HomeSharing

Always looking for innovative senior housing options, I came across something interesting recently. A couple of areas are testing out HomeSharing projects. With this model, younger seniors in need of accommodation are being matched with older seniors living alone who need basic assistance or simply companionship. The younger senior helps out in exchange for reduced rent, and the older senior shares their home and has a someone to keep them company and help out around the house. As long as the two are matched well and get along, this concept seems like a wonderful idea with many benefits for all involved. 

This project,  in its infancy in both Northumberland County and the Halton Region would be worth following to see how successful it is and if it is adopted by other regions. A bit like the co-housing model but on a smaller scale, this does have potential as something communities can build on and eventually create groupings (of HomeSharing units where there are many seniors) that can also share care and assistance among them. It can be a good solution for well seniors who need a bit of assistance to remain independent but don't want to move into a retirement home setting or for those who live in smaller communities where there are not available retirement living options. 

As our senior population grows, we will be forced to look at more and more innovative ways to house them  in settings that allow for independence while providing them with a bit of assistance. This is one example of how we can do this and I look forward to following its progress.