The Lack of Proper Care in Older Homes
The most critical social issue in Springfield is the lack of proper care in older homes. The majority of poorly maintained homes have old and rusty appliances, leaky roofs, poorly ventilated rooms, inadequate ventilation, rotten wood, crumbled bricks, and flaked-off plaster, all of which make it difficult for the inhabitants to live comfortably. Missing roof tiles, cracked drains, overgrown shrubs and trees, broken pipes, and leaking rainwater products are just a few of the significant issues that can cause structural problems in old Springfield homes. Poorly maintained old homes are unpleasant and unsafe places to live because of these conditions.
Efforts to Remedy the Problem
This issue has prompted various groups within the City of Springfield to offer a broad variety of remedies. One of the organizations, which has put in efforts to solve this issue is Andie Ledenbach (P.O. Box 189, 170 North 3rd Street, Springfield, NE 68059, (402) 253-2204).
Organization's Action to Remedy the Problem
Andie Ledenbach collaborates with the City of Springfield to ensure maintenance of older homes is carried out regularly. Indeed, regular maintenance of old homes by making repairs at little cost or even for free helps seniors to remain in their apartments or homes. Such repairs as painting, yard work, plumbing or electrical repairs, adding adaptive devices for individuals with disabilities, or repairing porches or steps are essential to improve the standards of older homes (State of Illinois Department on Aging, 2016).
Cost-Effective Benefits of Regular Maintenance
Furthermore, carrying our regular maintenance is cost-effective and helpful to prevent too many maintenances in the future. Frequent repair on older homes slows down their deterioration with age and ensures they are pleasant and safe to live. When small problems are not tackled when first noted, they worsen and even risk causing permanent damages to a home. Ignoring such problems may become very costly in the future. A well-maintained home also retains its value (State of Illinois Department on Aging, 2016). Andie Ledenbach puts in efforts to stop damp from entering older homes, checks the roof coverings, drain, downpipes and gutters, and makes sure everything is in good condition. A leaky roof and damp from poorly ventilated spaces or overflowing gutters can cause bricks to crumble, plaster to flake off or timbers to rot. That can eventually result in severe structural problems, which are likely to threaten the lives of older adults.
Organizational Profile
Andie Ledenbach is part of a larger organization; that is the City of Springfield. It complies with the laws enacted by the local government, and its activities are in line with the goals of the city. It is made up of seven paid employees who are highly enthusiastic and focused on its mission and goals. It has been able to secure sources of funding such as local taxes collected by the Local Government, funds raised from fundraisings, and grants from donors to enable it successfully run its operations.
Achievements Made in Accomplishing its Goals
Andie Ledenbach has made tremendous achievements in improving the conditions of poorly maintained old homes, streets, and parks within the City of Springfield. It has been able to renovate older buildings within the city and give them a facelift. It has been able to handle the causes of damages to old structures and prevented them from becoming severe, for example, damp problems in several old homes. It has replaced missing slates or tiles, repaired and cleared downpipes and gutters, and repaired areas that allow moisture may infiltrate and damage the structural components of the buildings. It has successfully retained the integrity of structures, through careful maintenance, in homes that have suffered structural damage. Despite the fact that a degree of movement of a building's structural elements is inevitable, Andie Ledenbach does not ignore cracks and the maintenance issues, which cause them. Since most traditional homes were constructed using lime and materials that allow the structure to shift somewhat, it has successfully used traditional lime plasters, mortars, and renders when repairing cracks to allow breathability as well as a degree of movement.Andie Ledenbach has also improved the drainage systems within several parts of the city thus improving the comfort of the residents. It has been able to clean and reshape drainage ditches, repair concrete drainage structures, removed debris and silts from drop inlets, and power washed blocked driveway tiles. Its street maintenance program has helped to maintain the city's public streets in good conditions, free from safety hazards and defects through offering the most efficient techniques of maintenance for all the streets.Besides carrying out maintenance on old homes, it has been able to add certain features to the city parks every year, for instance, new equipment such as swings, jungle, and gyms. It has renovated an old unused tennis court into parking for the state fair that is usually held annually. It has also overseen the installation of a new cell phone tower (Verizon) in the park thus improving communication and offering free storage shed. It is currently undertaking the construction of an elementary school within the city.
References
State of Illinois Department on Aging. (2016). Remaining in One’s Own Home. Springfield: State of Illinois Department on Aging.
