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Health & Fitness

Home Modifications Can Help Seniors Remain in their Homes as They Age Instead of Moving to an Assisted Living Facility

Brian Potter of HandyPro discusses home modifications to help senior citizens age in place.

As close to 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day, the ability to continue to live in one’s home as people reach their retirement years can be challenging.  According to the US Census Bureau, there are currently 75 million Americans who are associated with the category of  ” aging in place”, and that number is estimated to exceed 106 million Americans by 2015. 

Couple that staggering statistic with the struggling housing market that has made it more difficult for seniors to sell their home, and it is easy to see that some modifications may be necessary to help seniors age in place comfortably and safely.

At HandyPro we are seeing more seniors interested in modifying their home rather than moving to an assisted living facility. In fact, senior-home modifications are a becoming a larger percent of our business, and with the high cost of assisted living facilities, it is often more cost effective for seniors to modify so they can age in place.

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While some seniors may require major renovations to make their home more livable as they age, others may only need a few minor modifications to help them live more comfortably.

Here are some tips to help seniors with home modifications:

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1. Analyze Your Situation--Before determining which modifications to do analyze your particular needs or disabilities and then do a room by room home assessment to determine what modifications may be needed.  

2. Focus on Functionality, Safety-For many seniors, putting in a wheelchair ramp or renovating a bathroom to have grab bars and a walk-in tub not only makes it easier but also makes it safer. 

3. Don’t Forget the Small Modifications-There are plenty of small things seniors can do to make their home more comfortable and livable as they age. Improved lighting throughout the home makes it easier for seniors to see as their eyesight decreases.  For those with arthritis, installing touch faucets and lever door knobs makes it easier to do simple things like getting water for coffee or opening doors and cabinets. That will help you determine whether you need minor fixes, like improving the lighting throughout the home and at the home’s entranceways to help a senior with failing eyesight, or major renovations like installing a wheelchair lift. 

At HandyPro we can do a home assessment to help seniors determine what they need to do to make their home more livable as they age.

Senior citizens have worked all their lives to have a comfortable place to call home in their Golden Years, and by making a few home modifications, they can remain in the home they love as the age. 

Brian Potter is the owner of HandyPro, a handyman service and senior home modification company in Atlanta, www.handypro.com.   He can be reached at 404-219-3516 or via email at bpotter@handypro.com

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