Minka

12/12/2019

On the 100th episode of Better Health While Aging Dr. Leslie Kernisan talks with Dr. Bill Thomas -- listen in as they cover:

- Why it’s better to avoid age (and ability) segregation, when it comes to housing and community services.
- The mismatch between the housing we have and the housing we need.
- The problem of older adults loving houses that don’t love them back
- Why the Village of Hope community is designed to cultivate social capital

And much more!

Geriatrician Dr. Bill Thomas talks about countering ageism & how his new housing & community models are supporting aging in place and independence.

11/27/2019

Last week Kathy Gillespie presented an impassioned and compelling presentation on "The Village of Hope", a Minka-powered partnership to develop a rural dementia-friendly community in Clearfield County, PA.
Solutions to increase access to independence, community and well-being are desperately needed in thousands of rural communities national wide.

Hosted at MuseumLab in Pittsburgh, PA -- Musician & Alzheimer’s advocate JAY ALLEN brought star power to Age Friendly Greater Pittsburgh's Transform Rural Aging Town Hall, sponsored by UPMC Health Plan Community Health Choices, Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, Minka Homes + Communities, Lifesprk Whole Person Care and SWPPA, featuring cultural change-agent Dr. Bill Thomas; and Harry Johnson II, Regional Director for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

10/18/2019

What Are Old People For?

At SAGE/2019, a new annual conference hosted by Honor, Dr. Bill Thomas kicked off the day with a thought-provoking keynote that challenges common perceptions of older adults and inspires those who care for them to do it even better.

Listen on iTunes: http://bit.ly/drbsageit
Listen on Spotify: http://bit.ly/drbsagesp

10/07/2019

What Are Old People For? Minka Co-Founder and Chairman Dr. Bill Thomas shared his vision for inclusive innovation at SAGE/2019:

“I have found that the best work with elders takes place when we stop doing things for them and we start doing things with them... In our beloved field we must work to eradicate the act of subtracting dignity as part of our payment. And we can do this.”

Seth Sternberg, Honor co-founder and CEOThere’s a lot of discussion these days in the homecare industry about how innovation and technology can make lives better—especially for older Americans who overwhelmingly prefer to

07/30/2019

The M1 is the flagship model for Minka: Homes and Communities. This one-bedroom 640 sq. ft home is perfect for individuals, couples, multi-unit rental developments, senior care, or anyone looking into accessory dwelling unit (ADU) options.

As a sensibly sized home, the Minka M1 features an 8’x8’ enclosed bathroom, a 10’x14’ bedroom, and a 20’x20’ open kitchen, living room and dining space.. The single-story floor plan is universally designed for people of all ages and abilities. The vaulted ceiling and strategically placed windows creates a space that feels much larger than one would expect in a compact dwelling.

07/14/2019

Japanese for “people’s house,” Minkas are the latest multigenerational twist on the tiny house trend, also called granny pods and in-law units. These cute-as-a-button buildings range from 400 to 800 square feet of living space, compared to 2,422 in the average new U.S. home. But where most cram in hard-to-climb ladders, Murphy beds, and high storage to stay compact, Minkas emphasize age-friendly and open universal design.

Remember The Waltons? John-Boy, his umpteen siblings, Ma, Pa, Grandma and Grandpa famously shared a rambling Depression farmhouse in TV Land. More recently, multiple generations have lived together on The Conners and One Day at a Time. Turns out that extended family living has never gone away. It’...

07/12/2019

This model house is the culmination of a year-long pilot project titled Multi-Ability, multi-Generational, Inclusive Community (MAGIC) and is being funded by USI, the USI Foundation and supported by AARP.

The MAGIC project has included collaboration with USI faculty and community partners, an undergraduate course in participatory design and construction of the model house.

“This Minka house represents history in the making,” said Dr. Ann White, dean of USI’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. “This exciting pilot project is bringing together a variety of academic disciplines on our campus to work with Dr. Thomas and our community in innovative ways. USI is proud to be a leader in exploring new approaches and solutions to the broader societal issues of aging and independent living for all people.”

06/27/2019

The first Minka prototype was built on the banks of Cayuga Lake. Where would YOU like to build a Minka?

06/18/2019

The houses we’re creating [at Minka] are really meant to be plugged into sophisticated approaches to home care, so that we’re able to actually optimize the housing and care in a way that can help people stay out of the hospital, out of the nursing home, out of assisted living and live the life they want to live.

As the home care industry continues to seek out ways to evolve and deliver better care to older adults, providers may soon find themselves operating in a largely untapped arena — real estate. That’s according to senior care expert Bill Thomas, one of the masterminds behind the Green House model ...

06/04/2019

"The concept of rightsizing provides a more holistic frame for the kind of home that is appropriate for a particular individual or family at a particular point in time."

At Minka, we refer to this as the "goldilocks approach" to housing; not too big, not to small.... just right.

Empty nesters in the U.S. increasingly talk about “downsizing.” According to this AARP expert, perhaps a more appropriate frame is “rightsizing.”

05/29/2019

"Mike O’Brien's proposed 'McMansion' ban would outlaw the type of large new homes that many neighbors abhor.

The council member is championing legislation that would ease restrictions on backyard cottages and parent-in-law apartments while at the same time tightening restrictions on large, detached single-family houses."

The proposed limit would have blocked almost half the 3,700 new single-family houses constructed in Seattle since 2010, had it been on the books.