Bismarck Aging In Place

Aging in place updates help elder loved ones remain home

Cost-effective renovations for growing older at home

After decades living in your home, remaining in familiar surroundings may be important or even necessary. If you’ve decided to remain in your home, there are cost-effective updates that can be completed to improve accessibility and safety to offer years of comfortable living.

There are a number of factors to consider when trying to decide whether or not to stay in your home at a certain age. The National Institutes of Health cite the following considerations and support options for aging in place planning:

Personal care: Bathing, washing your hair, getting dressed
Household chores: Housecleaning, laundry (washing and folding clothes), grocery shopping, yard work
Meals: Cooking healthy meals, share cooking with a friend, signing up with a meal delivery service
Getting around: If you have trouble walking, getting a rolling walker or electric chair or scooter can aid mobility inside and outside the home
Housing concerns: A few changes may make it easier and safer to stay in your home – ramp leading to your exterior door, grab bars in the shower or bath tub, non-skid flooring (removing rugs), more comfortable door or faucet handles, moving laundry to the main floor living area

“The first step is to think about the kinds of help you might want in the near future.”

Aging in place updates available through Handyman Kota in Bismarck

Kitchen: Storage and appliances that are difficult to reach can be repositioned to allow for easier access. A microwave over a range top may be out of reach for elders planning for remaining in their home.

Bathroom: One of the most common aging in place updates is the installation of grab bars in the shower or bath tub and near the toilet. In some cases, a zero-entry shower may be preferred for easy access, eliminating the need to step over a side wall of a bath tub, for example.

Stairs: Having sufficient, sturdy hand railings on stairways are critical to safety for those planning to stay in their homes as they age. Better yet, reduce the need to access the basement or second floor in the first place.

Laundry: Moving a washer and dryer to the main floor living area can help greatly in the effort to remain in your home. The combination of stairs and carrying laundry to and from a basement may be an unnecessary risk, depending on availability of space and electrical outlets on the main floor.