Aging at Home

Here at Modern Health Talk, you’ll find hundreds of solutions for safe & independent aging at home, also called aging-in-place. We’ve published dozens of articles about the principles of Universal Design and many photo examples on our Pinterest boards. But today’s guest post brings many solutions in one article.

Aging at Home: Common Problems & Solutions

By Jessica Hoefer (Here’s the original.)

The most common problems with aging at home:

As we get older, many of our homes no longer work as well for us. But most of us want to remain in the homes we love. Fortunately, there are many solutions, and there are trained experts in home modification all over the country. There are also new tools to address the specific issues of aging.

Home Advisor has joined with the National Aging in Place Council® to create this guide to making your home work for you. Here you will find:

the most common living and accessibility problems people face as they age;
available solutions to those problems;
people in your community who can solve the problems for you.

Steps

At some point, climbing steps—both outside and inside the house—becomes too difficult for almost all of us. The most frequent request from older adults is a step-free home. In many homes, the need to use the steps can be eliminated or at least minimized with good design.

Solutions include:

Aging at home example with ramps replacing stairs. — Replacing outdoor steps with ramps is great for moms with baby stroller, road warriors with wheeled luggage, or wheelchair accessibility.

Aging at home example with a stair lift or elevator to get upstairs. — Installing an elevator or stair lift make it easier to get upstairs. Solutions are available for both indoor and outdoor applications.

Converting a first floor room into a master bedroom eliminate the need for going upstairs altogether.

Converting a first floor closet into a bathroom may be required if the main floor has no way to bathe.

Adding a shower to a powder room is a solution for homes that have powder rooms for guests but no way to bathe.

Falls

Falls are one of the largest concerns of aging adults and their children. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 2.5 million people are treated for falls each year. One in five falls cause serious injury to bones (such as broken hips) or head injury.

Falls can be caused by different factors: weakness in our legs, improper mixture of pharmaceutical drugs, vision problems, early stages of disorientation or dementia, unaccommodating arrangement of a home.

To prevent falls, we need to exercise to build strength in our lower body, make sure we have proper eyewear, have a pharmaceutical evaluation of drugs we take and eliminate risks in the arrangement of our homes.

Solutions to eliminating risks in homes include:

Use safe floor coverings and eliminate throw rugs or other coverings that move.

Grab bars in bathrooms, in showers and along side toilets, because bathroom floors can be especially slippery.

Bathtubs and showers with floor level entry eliminate the need to step over a threshold.

Install sturdy rails on both sides of stairs and, where needed, along walls. Stair lighting and/or contrasting colors also helps. (Note that this photo shows rails on just one side.)

Daylight quality lighting, because light sensitivity decreases with age (and cataracts).

Access to Help

As we age, many of us live alone. The greatest fear of living alone is finding ourselves in an emergency situation and not having immediate access to help. “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

Solutions include:

Medical alert or PERS (Personal Emergency Response systems), which are pendants with a button to contact a response operation.
In-home sensory systems, some now utilizing GPS, that trace our behavioral routines and alert a response operation when needed.
Home phones and smart phones, some emergency buttons that directly contact a response operation, others with large lettering and numbers to assist those with sight issues.
Telehealth systems, accessible on computers, for health monitoring and video consultations with doctors and nurses.

Food Preparation

We know what we like to eat. Most of us continue to want to prepare our own meals for as long as we can. But the kitchen can be an inconvenient and dangerous place. Movements in a kitchen (bending over, turning) can lead to falls. A drift in attention can lead to burns. And we may reach a point where simply standing at a counter to prepare food is too strenuous of a chore.

Solutions include:

Rather than marble, which can be slippery when wet, consider softer flooring that will not punish you if you fall on it, such as wood, cork, or rubber.

Consider sit down counters, where you can prepare food from a chair or a stool.

Stove burner covers make touching a hot area much less likely.

Kitchen islands make the path from appliances to counters or in between appliances shorter and more easily navigable. Islands on wheels can be moved to the side for serving or when not in use.

Accommodating In-Home Care

Health, cognitive and mobility issues often require either short-term or longer term attention from care providers. But many of us consider our homes a bastion of privacy. Having a virtual stranger there, either part time or full time, makes us uncomfortable. And yet, we need them there.

Solutions include:

Create a comfortable private guest room for caregivers.

Good Sleep

Good sleep is a requisite for good health, at any age. But issues of aging can make it difficult for us to get a good night of rest on a regular basis. Snoring is a common problem that can be caused by respiratory issues or swelling of the neck due to a gain in weight. Health issues can include acid reflux, which can be controlled by lying on an angle. Restlessness in bed can lead to falling out of bed. And sometimes the issue is just plain finding a comfortable sleep position. (Editor: We have dozens of articles here on sleep.)

Solutions include:

Adjustable beds which permit you to change your sleep angle
Easily moveable bed rails
Convert a room into a second master bedroom for your housemate

Medication Regimen

Many health issues of aging require medications. But as we face cognitive and mobility issues, it sometimes becomes difficult to maintain your medication regimen on a daily basis. We can forget what we have taken. Or we sometimes simply forget to take our medications all together.

Solutions include:

Simple pill boxes, available at any drug store, are enough for most people, but more elaborate and expensive solutions are available.

Controlled pill dispensers, which arrange pills according to your daily requirements and indicate when and if you take them.
Telehealth programs, smart phone apps which remind you of your daily requirements.
Software programs, that keep track of your medication schedule.

Need to find a pro for your home modification?

Home advisor can help you find a contractor to match your needs. Also check rating systems like Yelp and Angie’s List, which is now free.

About the Author

Jessica Hoefer is Communications and Member Service Coordinator & Administrator with The National Aging in Place Council. She helps keep varied constituencies—members, press, government and consumers—informed on developing issues on products and policy.

The NAICP® is a senior support network founded on the belief that an overwhelming majority of older Americans want to remain in their homes for as long as possible. These seniors lack, however, the awareness of home and community-based services that make independent living possible. The mission of NAICP is very similar to that of Modern Health Talk, but they have the funding and a staff that I lack, so I’m happy that Jessica allowed me to publish this article.

Aging at Home: Common Problems-Solutions

Aging at Home: Common Problems & Solutions