There's No Place Like Home: The Forever Home Design for Aging in Place

Event Information

Tuesday, March 4, 2025
to
Online

Studies show that 89 percent of older Americans want to stay living in their homes as independently and as long as possible, yet one in three Americans live in “Peter Pan” homes built for those who will never grow older. As a caregiver of an older loved one, you worry about the risk of falls in the home, problems with senior isolation, and overall safety. Sherri takes you on a room-by-room virtual tour of what should change in both the house, entry, and outdoor areas using universal design and CAPS (certified aging in place) planning guides as well as environmental design based on neuroscience. Included are trends in multi-generational living and dementia home design. Sherri provides wellness living tips for all homes focusing on biophilic design, decluttering, circadian rhythms, and more. This talk will cover true forever home design that makes us all happier and healthier.

What you will learn:

  • How to adopt a Lifetime Home Maintenance Plan for modifications to be done every five years after age 50
  • The latest trends in paints and lighting (color psychology for seniors), kitchen and bath appliances and assistive design, bedroom sanctuaries, smart home technology for safety and biophilic, reminiscence therapy design
  • How to keep an older loved one’s home “clean and green” with biophilic design

Presenter: Sherri Snelling, M.A.G.; Consultant and Corporate Gerontologist, Care.com

Sherri Snelling is a corporate gerontologist, “authorpreneur,” and founder/CEO of Caregiving Club, a strategic consulting and educational content creation firm with an expertise in caregiver wellness, well home design, and brain health/Alzheimer’s disease. She is the author of the new book, Me Time Monday – The Weekly Wellness Plan to Find Balance and Joy for a Busy Life, and is the host of the podcast, “Caregiving Club On Air.” Snelling writes articles, appears on TV and radio, and has served on aging and caregiving advisory committees for the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and Georgetown University. She has a master’s degree in gerontology from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and a master’s certification from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

MIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible and inclusive for individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability-related accommodation for this event, please email worklife@mit.edu.

Senior Care Advising

MIT's expanded Adult & Senior Care Services through Care.com can provide you with the help you need in caring for an elderly family member or an adult with physical or other challenges.