Make Your Home Age-Friendly With These Appealing Updates

Make your home age-friendly with these appealing updates.

- Patricia Mertz Esswein

Your kids are successfully launched and, suddenly, you seem to have more disposable income. This could be a good time to tackle the remodeling projects you’ve been putting off. And while you’re updating your house for style, consider adapting it so you can age in place comfortably. // Studies show that most homeowners age 50 and older say they want to remain in their house as they age, but most U.S. homes weren’t built to accommodate older people’s special needs. For example, only one-third have basic accessibility features, such as a no-step entry and a bedroom and full bath on the entry level, according to a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.

Dan Bawden, owner of Legal Eagle Contractors, in Houston, is a certified aging-in-place specialist. He says that many of his baby boomer clients, and even some Gen Xers, are asking for advice about remodeling features that will make their homes more user-friendly and livable for the long run.

In the accompanying illustrations, we’ve highlighted many potential improvements, from small to large, that you can do one by one, by room or all at once. (For a comprehensive list, search for “Aging-in-Place Remodeling Checklist” at www.nahb.org.)

TAKE INVENTORY

Walk around your home and note the things that are already difficult for you to navigate. If you’re in good health and it’s hard to imagine the loss of mobility, think of returning home after surgery on crutches or with a walker or in a wheelchair. Can you get into your house? Can you access your bathroom? In many cases, the answer will be no.