go to homeinstead.com/307. For more information about this study, visit http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/csp-tao062013.php.
