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Aging in Place: Tips for Your Home

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As part of my work with Gilbert Guide, I visit countless Web sites for senior living; I never cease to be amazed by the luxurious ambience that many of these long-term care facilities offer. With chandeliers, antique furnishings and ornate tapestries, some of them look downright palatial! These places certainly seem fancy, and in many cases, homey, but they aren’t home; at least, they aren’t the house where you raised your children, or the place that holds your memories. According to AARP, 83 percent of people 45 and older are homeowners. A survey conducted by the association in 2003 found that three quarters of those people expect to remain exactly where they are for the rest of their lives. While many continuing care retirement communities offer residents a chance to age in place right on campus, aging in place without any relocation is trickier. It is, however, entirely doable. Many forward-thinking seniors are remodeling their homes to accommodate decreased mobility, dexterity, strength and stamina, along with reduced sensory acuity. If you’d like to jump on that bandwagon without triggering your trick knee, follow these easy tips:

• Focus your activities of daily living to the ground floor of your home.
• Make sure your home has at least one point of entrance with no stairs.
• Widen doorways to at least 36 inches, which will fit a wheelchair.
• Use levered door handles. For someone with arthritis, pressing down is easier than turning a knob.
• Place electrical outlets 18 inches high, instead of 12; move light switches to 42 inches from the floor instead of 48.
• Install strobe light or vibrator-assisted burglar and smoke alarms.
• Move your peep hole to eye-level.
• Incorporate an emergency response system.
• Use lever faucets with anti-scald valves and temperature-controlled tub and shower fixtures.
• Place grab bars in the bathroom and wherever else you may need them.

Proactive Health Research Technologies, in collaboration with Intel Research Seattle, is currently building an advanced system for the home that incorporates four main areas of technology: sensor networks to sense the location of people and objects, home networks that allow interaction through multiple touch points, including TVs, clock radios and telephones, activity tracking systems that analyze daily chores (which is helpful in detecting onset of dementia) and ambient display technology, which allows loved ones to check in on their elderly family members through a photo frame, for example. In the future, these technologies will make aging in place a possibility for even those with severe illnesses. Until these options are available to you, it may be wise to visit the National Association of Homebuilders website to find a certified aging in place specialist in your area. If you’re doing most of this project without guidance, you may want to check out The National Aging in Place Council, a membership organization that aims to bring awareness of home and community-based services that support independent living.

Kick back and stay a while—

Lori Deschene

Posted in: Aging, Aging in Place, Alzheimer's & Dementia Care at Home, Homecare 101, How to Set Up the Home

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5 Responses to “Aging in Place: Tips for Your Home”

1. Barb Cardoza Says:
   

   This reminds me and my husband of the steps we’ve taken to “baby proof” our home for our grandson who is now a toddler. It is much the same idea, but for older adults, and something we’d like to help my mother-in-law help implement in her home. While she is in her mid-80’s, she still wantss to remain in the home we grew up in for as long as p[ossible. She is in good health, but many of these steps will help make her life easier and safer. Thanks for the great ideas!

2. Kay Paggi Says:
   

   Good article. I teach a seminar called Aging 101, which deals with how to stay in your home IF you ae arrange transportation. I love in TX. Here you need a car to get to the corner drugstore, let alone the physician’s office. Funny how people take all these retirement courses, but never look at the real issues of retirement, which are how to get where you need to go, and where will you live. Boomers need lots of education!

3. Steve Nolan Says:
   

   Excellent Summary article . . . would only add the need to consider a walk in shower on the ground floor with handicapped access as an important addition to your list and maybe carpeting the bathroom . . . apparently 30% of seniors end up going to assisted living or nursing homes because of falls and the bathroom is one of the prime trouble spots - Keep up the good work.

4. Artificial Intelligence—Robots!—in Assistive Technology | Gilbert Guide Blog Says:
   

   […] The “Tech Act” of 1988—renamed the Assistive Technology Act in 1998—spawned an assistive technology revolution that brought funding to researchers and statewide programs for technological assistance. In my last post, I explored assistive technology as it applies to aging in place—including assistance with activities of daily living, health monitoring through preventative and responsive systems, and the use of sensors to track a person’s actions—or, inaction! In this installment, we’ll take a closer look at artificial intelligence (AI)—otherwise known as robots, and how they can ease the process of long-term care. For those of you who think I overslept and am still dreaming of being Judy Jetson, rest assured; I am fully cognizant. Yes, robots for seniors are the wave of the future, and the “future” is finally here. […]

5. Assistive Technology to Promote Aging In Place—a User Friendly Guide | Gilbert Guide Blog Says:
   

   […] Technology to Promote Aging In Place—a User Friendly Guide EMail This Article To A Friend March 6th, 2007 by Lori Deschene There are many options for people who need assistance withactivities of daily living—in-home care, adult day care, assisted living. While these options may appeal for different reasons, as a supporter of aging in place, I lean toward one of the first two. If you’re like most people, you probably want to stay in your own home as long as possible. Assistive technology makes that goal a lot less challenging. Since technology can be a little frightening (at least for me), I’ve decided to make this blog user-friendly by presenting the information piece by piece.     […]

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