Aging In Place
What is “Aging-in-Place”?
- Remaining in one’s home safely, independently and comfortably regardless of age, income or ability level.
- Making a house “home” for a lifetime through Universal Design techniques.
- Use of low-maintenance, affordable materials.
How does it affect me?
If you are like the majority of Americans over the age of 45, you want to continue living in a familiar environment throughout your maturing years. According to the AARP, 74% of older homeowners prefer to age in place. To age in place safely and comfortably, you may need a few modifications to your home.
People whose homes don’t meet their needs often aren’t as active in their communities
“Difficulty in getting around the home may make it difficult to prepare for getting out into the community.”
The AARP’s “Fixing to Stay” study also found that:
- People 50 and older who said that their homes would not meet their needs as they grew older were almost twice as likely to feel isolated.
- Older consumers want a means of identifying professionals they can trust.
- Those professionals need to be reliable, honest and have training in the proper skill-sets to modify, design and build a safe, barrier-free home.
As people age, they may experience subtle changes like decreased vision and hearing, declining balance and coordination or pronounced changes like severe arthritis or other physical challenges. These challenges can interfere with a seniors ability to perform daily tasks that promote independence. They may be limited in such activities as cooking, cleaning, bathing, dressing, and social participation. Such changes may also make elders more susceptible to falls in the home, which modifications may help to reduce.
Handyman Matters Galveston County is a member of Accessible Home Improvement of America (AHIA). We have a Certified Environmental Access Consultant (CEAC) on our staff. This training allows us to offer home modification and repair services to help you remain independent and safe in your home.
By implementing universal design elements in bathrooms, kitchens and through the house, we can help you transform your home into a living space that functions efficiently for all ages and conditions. Let us perform our comprehensive assessment on your home to uncover risks and develop a plan to keep you in your home.
Design Elements
Accessible Design elements can be employed in every area of the home.
Exteriors
- Installation of interior or exterior elevators or lifts
- Ramps, slopes and zero-step or zero-level entryways
- Hand railings
Living and Dining Areas
- Levered door handles
- Auxiliary handles
- Thresholds and floor heights
- Hand railings
- Platform lifts and chair lifts
- Elevators
Kitchens
- Adequate turning space
- Recessed or protected plumbing
- Roll-under sinks
Baths – An accessible bathroom has:
- Sufficient knee space
- Protected drain and water pipes
- Levered handles or push faucets
- Low mirror
- Counter
- Adequate space to approach
- Grab Bars
- Barrier-free showers
- Shower controls
- Scald-proof valves
- Hand-held shower with wall clip for hose
- Offset controls
- Push or lever handles
Controls
- Light switches
- Electrical outlets
- Environmental controls
- Alarm systems
- Light systems
- Security
- Knobs and handles
- Unlock front door using telephone