Historical April–May 2022 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
“Aging in place” is something that only affects others. Until it sneaks up on you. Amica, my two-year-old Golden Retriever, may be smart and cute, but she wasn’t capable of an adult conversation. Cooking for one wasn’t any fun. CNN was becoming addictive.
The pandemic was limiting social activity.
In short, rattling around alone in a big house was getting a bit lonely.
As a man of a certain age, getting in touch with my inner feelings was not easy. Perhaps I could find a companion.
After all, the entire third floor, including a bedroom and full bath, was available.
I decided to test my comfort zone and contacted Odd Couples Housing (OCH), an innovative organization that connects seniors with mature grad students. OCH already had more than 40 matches in the St. Louis region.
The result, last November, was Portia, a grad student at Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work.
In St. Louis from her native Ghana, she adds the value of quality conversation, covering subjects ranging from a simple “how was your day?” to complex challenges facing society on a global scale. And Portia loves to cook.
The house is filled with the aroma of native Ghanaian cuisine, based on beans, rice, fish and chicken. I’m all in. What attracted a grad student from Ghana to this unusual arrangement? “I was in need of housing,” Portia recalls, “but wanted something within my budget.” Intending to apply her expertise back home in Africa, she says, “I wanted to live in a house with a local St. Louisan to help me learn more about life here and America as a whole.” The Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood is aging in place.
According to recent survey data for the census tract west of Des Peres, more than one in every five residents (21.7%) is 65 years or older. East of Des Peres, the share is 14.5%.
The objective of Odd Couples Housing is simple: to “pair” seniors who want to age in place with responsible graduate students to share housing.
The process begins with the homeowner and student completing a general profile to measure compatibility, using an algorithm as an empirical tool.
When general compatibility yields a potential match, the OCH community outreach director arranges face-to-face meetings, either in person at a coffee house, virtually by Zoom, or by phone.
If the parties want to pursue the match, OCH schedules a time to see the premises. Thus, the process is more sophisticated and protective than a dating site because it includes substantial and direct social interaction between the parties, all with personal involvement by the OCH match team. For the senior homeowner, this unusual arrangement provides companionship and the opportunity to share day-to-day experiences with another person. For the student, it offers a chance to learn and grow in an inter-generational relationship and have quality housing, near school, in a great neighborhood for nominal cost. “Absolutely amazing” is how Portia describes the past five months. “I talk through my homework and projects with Marvin, and he shares wonderful insights that help my decisions on topics.
We discuss career choices and life lessons.
He is always ready to listen, help analyze issues, and provide perspective on St. Louis and American history.” OCH president and CEO Steve Lilly puts it this way: “We at OCH appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood and homeowners who wish to age in place.
The social and economic benefits of our innovative service are numerous for both the older and younger adults who participate in the program.” This unusual program offers an attractive alternative for the growing number of seniors living alone in our neighborhood. For more information and videos of other OCH matches, visit www.oddcoupleshousing.com.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, April–May 2022.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2022_04.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
