It's a good problem to have--Americans are living longer. In 1980, only 11% of the population was 65 or older, but by 2040, that percentage is expected to nearly double to 20%. As more people live longer lives, it can be important for housing to accommodate those needs as well. We talked with Jessica Thornton with Family Services Rochester about how you can renovate your home to age in place.
Falls are the leading cause of injury and death among adults 65+. However, many minor home improvements can be made to greatly reduce the risk of falling in the home. Thornton explained that Family Services Rochester works with their senior consumers to do a safety check to help make homes safer.
"We are looking at are there tripping hazards, are there steps that don't have railings. Do you need a high-rise toilet, do you need grab bars in the bathroom? I've put a lot of grab bars in areas where you wouldn't think, where maybe it's coming from their garage into their home and there's a small step that they just need to feel more secure," said Thornton.
Reducing the risk of falls can also mean eliminating obstacles. That can be as simple as removing rugs or cords that might present a trip hazard, or it might mean renovating a traditional bathtub/shower into a walk-in shower.
In addition to avoiding falls, it's also important to make sure that a home is accessible to the person living in it.
For instance, furniture might need to be moved to allow for more room for a walker or wheelchair to navigate around. In an area with shelves or cabinets that are hard to reach, a person can hang up a reacher-grabber tool so it's always available where they need it.
If a person has trouble grasping or twisting small knobs or switches, many more accessible versions are available. For example, round door handles can be changed to door levers (the kind of handles with a long flat part you press down instead of a round knob you twist).
Ramps can also make it far easier to navigate over a few stairs, such as when stepping up into the entry of a home. In many situations, homes may benefit from a stair lift or chair lift. Both types of lifts are installed into a stairwell to move people from floor-to-floor past stairs. Stair lifts have a built-in chair (which often folds out of the way when not in use), while chair lifts are meant to move a user's wheelchair from floor to floor. Split level homes are very common in southeast Minnesota, and a set of stairlifts can be the difference between a person being able to stay in their home and not.
In the end, Thornton commented that everyone benefits from staying in their own home as long as they're able to do so. It's far less expensive than specialized elder care facilities, and it allows a person to remain in their community and in their own home--often one they've lived in for many years.
If you need help renovating your home to age in place, be sure to visit the remodelers participating in this year's Remodelers Tour. It's a great opportunity to see their work in person and discuss your own project goals.
