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A Village For the Elders
Norman Metzger, left, with Ivan and Lois Kauffman, is vice president of Capitol Hill Village, designed to provide mutual support for aging residents.
(By Elizabeth Festa For The Washington Post)
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The Hill residents face some challenges specific to their houses and neighborhood. There may come a time, for example, when they need to adapt townhouses for better access; many have narrow floor plans and steep stairs. Some residents have already added stair lifts.
"One of the challenges is that we are dealing with a community of townhouses," said Steve Cymrot, a Capitol Hill Village donor in his mid-60s. He owns Riverby Books, where the group is meeting until it rents office space. "What do you do to make the houses more physically accessible if the bedroom is on the third floor? I don't know what the answer to that is, but it . . . will become answered . . . when people are working on it together rather than by themselves," he said.
Exterior changes to accommodate wheelchairs can clash with the historic preservation rules that cover much of the neighborhood. "I think that is a genuine thing that might come up -- wanting to change the front of their house in a historic area," said Judy Canning, 65, a board member and Mike Canning's wife. "We could advocate and work with architects to come up with plans that would be aesthetically pleasing and work."
Some group members or those contemplating membership said they don't need services just yet but are looking ahead. Ann Schmidt, 80, said joining has made her children feel more secure about her living alone. "It defanged the children," she joked.
She said, "It's nice to have something there if something does come up where I need help."
Sharon House, 64, has given money but has not joined. She now trades off with a neighbor for needs such as doctor visits. "I do want to live here as long as I can until I have to leave some other way -- you know, feet first."
She said, "The thing most exciting for me -- I'm single, I don't have children -- is that there is a community of people that I am close to that want to stay here. . . . I like the idea that there is a staff there . . . on an emergency basis if you need a ride, [if you] need help," because "as you get older, you have a lot of procedures."
For his part, Molumby expects to begin using some services once Capitol Hill Village is up and running. "For me, I'm already past the time where I want to shovel my own snow. Or, getting a plumber or electrician, I can do it myself, but sometimes it's a real hassle."
He said, "There's a certain comfort in knowing that you can do that and having a community of elders in the same situation. In the meetings we've had in our homes, one of the things that emerged was one of the main things they found attractive about the Village was simply to have the community of other folks in the same situation."
