Articles aimed at the senior
population are hitting the newsstands every day. The thought of declining physical
capabilities is a sobering one and many seniors are pondering the idea of
moving into senior housing, building a senior friendly home or parish the
thought, moving into a care facility.
For many seniors, a remodel
makes more sense than a move which is the title of an article written by Tom
Kelly (Herald, Sunday, April 5, 2009).
There isn’t a one of us who wants to think that a heart attack, stroke
or even a hip fracture could happen, but aging happens and statistics show that
it could happen to us. Even if you are
in great shape the notion of a knee or hip replacement is more to be expected
than not. The time to start thinking
about turning the downstairs den into a bedroom or configuring a downstairs
bathroom is now, before something catastrophic happens to us.
Look at your house
realistically. If you want to stay in
your own home, what will you need to do to make it work? You can make minor adjustments yourself but
if you are serious about creating a safer and accessible environment you need
to do a little homework. It is fortunate
for us that The National Association of Home has certified many builders to
work specifically with aging in place needs.
People are living long and
are healthier than ever before. This is
great news for all of us, but it means that we need to be serious about taking
care of ourselves if we want to keep our independence. This means making basic modifications to
homes in order to make them safer and more accessible.
You may want a walk-in/roll-in
shower or tub or if not quite that fancy, how about grab bars, shower seats or
transfer benches (the idea is to prevent falls), easy to turn door knobs or
faucets for arthritic hands, ramps, widening door ways, handrails, stair glides
or elevators or moving your living quarters to a lower level. The end result is that you could very well be
spending a lot less on health care than you put into your remodeling job. Once
you give the idea of “universal design,” which means accessibility for all ages
and abilities, you can plan your remodel with an eye to your future.
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