Couple standing inside the gates of their home

News

Spring 2020 Newsletter

A sad lonely 70 years old senior in her apartment

COVID-19: A Critical Time for Safety at Home

With more time at home, supportive home environments are key for older adults

Now, more than ever, it is important to consider the safety and support of our homes. We are “safer at home” when it comes to the new coronavirus, but with more time spent at home and, in some situations, less caregiving and other assistance, a safe, comfortable, and convenient home environment has become more important than ever for residents and guests of various ages. We created a list of resources that offer suggestions to make the home safe and supportive. Learn more here.

The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology collaborated with n4a on developing a section of questions about home modification and repair in their 2019 National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging. Key findings are highlighted in the new Data Brief, Building Community Capacity to Serve Older Adults: The Role of Area Agencies on Aging in Home Modifications and Repairs. AAAs provide or connect older adults to local home modification resources, and this Data Brief summarizes how AAAs are providing and funding home modification and repair services.

Training and Presentations

Executive Certificate in Home Modification Series
This online Program of five courses connects professionals from around the country to learn about all aspects of home modification service delivery while interfacing with experts in the field. The next Program begins Tuesday, July 28th, 2020. For course descriptions and to register, visit: https://homemods.org/online-courses/

Fall Prevention Center of Excellence Training Inventory
While in-person conferences have been canceled, we can still learn virtually. Check out our inventory of webinars and conference presentations on home modification, communicating with consumers, funding sources, and partnership building strategies. Learn more here: https://homemods.org/acl/training/

National Home Safety and
Home Modification Work Group

The National Home Safety and Home Modification Work Group has had a strong start to the year. Its current projects include advocating for relevant policy, developing infographics for senior center directors and policymakers, and developing a service delivery model to ensure people receive the right home modification resources to address their needs. Learn more here: https://homemods.org/about-us-2/national-work-group/

Meet the Staff

Jon Pynoos, PhD
Jon Pynoos, is the UPS Foundation Professor of Gerontology, Policy and Planning at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology of the University of Southern California. He is also Director of the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification and Co-Director of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence.

Pinchas Cohen, MD
Pinchas Cohen is the Dean of the USC Davis School of Gerontology, holds the William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology and serves as the executive director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center.

Maria Henke, MA
Maria Henke is the Senior Associate Dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, the oldest and largest school of gerontology in the world. Maria has been responsible for developing numerous gerontology education and training programs at the USC Leonard Davis School, including creating several online home modification training programs that have been administered over the past two decades.

Emily Nabors, MSG
Emily Nabors, Program Manager of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence and instructor with the Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program, is an expert in educating service providers and professionals on fall prevention with a focus on home modification and aging in place strategies.

Julie Overton, MSG/MHA
Julie Overton, is a supportive housing and long-term care specialist, whose primary expertise is in the area of home modification. Julie instructs and manages the Center’s online professional education programs and conducts research and training on national, state, and local home modification activities across the U.S.

Leon Watts, MAG
Leon Watts developed the Guardian Home Servs. Co. in 1979 to aide busy homeowners by providing real estate maintenance and remodeling management services. He earned his Masters in Gerontology from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

Bradford Barnes, MA
Bradford Barnes is an Administrative Assistant for the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence (FPCE) at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Previously, he was a Home Delivery Coordinator at the Senior Center in Culver City, CA. Bradford holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree from USC, and looks forward to applying his fine arts expertise to the older population.

Instructor Partners

Catia Garell, MA
Catia (Cat) Garell is an instructor for the USC Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program. She brings nearly two decades of direct occupational therapy experience with an expertise in home modification service delivery. Cat is the co-founder of the residential accessibility consulting firm Thrive for Life LLC, in Hawaii.

Seymour Turner
Seymour is an instructor for USC’s Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program. His expertise is in financing and ethical issues related to home modification. He is Co-Chair of the USC/NCOA National Home Safety and Home Modification Workgroup’s Consumer and Professional Education and Training Subcommittee.

Bernard A. Steinman, PhD
Bernard A. Steinman, an instructor for the Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program, researches the relationships between the environment, health outcomes and inclusion of older adults in the community. He is an assistant professor in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wyoming.