Rebuild Upstate staff earn Certified Aging in Place Specialist Certification

Rebuild Upstate staff earn Certified Aging in Place Specialist Certification

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Nick Kulick, Brooke Perkins, and Ashley Weekly have earned Certified Aging in Place Specialist certification.

More than half of the homeowners served by Rebuild Upstate are 60 years or older, making Aging in Place one of the most common reasons homeowners seek assistance from Rebuild Upstate. So far, the organization has helped more than 1,200 low-income older adults age in place.

CAPS training prepares someone to be instrumental in helping people remain independent in their home living environment as you effectively assess what needs to be done in their homes to help them cope with aging issues and concerns and to offer practical solutions for addressing and achieving those results.

This training will position Rebuild Upstate to meet the growing demand of age friendly homes. The Harvard Center for Joint Housing Studies reports the need for homes conducive to aging in place is growing – anticipated to increase 77% by 2035. They further estimate only 3.5 percent of U.S. housing units offer a zero-step entrance into the home, single-floor living, and wide doorways and hallways that accommodate someone in a wheelchair.

According to the AARP, 83% of South Carolina residents want to age in their own home. For many older adults, the alternative to aging in their own home would be to move in with a family member or to move into assisted living. Nearly 1 in 5 older adults in the Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin metro area are currently experiencing housing cost burdens. Rebuild Upstate provides home repairs and modifications to low-income older adults at no cost.

Jake Beaty, Rebuild Upstate’s President/CEO, said “The CAPS training that our staff completed is an important component for Rebuild Upstate to continue to be as equipped as possible to serve our older neighbors living in our community. Helping our local homeowners by providing repairs that enable them to age in place in a safe and comfortable environment is one of the key goals of our mission.”

About Rebuild Upstate:
Rebuild Upstate is a nonprofit organization serving the Upstate of South Carolina. The nonprofit strengthens the communities by providing volunteers and materials to create a safe, healthy, sustainable home environment for disabled, low-income and elderly homeowners. The organization exclusively focuses on repairs and improving existing homes. The nonprofit is also the reigning Chamber Max Heller award recipient. Learn more at www.rebuildupstate.org.