I glanced at the front page picture on Sunday’s Washington Post. Walkers out front! Neighborhood in the headline! Aging in Place on the front Page! I dove into the story.
The headline is The New American Neighborhood. The story is about growing diversity. The cute walker using couple featured in the photo bought their home in 1965 when the neighborhood was all white. Now it is a very diverse neighborhood, the American melting pot as a success story. A beautiful point is made of how much help these older residents get from their neighbors. I am proud of my country in this story.
BUT (ah, you knew I would have a but didn’t you?). I wish the story also saw the older couple as a type of diversity. I wish the story mentioned the benefit of age diversity to everyone.
This reminds me of an offer I made to the diversity committee at my kids’ school a few years ago. I offered to talk about physical ability diversity, civil rights, ADA and visitability. I view this diversity as a current frontier of civil rights. They did not get it or even call back.
Good story. Reminds me…… we still have a long way to go!
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.