Leon Willis Watts III (left) will speak on home modifications to keep seniors in their homes longer.
Photo: Nina Jaffe/NPR
Senior Alliance to Present ‘Home Modification’
Parents spend hours reading and working to babyproof homes to keep kids safe, but little or no thought is given to how homes can be made safer for seniors. A senior taking a bad fall, can mean months of rehabilitation or even surgery.
This Monday, February 11, at 10:30 a.m., Leon Willis Watts III will speak on “Home Modification” at the Palisades Library community room, 861 Alma Real.
Watts is a learning and development specialist with USC’s Davis School of Gerontology, where he teaches an online course “The Ethics of Home Modifications.” He also owns a home repair and major modifications company.
Watts will discuss why home modifications are important and how to accomplish what is needed to age safely in one’s home. The fixes may be as simple as pulling up carpeting to prevent tripping, adding bathroom grab bars to create stability and widening doorways to allow better access.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force and studying public administration at USC, Watts started his business, Guardian Home Services, in 1979. As his clients have aged, they began to ask the gerontologist for modifications in their homes, so they could remain independent.
These requests led Watts to return to USC at age 62 to get his master’s degree in gerontology in order to better serve his clients.
As a reminder, this will be the first meeting of the month, so there will be small celebration for those who have February birthdays.
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
February 25: “Mom and Dad Loved You Best: Navigating Fairness and Equality, Real and Perceived.” A light lunch will be served, courtesy of the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club.
March 11: “Buried Treasures: Understanding Hoarding Behavior.”