There’s a booming trend among older Americans. It’s called aging-in-place remodeling. It’s driven by a nearly universal desire among senior citizens to be able to remain in their homes as they age.
According to the American Association of Retired Persons, almost 90% of surveyed seniors expressed a desire to remain in their own homes instead of moving in with relatives, or moving into an assisted care facility. That desire is so strong, in fact, that it has sparked a home remodeling boom.
The National Association of Home Builders reports that most remodeling contractors are receiving requests for aging-in-place remodeling work. The NAHB forecasts that the aging-in-place remodeling market will range around $20 to $25 billion.
And it’s not only current seniors that are making aging-in-place plans. According to surveys performed by MetLife, more than 90% of people aged 50 to 65 are also making plans to be able to remain in their homes throughout retirement.
Making Your Home Senior-Friendly
If you’re currently a senior citizen, there are many changes you can make to your home to make it more comfortable and convenient for you. Even if you’re a long ways from your senior years, it’s worth looking at ways now of making your home more senior-friendly.
What does making a home senior-friendly entail?
In general, it simply means making everything more accessible and easier-to-use for people whose mobility and dexterity are in decline.
The Administration on Aging, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, has teamed with the American Occupational Therapy Association in creating an aging-in-place checklist. It’s called the Safe At Home Checklist, and you can download it here. This checklist covers 12 key areas within a home that can be remodeled to be more senior-friendly.
Similarly, the AARP offers a checklist called: Is My Home HomeFit? While not quite as detailed as the Administration on Aging checklist, the AARP checklist provides a quick and easy overview for evaluating whether your home is senior-friendly.
Need a Little Help?
The cost of renovating a home to make it more senior-friendly can vary substantially, of course, depending upon the amount of work needed. But there are many resources that seniors can tap into for making their homes safer and more comfortable.
Visit the government’s Eldercare website, and you’ll find a listing of financial resources for seniors looking to remodel their homes. Some seniors may even qualify for financial assistance for aging-in-place remodeling, provided by the Older Americans Act. Visit Eldercare.gov for more details.
And many remodeling contractors, including TLC Inc., are happy to work with seniors in finding ways to make aging-in-place remodeling more affordable.
We’re All Going to Get There…
Even if you’re young, hale, and healthy as you read this, old age is just around the corner. It is for all of us. So no matter your age, it’s never too early to start giving some consideration to making your home more senior-friendly.
Because one day in the not-too-distant future, you will be the senior that appreciates that friendliness!