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Blue Dot Apartments
by
Al Haynes
The Blue Dot Apartments provide housing for elderly and
disabled people to live independently, with the support of a small community,
in a home intentionally designed to meet their social, psychological, and
physical needs.
The Blue Dot Apartments aim to provide a solution to the considerable lack of housing designed to serve elderly and disabled people in the United States. The city of Warren, Michigan has one of the highest populations of people over 65 in the U.S. Most of the housing in Warren is single family suburban homes. Many people of retirement age own their own single-family home, which contributes to a reluctance to move out of their own homes and into full-time care facilities. Much of the elder care in Warren consists of nurses who visit older people at their homes to provide personal care and help with housekeeping. The few retirement homes in Warren cater to people who cannot live independently, many of whom have memory problems. There is an urgent need for housing that bridges the gap between isolation and complete dependence for aging people. The Blue Dot Apartments emphasize a balance between independence and community support.