>>GERRY: IT'S TIME NOW FOR THE BUSINESS OF HEALTH...BROUGHT TO YOU BY HENDRICKS REGIONAL HEALTH.
A COMPACT HOUSE IS NOW PART OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA CAMPUS TO STUDY HOW SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY CAN BE
USED TO HELP SENIORS AGE IN PLACE. BUSINESS OF HEALTH REPORTER KYLIE VELETA IS HERE WITH MORE
... >>KYLIE: USI IS PARTNERING WITH NATIONALLY-RENOWNED AGING EXPERT AND GERIATRICIAN DR. BILL
THOMAS, WHO LED THE VISION TO BUILD THE 600 SQUARE-FOOT HOME ON USI'S CAMPUS. USI COLLEGE OF NURSING AND
HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEAN DR. ANN WHITE JOINS ME NOW TO TELL US WHY THE SMALL HOUSE COULD MAKE A BIG IMPACT ON HOW SOCIETY VIEWS
AGING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. >> THANK YOU. >> DR. BILL THOMAS SHARED AN
INTERESTING STAT THAT 90 PERCENT OF HOUSING IN THE U.S. IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SENIORS FOR GROWING OLD SO WHAT IS THE MINKA HOUSE
AND WHY IS IT BETTER FOR SENIORS >> MINKA MEANS IN JAPANESE HOUSE FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE AND SO THE MINKA HOUSES 600 SQUARE FEET
AND IT'S ALL ONE LEVEL SO THAT OTHERS DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GOING UP AND DOWN STEPS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GOING
ACROSS HALLWAYS OR ANYTHING THAT CAN CAUSE POTENTIAL FALLS. AND THE HOUSE ITSELF IS CREATED SO IT USES SMART TECHNOLOGY AND
ALL OF THAT SMART TECHNOLOGY CAN ASSIST IN THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE ELDER BY SAFETY, BY REMINDERS, BY HELPING THEM TO
ACTUALLY MANAGE THE HOUSE. >> DAILY LIFE OF LIVING ALONE. >> EXACTLY RIGHT. >> HOW WILL YOUR COLLEGE, HOW
WILL IT USE THE MINKA HOUSE TO LEARN HOW TO HELP SENIORS AGE IN PLACE IN A HEALTHY SAFEWAY? >> WE SEE THE MINKA HOUSE
RIGHT NOW AS A SHOWCASE SO WE INVITE ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COME AND SEE IT BUT WE ALSO SEE IT AS AN INCUBATOR IF YOU ARE WELL I
GUESS IS THE BEST WAY TO EXPLAIN IT SO THAT WE HAVE STUDENT AND STUDENT GROUPS THAT COME IN AND CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE DINING
AREA. IS THERE A MORE EFFICIENT WAY, A SAFER WAY OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN? WE HAVE OTHER STUDENTS WHO ARE
INTERESTED IN CREATING A GARDEN THAT WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MINKA SO THEY CAN GROW THEIR OWN PRODUCE AND MAKE THEIR OWN MEALS
, IF YOU WILL. WE HAVE OTHERS THAT COME IN AND LOOK AT IT FROM THE AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT SO THERE
ARE SITUATIONS WHERE THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ADJUSTMENT OR A CHANGE OR A HALLWAY NEEDS TO BE A BIT WIDER SO THAT WHEELCHAIRS OR
PEOPLE WITH WALKERS OR SOME KIND OF SUPPORT SYSTEM CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE HOUSE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY AND, AGAIN,
DECREASING THE RISK FOR FALLS. >> NO ONE IS LIVING THERE NOW IT'S A DEMONSTRATION HOW SIMULATION LAB BUT ONE POTENTIAL
IS IT COULD BE THE FIRST MINKA HOUSE AT USI THAT COULD BECOME A COMMUNITY OF MINKA HOUSES. >> IN 2018 OUR FOCUS WAS TO
GET ONE MINKA HOUSE BUILT. IN 2019 WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS CONTINUING TO WORK WITH BILL THOMAS AND HIS TEAM AND WORK
WITH MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY SO WE CAN START SEEING WHAT WE WOULD ENVISION AS A MINKA COMMUNITY AND THAT MAY BE A
COMMUNITY OF 10-15 SEPARATE MINKA HOUSES THAT WOULD BE INTERGENERATIONAL, SO IN SOME CASES IT COULD BE THAT WE WOULD
HAVE A COLLEGE STUDENT LIVING IN A MINKA RIGHT BESIDE AN ELDER AND THERE WOULD BE THAT SOCIALIZATION AND SUPPORT SYSTEM
AND IT WOULD GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE AND EXCHANGE IDEAS AND SPEND TIME WITH EACH OTHER IT.
>> WE JUST HAVE A LITTLE TIME LEFT, BUT YOU HAVE A RESEARCH STUDY UNDERWAY LOOKING AT YOUNG PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION ABOUT AGING.
>> WE GOT 1500 RESPONSES FROM SENIORS AND FRESHMEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANA AND ONE THING WE LOOKED AT WAS WHAT WAS
THEIR PERCEPTION OF AGING ITSELF BUT THEN WORKING WITH AND BEING ASSOCIATED WITH ELDERS. AND WE ARE RIGHT NOW DOING THE
ANALYSIS OF THAT DATE AND WE HOPE WE WILL HAVE IT DONE THIS