Publication date: 08/28/2009

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Home updates help people live comfortably as they age

Our aging population is a hot topic these days. As people age, they need to consider some home modifications to help them live more comfortably.

Modifying your home to make it more comfortable due to a health issue is the most common, but even younger folks can have a tough time getting around the home after an injury or surgery.

"Mobility is the biggest issue today," said Jim Binson of Binson's Home Health Care Centers, (586) 755-2300, www.binsons.com. "Many people who get a hip or knee replacement will need a walker to get around, and more people are suffering from arthritis even at a younger age, so they need to modify the home and add things like grab bars or hand-held showers to make life easier."

While adding grab bars seems like a do-it-yourself project, it's important that it is done properly to ensure safety.

"Many homeowners try to add grab bars themselves, but often we will have to open up the walls and put support blocks in to allow us to mount the grab bars properly and ensure they are safe and can withstand the amount of weight people put on them," said Scott Bosley of Adaptech, (248) 689-6212, www.adaptechinc.com, who specializes in home improvements that can make it safer for people as they age.

Joe Aiello at Pine Building, (248) 539-9600, www.pinebuilding.com, said it is not uncommon for people to spend between $60,000 and $80,000 to renovate their home to make it more livable.

"Because people can't sell their homes today, they are renovating their main floor and adding master bedrooms with a door wall to the back yard, and expanding the bathrooms and kitchens to accommodate walkers and wheel chairs and make them more comfortable," he said.

Pine Building recently built an enclosed porch over the back entrance of one home to make it more comfortable for a lady in a wheelchair to get into her van parked in the driveway. "She also wanted to be able to enjoy it as a three-season room while sitting in her wheelchair, so we added electrical, windows and insulation, as well," Aiello said.

For many people, bathroom and kitchen plumbing modifications are vital to helping them as they age. Jim Kronk at Universal Plumbing Supply, (248) 542-3888, www.universalplumbingsupply.net, said among the most popular items is a taller, "comfort height" toilet, which is 1ﾽ-inches higher than a standard toilet and meets the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines. Lever or touch-flow faucets also are more popular because they are much easier to turn on than knob faucets.

"I'm even seeing more people add shallower sinks in the kitchen because as they age, they have a hard time reaching the bottom of their old deep sinks when they are cleaning them," Kronk said.

Since our sight diminishes as we age, another area that often needs modification is the home's lighting. Mike Bratcher at Bratcher Electric, (734) 722-0037, www.bratcherelectric.com, said while CFLs do save energy, they don't provide the type of bright light that many seniors need to read or see well around the house.

"While LED lights are expensive, they are much brighter, so we are putting recessed lighting in specific areas of a home, such as above a reading chair or under the cabinets in a kitchen so people have light where they need it most," Bratcher said. He also is seeing more people replacing wall switches with digital timers to help turn lights on and off automatically. Outside, he is adding security lighting with motion sensors so the lights go on automatically when people come home or when someone visits.

If you are thinking about some home modifications to make life easier for you or a relative, you can find the ADA Accessibility Guidelines at www.ada.gov/stdspdf.htm. You should also visit Ball State University's WELLCome Home Project, www.bsu.edu/wellcomehome, for lots of information about suggested home modifications as you age.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

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