accessbathroanoke

Helping Parents Prepare their Home for Age-In-Place

Talk to your folks early to make age-in-place plans now.

There are several ways to make your parents home safer as they age. Some pushback may be encountered by “I’m doing just fine”. The proper response is, “I understand you’re able to live independently with no problems now, but let’s prepare now while we have plenty of time”.

Bathroom Considerations

With the bathroom and especially the shower/ bathtub being the place of most household accidents, it makes sense to concentrate on this area first. PRICES aren’t going down. A well PLANned and executed tub-to-shower conversion may cost $7,000-$10,000 in 2026. But that same remodel may be much more expensive in five years. And even more expensive when you call to have the work done while mom or dad is in rehab from an accident and the work must be complete before they get home.

Lighting

Adding some recessed lights in darker corners of the kitchen can lead to better vision, making cooking easier and safer. New advances in LED lights have made installing these lights much easier. A new or brighter light in the stairwell or hallways can make moving around the house easier as well.

Clear Safe Paths

Making sure your folks can navigate around the home more easily, and it’ll cost nothing. Simply rearranging furniture for clear paths can help immensely. Especially check the path from the bedroom to the bathroom. A huge plus would be to have a master (primary) bathroom. I have created doors from the master bath directly into the master bedroom. This eliminates a longer trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Have the Talk Sooner- not later

These are important conversations to have now. They can save money on projects that otherwise may have to be performed quickly and without planning. As an Age-In-Place Specialist, I can help guide the conversation in a practical and concrete direction. Sometimes your parents may not be aware of their slowed responses or less than graceful gait as they walk across the living room floor. Open and honest conversations now may save an emergency room visit in the future.

Thanks for reading

Thanks for reading my blogs. As I have written about before, I am actually writing these blogs myself, not throwing more AI generated content onto the internet. If you have time to give me a ‘like’ it’ll help me out a bunch. 540 855-1012