Home for a Lifetime

When it comes to home modifications, many consumers are quite put out by the fact that changes to their home are needed and, worse yet, they have to pay for the modifications themselves. The assumption that has caused this grumpiness is that these changes are not their fault, so ‘someone’ else should have to pay! Insurance companies? Medicare? The government?

In truth this wouldn’t be a bad idea. If funding was readily available for home modifications, people might be more proactive about their own safety. Falls could be prevented and dangerous practices around the home, like walking in poorly lit stairwells or tripping over uneven flooring, could be caught and eliminated. These results could reduce healthcare costs dramatically. Not to mention improving quality of life for the recipient.

But the reality is that home modifications are home improvements, plain and simple. Yes, homes should have been designed better, ala Universal Design, so that many of these safer elements would be standard. But they weren’t, and consumers didn’t demand them. So we’re back to home improvements. Just like you have to pay for a new roof or the replacement of a furnace, you have to pay for improvements that make your home more accessible.

Rather than complaining about the costs, think about the benefits.

• Your daily life will be improved as will the day-to-day lives of people who share your home.
• The improvement, if done with care and integrated nicely into the home, can improve the value of your home. Accessible homes are in demand and the need will only grow over the next few decades.
• Check for possible tax write offs for the improvement.

Now back to the original question: who’s going to pay for this? You are, but there is help. Low rate home loans are available, reverse mortgages are a good tool, and there are also some state agencies that might kick in a few dollars as part of their programs to assist their constituencies. You’ll have homework to do to ferret out the grants or other funding available; it will take time, but there may be a payoff at the end of your research. For more ideas where to look, check out this NAHB article: Funding for Home Modifications & Programs

You don’t have to complete the home improvements all at once, either. You can attack home improvement with a long term plan, completing a new portion every year. That helps to defray the cost with less pain, and you get to see some of the benefits more quickly.

Have you completed a home modification project? Let us know what value it brought to you!

I don’t stop thinking about accessibility when I leave the office. It’s always on my mind. For instance, when I stay in a hotel room I make note of whether or not the room has an accessible bathroom. I recently stayed at a hotel that had grab bars, but the step into the shower would have been difficult for someone with limited mobility. The tub ledge was significantly higher than others I’ve used, and being short I found getting in and out to be awkward. I imagine it would have been even worse for someone who could not lift their legs very high.

I’m sure the grab bar in my hotel room was an attempt to make the room ADA compliant but it certainly didn’t make it an accessible shower stall. However, the regulations businesses need to follow to be considered ADA compliant are only part of the solution.

Customers have asked us what they need to do to make their homes ADA Compliant. And we usually tell them there are lots of factors to consider when building or remodeling an accessible home. If the home is yours it can be designed for your specific capabilities. Public spaces (like stores and hotels) should be designed for access by anybody. A ramp can make it easier for someone to get inside your establishment, but do the aisles have enough space for a wheelchair? Just putting the ramp up may be enough to cover the requirements, but it doesn’t matter if a customer in a wheelchair can’t shop when they get there.

These are all things I think about when I’m out and about. Have you ever noticed a business making a half hearted attempt at accessibility?

Physical changes happen. Whether it’s due to the natural aging process, a sudden need (an accident) or a progressive disease (like as Multiple Sclerosis), your home may no longer be up to the task. It’s time for a home assessment. This home assessment, performed by a qualified individual, will help to determine what improvements or modifications are needed to help you continue living in your home.

The NAHB and AARP teamed together to create a certification for such a qualified individual; the Certified Aging In Place Specialist (or CAPS). During the certification process, the individual undergoes specialized training and gains the necessary insight and skills to perform a home evaluation.

What types of things does a CAPS professional look for? They are going to look at many different aspects of daily living, such as physical ability and limitations, the layout of the home and what tools or assistive devices are being used or could be used in the future. For example, even though a person is using a mobility aid they want to be able to get around without help from another. So a CAPS certified individual may look at how that individual currently functions and what obstacles they face in their daily tasks and may suggest products such as ramps, lowered light switches, a walk in shower, and pull out shelving in the kitchen.

So how does a CAPS certified professional know what is appropriate for every single individual? To be honest- they won’t. That is why you need to make sure that whomever you choose for your evaluation understands their own strengths and weaknesses and knows when to seek out help from other professionals. If need be, a team of professionals from different disciplines can work together to complete an evaluation and determine the appropriate course of action.

Word of mouth is a great way to find such an individual but you can also contact your Better Business Bureau or local Area Agency on Aging for references. The NAHB and AARP websites are other helpful resources to get you pointed in the right direction.

Have you had a home evaluation? How was your experience? Would you recommend that individual or individuals again?