Make a home a safer place for seniors
Most seniors want to stay in their homes as long as they are physically capable, but for many seniors staying put can present some safety challenges. Falls are the leading cause of injuries, but there are also risks of being burned by a stove or scalded by hot water. To make your home a safer, more age-friendly place to live, here are some tips and resources that can help.
Assess the risks - The first step is to learn where the potential hazards lie and what can be done to reduce them. A good resource is to look at the Home Safety Council web site where you can take a room-by-room house tour to find possible dangers. There are many simple changes, such as remove throw rugs to avoid tripping, install brighter bulbs to improve vision and adding grab bars to the bathroom for support.
Seek outside professional help - If you have medical conditions such as chronic arthritis or poor vision, ask your doctor to prescribe a home evaluation by an occupational therapist with a home modification specialization. They are well equipped to analyze potential challenges and short-comings of your home and develop a plan that you, a handyman or a contractor can follow. You may also consider contacting a local independent living center, a non-profit center that provides information and assessments, at a free of low-cost basis, on home modifications and assistive living equipment.
How to pay for improvements - If you need or want to make substantial changes, but do not have the funds to cover the cost, there are some options to consider, but your financial planning professional should always be consulted prior to making a final decision, such as a home equity loan or a reverse mortgage. If you have a long-term care insurance policy, your insurance agent may be able to help you find out if modifications are covered under your policy and what is required to present to the insurer, but this will most likely not be allowable if there is no health or disability issue. You can also contact your local Area Agency on Aging to inquire about home modification loans and services, since many state and local communities have low or no-interest loans, tax credits or other programs to homeowners with low or moderate incomes. Finally, another resource may be Rebuilding Together, a national non-profit organization that repairs and modifies homes of older, low-income homeowners to help them age in place.
