Aging in Place Beautifully: Make Your House a Home for a Litetime
Age in place by making a few adjustments to your home.
Did you know that 10,000 people will turn 65 every day in the U.S? People who are age 65 or older will comprise 25% of the total population by the year 2025! Where will all these people live as they head into their golden years?
I can tell you that most people want to live in their own homes. The American Society for Interior Designers did a survey recently on the subject. Here are some of the responses they found.
“We like the location”
“We like our neighbors and our neighborhood”
“We like the design and layout”
“Our home is comfortable”
“Our home is paid for”
“We like the size of our home”
Unfortunately, only 5% of the respondents said they want to stay in their home because it was easy to move around in the home.
Ensure safety in getting in and out of the bathtub/shower.
If you want to stay in your home as you get older, or if you have a relative who may come live with you who has accessibility needs, then please read on.
The number one feature of a home that is well suited for Aging in Place is a home with a bedroom and a full bath on the first floor. If you are injured or have knee or hip surgery and you are not able to get to the bathroom, then you may have to stay in the rehab hospital until you can do so! Converting a downstairs space into a master suite with a shower solves the problem and adds value to your home.
Most of the homes in our area are two story and many with reverse floor plans to catch the beautiful ocean views. If that’s your
home and the only bathroom with a tub or shower is on the second floor, you may want to consider installing a stair lift or even an elevator.
There are a lot of different types of stair lifts for many different applications. They typically mount to the stairs and not to the walls. They will use a basic 110V power outlet that charges a battery that operates the lift. The rider sits on the chair and rides up or down to the next level.
