What if you could make not-too-expensive updates to the house you’ve loved for so many years to make it easier for you, and / or your loved ones, to age in place with accessible, safe features?
AARP has put together what they call a “HomeFit” Guide to help you do just that. It’s a very well designed, detailed manual that might have a subtitle: “how not to go crazy or send yourself to the hospital as you age.” It goes room by room to make suggestions for how to make navigating and living in a home more safe for folks using canes, walkers, or simply aging.
Tips range from remodeling to instant fixes such as “Locate a bench or table outside the entry door for placing bags when unlocking the door.”
Download the aging in place home renovation guide as a PDF to get ideas of what you might want to update for making a house more navigable.
Want a second opinion small ways you can make your house better for aging in place?
I’m happy to stop by your house in the Berkeley / Oakland / Alameda area to hear your thoughts and share my own, along with a printed copy of the guide.
Having updated houses for my own aging relatives, and even someone with a broken leg who suddenly found herself wheelchair bound, I’m happy to share ideas.
It’s amazing how complicated something as simple as filling a Brita water carafe or making morning coffee can get once you are mobility-challenged!
Is your house completely unsafe for family members with lots of stairs, high cabinets and tripping hazards?
If moving to a single-level house is out of the question, there’s still some good news.
There are programs for renovating to sell your home. Those same programs can help you make beautiful and functional updates to your house — so you are ready to stay for as long as you like.
An interior decorator helps you decide what cosmetic updates you would like to make. Their team can also make your house more accessible.
Ask me to connect you with these innovative home renovation programs for a free consultation.
Areas you will review in your home “Aging in Place Audit”
- Entrances and exits – level and safe without tripping hazards?
- The foyer and doorway
- The kitchen – is everything reachable? How about food storage?
- Dining area
- Living room
- Hallways and stairways
- Bedroom – if it’s upstairs, is there a way you can stay downstairs if need be as well as bathe downstairs?
- Closets
- Bathroom
- Laundry area
- Garage / parking area
- Outdoor places and shared spaces
The Aging in Place guide concludes with a summary of quick fixes on page 34.
One of my personal favorite “easy fixes” is replacing toilet paper holders with combination grab bars / toilet paper holders. Because why not? They are just as attractive and you’ll never find yourself leaning on a flimsy toilet paper holder.
