Tenaciously aging in place with terriers

 

 Miss Lexie and Mr. Malcolm make sure things are done the way they're supposed to be done

Co-housing, aging in place; aging together. It’s a trend gaining in popularity in Canada, the US and around the world, having its origins in Denmark. To me, it makes a lot of sense but it’s not to be entered into lightly — rather like marriage. It takes commitment and a lot of work each and every day. 

For myself, I’m aging in place with terriers, one having recently celebrated her 17th birthday.  In my 69th year, I may well be the oldest independently living spastic diplegic responsible for home and hearth and two salad hounds who like to bark. We’ll call it singing. That I still walk, surface touching in the house, with occasional use of walker to move things about, is testament to a desire to do my own thing for as long as I am safely able.                                            

In New Brunswick,  as was the case in many provinces across the country, most families were comprised of several generations living under one roof back in the day when farming communities were thriving and it was ‘all hands’ to work the land. At the time, gender played a role with regard to tasks. Today, men and women have a hand in all manner of shared tasks which works well when combined with communication and compromise.

Communication and compromise are the glues that keep a relationship intact and growing and going along in a healthy, constructive and productive way. That’s why co-housing makes sense, especially for lifelong friends who believe they’d do better with each other than on their own. Together, they have a better chance of not becoming nursing home statistics. Government take heed. Real estate developers and builders, listen up. We need to rethink where and how our seniors live. 

When we lose the supports of the traditional family dynamic, through death, or family members moving to other locations around the world, we begin to feel the stress that those changes impose upon our daily lives. Our physical and emotional health often takes a hit and we experience one or more health situations that may not exist were we not on our own. A viable solution is to share the new reality with others, whether a close friend, or someone interviewed through the process of finding a housemate or 2 or even 3. Sort of like the multi-generational family farm without the farm.

Co-housing also means sharing the bills and the responsibilities of the house, going beyond practical financial arrangements. It’s cheaper to live with somebody else while at the same time contributing to our physical and emotional wellness. Sharing and caring together enhances quality of life and puts off an often inevitable transition into nursing home/assisted living care.

New Brunswick needs co-housing, as people currently aging in place alone in sprawling homes that are becoming more difficult to maintain, would be far better served sharing with a long time friend in a similar situation. The financial health of the province’s systems of care would also improve as they would be less burdened with people who would be far happier in a space that’s easier to manage. Co-housing combines the best features of home ownership with the added layers of security, companionship, community spaces in buildings that are on the ‘campus’, within walking distance. Movie nights and pot luck suppers in the community lounge. Then, back to your own private home with your housemate. You own it. It’s yours. Having places to go and people to see is far better than any anti-anxiety medication or sleeping pill. The possibilities for a long term ‘people prescription' are endless.

I believe that developers in this province and beyond would do well to embrace the idea of co-operative housing units, which include all the features that are critical to safety. Invaluable would be consulting with persons with challenges to daily living who know, based on life experience, what would be needed in a home for older people who want to ‘age in place’. Ask me about kitchens.

The cost of purchasing a property in a senior co-housing community is comparable to buying a house in a traditional community; further, buying a home in a newer development, downsizing to a smaller property, can reduce maintenance and overhead costs such as utility bills. To further reduce expenses, some senior co-housing communities also encourage neighbors to share resources such as lawn maintenance equipment. What a great way to meet `n greet.

Fredericton, in particular, and New Brunswick, in general is ideally suited to multi-generational co-housing, given that Fredericton is a ‘university town’, and New Brunswick has several university campuses and lots of students in need of housing. Friendships across generations is critical to emotional health and wellness — ask any senior who only gets to see grandchildren a few times a year, if that.  

Co-housing with age related peers and multi-generational co-housing contribute to improved physical health, reduces the number of seniors living in poverty, which impacts wellness. In my view, co-housing is necessary for survival, particularly for those ‘at risk’ populations who would benefit from a sustained people connection. To learn more, visit Canada Co-housing Network.

For myself, if I was fortunate enough to match with a compatible housemate, I’d certainly be amenable to opening the doors of Chez Rockwell to a roomie. Must love dogs! 

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

                                                                         

Keep the home fires safely burning

 

This stove looks a bit like the one in my den.

        Winter's fast approaching. Are you ready for it?

Growing up in rural NB, in a large 3-storey  (4 if the basement was included; the eldest of my 5 brothers had a ‘jail’ down there) that was heated with oil, it was always a tad chilly. Over the early years when my parents and the 4 eldest moved into the big house on Church Street, Dad had Rusco windows installed. Still chilly! Four more children later, winterizing the house was put higher up on the ‘to do’ list. When I was a pre-teen, I told my Mom I wanted fireplace in my bedroom, the largest on the 2nd floor, to accommodate some of my physiotherapy equipment. Kids say the darndest things! 

Suffice to say it never happened. Years before I was a twinkle in the eye, there had been a fireplace in the living room, with the end of the wall being open to a hallway which led to that 2nd floor.  Dad had the brilliant idea to close it all off, installing bookcases in both spaces. Turned out that made a lot of sense, with the bookcases beginning half way up the wall to allow for tables or small seating to be positioned below to make more efficient use of the space. Though his speciality was anaesthesiology, Dad had a flare for design and building things. 

Fast forward a few decades and a few living spaces later, none of which had a working fireplace, my husband and I moved into our current home in the fall of 1991. I loved the layout of the main floor as it suited my mobility needs from the outset. To access downstairs to enjoy the den space with the wood stove,  two railings were soon added; actually one was a medical grade grab bar secured on a half wall and a full railing installed on the other side. Safety first! 

Neither my husband nor I had experience with a wood stove but we educated ourselves in preparation for our first winter fire. What we didn’t anticipate was something that was not done, unbeknownst to us. The flue and stove had not been cleaned by the previous owner and we were not told that it had not been done. It never occurred to us to ask, so that was on us. 

The day of our first fire, it got very hot very quickly. Smoke billowed out from around the stove door and filled the downstairs space. Smoke alarms on both floors were blaring away. I wasted no time, moving as fast as my spazzy legs would take me, to get the geriatric Westie and the young Cairn tethered and put outside. Fire department was called and on scene in short order. At that time I met one of the volunteer firemen, Stewart Smith, who wasn’t long giving the older terrier oxygen; she’d fallen over on her side, overcome by the smoke.  A pair of his team went downstairs, through the front door; another two up on the roof to drop a chimney bomb into the flue. After a conversation with Stewart and one of his fellow volunteers, we learned what to do to prevent such an occurrence in future. The flue was cleaned as soon as we could arrange it and was cleared for use through our first winter. We had it replaced for the following winter with all appropriate fire proof pads in place; on the floor under the stove and on the wall behind it.  Those steps are vital so as not to invalidate home owner insurance.

Recently, I had the flue cleaned and eaves troughs cleared; the latter is another vital part of home maintenance to prevent foundation damage. The stuff I’ve learned! The guy who did the jobs said the flue was not too bad with hardly any creosote. That’s because I used compressed wood bricks  which burn hot and clean. If using cord wood, flue cleaning saves lives! Final prep involved the stove door, testing for air tightness of the stove. Put a slip of paper between door and stove, then latch the door. Pull on the paper. If it comes out with little or no resistance, it’s time to replace the gasket (that braid around the inside of the door) as your wood burning heater is no longer air tight.

My stove failed the air tight test and I bought a new gasket. My visiting physiotherapist was helpful to me in choosing the right size since he’s replaced the braid on his own stove. It’s nice to know folks who provide tips and tricks so I can stay safe as I live independently, aging with multiple disabilities.

Next up, arranging to have this winter’s supply of compressed wood bricks delivered. 

        I stack three bricks one on top of the other after first getting the fire started with kindling a bit of waxed dryer lint and a few piece of egg carton. With damper fully open, the fire blazes and bricks are put in place. Damper is closed; I don’t have to top up for 6 hours or so. That’s quite impressive, actually. I load up the stove for the last time at midnight, adding an extra brick in case I sleep in or it’s really cold in the night and the wood burns up a bit faster. 

And so, winter 2023, bring it on. I’m ready! 

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell