Aging in Place: What Can You Do Today To Prepare For Tomorrow?

You like your house just the way it is and it suits you just fine.  You do not want to move to Florida and you don’t want to even think about a condo or a retirement community.  You are who you are…thank you very much.

 

This attitude can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.  Many people are reluctant to acknowledge that they are getting older.  They imagine themselves continuing along as always, without feeling that they need to adapt their homes for the years ahead.  Even adult children who are helping with their own declining parents do not think about making the changes that can indeed make aging in place possible.

 

Making structural changes, with the possibility of future disabilities in mind, is not a priority in most peoples lives.  Still, the house that is perfect for you today when you are 55 may not be so perfect when you find yourself struggling with mobility or health issues. 

 

The biggest fear is that your house will look like a nursing home.  One thing that you can do is to consider some renovations today that will be easy to upgrade tomorrow.  The lines between luxuries and necessities are blurring. You can adapt your house to accommodate changing needs without making it look institutional.  Designers are working hard to put universal appeal into universal design changes.

 

There are many steps that you can take, short of making your house wheelchair accessible, right now.  These steps will minimize costs when you do need to make more dramatic changes.  Elizabeth Razzi (Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Retirement Planning Guide. Fall 2006) suggests things that you can do today that will serve as a foundation for further remodeling later.  For example: When doing a bathroom remodeling job you can have reinforcements built into the walls that will accommodate the addition of grab bars later.  She also suggests that space be allocated in the design that could later serve as place for a dumb waiter or elevator shaft.

 

Think ahead.  Small touches such as replacing doorknobs with lever style handles, under cabinet lights and dimmer switches to augment additional lighting, buying appliances that reflect changing needs will not deter from your present décor.

 

You don’t have to wait for a crisis situation to enjoy the convenience of grab bars, a cut out tub or a no threshold shower for step in access.  Low pile carpeting, cushioned vinyl linoleum, avoiding patterned designs and taping down area rugs are things that are all easy to do as you go along.  Add task lighting, outdoor motion sensors, and illuminate your house numbers.  Rocker switches and raising the height of frequently used electrical wall outlets are all things that you can do that that will not change the looks of your home.

 

People often think that it is too expensive to add universal design features, but this isn’t necessarily true.  If you start today to make judicious modifications you will be less apt to find yourself in a crisis situation later.  You do want to stay in your own home don’t you?

Comments

[Tadalis]

A person also needs to be comfortable with both the healthcare continuum and the monetary responsibility of living in a CCRC. Deciding healthcare options for the rest of ones life and committing to lifelong financial obligations is a big decision.

[xanax]

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