Healthy Aging in Place Tips:

If you aren’t as comfortable in your home as you used to be, consider renovating it now so that everything is accessible and so that you and your family will live a better quality of life as you age.  Here are some things that you can do to improve the comfort and accessibility of your home:

• Work at establishing a barrier-free front entrance to your home by taking out items that are in the pathway and removing plants etc. that might get in your way
• Take pictures of the entire inside of your home and spend some time looking at each room with accessibility and ease of use in mind – do you have clear pathways for walking and moving around?
• Purchase storage containers and organizers for easier access to items in the kitchen, bathroom and in your closets
• Make sure that you have well lit outside pathways, interior rooms and hallways – consider using motion detectors on outside lights and in areas that are not commonly trafficked within your home
• Lower your light switches so they can be reached easily from a chair
• Raise your power outlets so that they can be easily reached from a chair

Look into appliances like stoves that shut off automatically,  and dishwashers that are raised about 8 inches higher off the floor for your  convenience.

Are you aware that most homes were built for a 20 year old, 6 foot tall male?  Think about it for a minute, does your kitchen or bathroom have cabinets that are way too high to be useful?  What about having to stoop to get into cabinets that are way too deep and too low, or electric outlets sitting just above floor level?  In your bathroom do you have a tub/shower combo that you “stub” your toe on trying to get in?  You are likely to think of a whole list of examples like this in your home.

Aging in Place is for everyone! National Aging in Place week is October 12-18^th 2009.  Aging in Place means living in one’s home safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability level; 90% of all adults 45+ say they want to age in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.  Because of this, re-designing homes for comfort and accessibility is something to learn about and consider doing, the earlier the better.