Remodeling for Comfort and Safety

About 4/5 of all older Americans own their own homes and according to AARP’s “Fixing-To-Stay” research 85% of older Americans prefer to remain there during their aging years. Increasing life expectancies also mean we will probably be able to remain living in our own home longer.

“Aging-In-Place” refers to the process of making the necessary home modifications to assure the comfort, safety and accessibility to keep us as independent as possible for all of our days.

Although there are many home modifications we can make to help you enjoy living in your own home throughout your life, you are the best expert on your needs. We will make recommendations and offer suggestions so that you can make informed choices that will best suit your individual needs. Also, if you’ve already had a home assessment by another professional, we will want to work with that information as well.

Initially we like to begin with a comprehensive home assessment (developed by the Gerontology Dept at the University of Southern California). This helps to identify any barriers to your plan to age-in-place that you may have overlooked.

Typical design modifications that you may need can include any or all of the following. Remember, that just as we grow older slowly, the remodeling of our home can also occur over time.

• Accessibility to entrances to the home


• Width of doorways and halls


• Adequate lighting


• Stairway modifications


• Kitchen modifications (may include raising or lowering
  countertops, making cabinets and appliances more
  accessible, etc.)


• Bathroom modifications: Most of the accidents in the
  home occur in the bathroom. Safety and accessibility here
  are real keys to remaining in your own home. Safety bars
  mounted into 2x4’s in the wall, walk-in bathtubs and
  accessible showers, elevated toilets, levered water faucet
  handles and anti-scald devices that limit maximum water
  temperature to 120 degrees F are some of the important
  features to consider.


• Many other modifications are possible according to your
  own needs. Consider what areas of your life could use
  more support. Specific changes to your home can be
  made for vision, hearing and mobility difficulties.