Remodeling Your Home to Age in Place

by | Sep 14, 2022 | Home Remodeling

There are many benefits to aging in place – staying in your own home with your family and pets around you, being in familiar surroundings in your neighborhood and maintaining your independence. If you’re planning to remodel your home so you can age in place, call the professionals at Roeser Home Remodeling. Aging in place, for you or a family member, can be accomplished with some simple remodeling fixes and incorporating universal design principles.

What is Universal Design?

Universal Design is a design philosophy that aims to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. But universal design benefits others as well, including seniors and families with young children. Whether you’re remodeling so you can age in place or renovating so you can be a caregiver for an older family member in your home, call us – we can help.

In General

  • Door handles. One of the easiest modifications is to change out the door handles. Lever handles are easier on older hands that might be arthritic or younger hands that are too small to grasp and turn round doorknobs.
  • Faucets. In bathrooms and kitchens, touchless faucets that use motion sensors to turn on and off.
  • Lighting
    • Illuminated light plates and outlets will make it easier for someone with vision loss to find the switch.
    • Rocker switches will also be easier for both older and younger people.
    • Motion-activated lighting makes it easy to enter a dark room without searching for a switch.
    • Consider installing sensors on staircases, so steps are illuminated as you approach them.
  • Ample clearance. Look for a home with plenty of clearance in halls and passages if you want to be able to accommodate a wheelchair or walker.

Bathrooms

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Roeser Home Remodeling are the experts in renovating kitchens and bathrooms, two of the most frequently used rooms. Bathrooms can be especially hazardous for people who might have difficulty walking or with balance problems. Here are some ideas to make your bathrooms more accessible to people of all ages and abilities. We can help with all of them!

  • Showers. Curbless showers are easier and safer to use. There’s no rim to step over and wheelchairs can roll directly into them. Check out our portfolio for how we helped other homeowners make the switch to no-threshold showers.
  • Grab bars. In the past, grab bars were functional and were unattractive. Today, they come in trendy finishes like champagne bronze or matte black and can be used as towel bars until they’re needed. And if you’re not quite ready to add a grab bar but are doing renovations, consider making the proper reinforcements behind the wall now so it can be added later.
  • Bench and handheld showers. For those who have trouble standing for long periods, a bench of some sort is a must. And it’s easier to wash a toddler with a handheld shower when they can stand on something.
  • Bidets. Consider installing a bidet or combination toilet/bidet. Hygiene may suffer as we get older and stiffer.
  • Keep your tub. If you need to keep your tub because of space constraints, there are two options. A tub with a narrower lip that you can step over more easily than a standard-sized tub. Or one with a wider edge that you can sit on and swing your legs over, with the help of a nearby grab bar.
  • Other tips.
    • Consider a contrasting edge on countertops for those with low vision.
    • Lower the vanity for the wheelchair-bound or a child.
    • Save space and install pocket doors instead of traditional doors.

Kitchens

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Roeser Home Remodeling knows the kitchen is where the heart is. Here are some ideas so you can continue to share the space with your loved ones. A well-designed and properly outfitted kitchen can make tasks easier and safer for people of all ages and abilities.

Here are some ideas for your kitchen when remodeling to age in place:

  • Varied seating. If you’re remodeling and plan to install a kitchen island, think about one that has one two levels to accommodate shorter people or wheelchair-bound cooks.
  • Lighting. Toe-kick lighting to illuminate countertops will make tasks easier.
  • Storage. Cabinets and drawers should have easier-to-manage “D” type pulls. Better yet, remove doors from cabinets and use slide-out shelves.
  • Appliances.
    • Ovens that have a side-swing door are more accessible and safer than regular ovens.
    • Refrigerators with a freezer drawer on the bottom makes items available for young ones as well as those in wheelchairs.
    • Induction ranges are safer because there are no hot coils or flames.

Conclusion

If you have a desire to age in place but know some renovations need to be made, call Roeser Home Remodeling at 314-822-0839 or contact us online. We’ll sit down with you so you can share with us your vision and needs. Together, we’ll come up with a plan so that you get the house you want and need.