Every person wants a good living space where they can live peacefully with their loved ones. However, with aging, the needs and requirements of some house features change with time. This is because aging causes mobility issues that need more support and wide entrances. To ensure safety, independence, and comfort, home modifications for seniors are essential. Some changes and adjustments will help the elderly members of a household to live confidently.
It is very important to look for the needs of seniors also because they are the foundation pillar of a house. Young people can live easily even after the modifications because they are completely fit and can do any task effectively. Let’s discuss.
Why Home Modifications for Seniors are Important?
Many reasons make it important to make some adjustments to a home for senior citizens. A perfect home for seniors not only helps in preventing risk but also provides a sense of independence and dignity. Some reasons are listed below:
Independence: In the time when seniors are not working and just living life with their loved ones. Promoting their independence through making the home accessible is essential. With better daily routine ability, seniors feel confident, and with regular movement, their bodies will remain healthy.
Reducing Risks: With adaptive housing, the risk of falling or slipping reduces. Based on the data of the CDC, in America in every 4 senior citizens over the age of 65 experience a fall in a year. This is a risky situation because the ability to move slows down, which may cause serious injuries. Some general changes, like grab bars, slip-resistant flooring, and better lighting, will help in reducing these types of risks.
Supportive Environment: With all favourable conditions, the surroundings where the senior is living become very supportive and peaceful.
Common Home Hazards for Seniors
It is essential to understand the general hazards that are present for seniors. For an effective modification service, it is very important to know what things are harmful for them. Below are mentioned some of the common hazards:
- Poor Lighting: Houses with dim or low lighting conditions can be risky for senior citizens. This is because with aging the eyesight becomes weaker and with low lighting the risk of hitting things or falling increases.
- Slippery Bathroom: Poor draining in bathrooms will make the tiles slippery and this is a dangerous situation for senior citizen. They can get slipped and got injured.
- Loose Rugs: In most of the houses the rugs places at the doors are loose of slippery. There is a risk that seniors can stuck there and fall downs.
- Narrow Doorways: Seniors need wide door openings, so houses with narrow doorways need to fix for the well being of senior citizens.
- Stairs: It is essential that all the essential items and places for seniors are on the same the floor as they are to avoid strair. However, a low hight strair steps are necessary for them.
- Others: There are some other hazards that need to fix like having handle bars in in house pathways, etc.
How to Modify a Home for the Elderly?
Some modifications are essential, while some are optional. But implementing these changes will help the seniors to live a confident and secure life without letting their daily routine back.
- Bathroom Safety: This is a very important point, especially for seniors. Bathrooms are the most risky places because the floor becomes slippery due to water and soap. Installing grab bars, non-slip mats, raised toilet seats, and walk-in showers ensures safety and ease of use.
- Kitchens: This is the daily-use facility in households. Some simple changes like pull-down shelving, lever-style faucets, and slip-resistant flooring, which provide extra protection and help senior citizens. Replace old appliances with the latest automatic features to provide more layers of security.
- Stairway and Entryway Modifications: Entrances and stairs are major components of a house. With aging, people may require wide entrances, low-height stair steps, anti-slippery stairs, stair lifts, ramps, and supporting handles. These types of modifications can be very useful to elderly people.
- Improved Lighting: Good lighting is crucial in a house. Not just for seniors but for everyone, because improper lighting may cause a risk of falls, and it also affects eyesight. For seniors, Bright LED bulbs, motion-sensor night lights, and under-cabinet lighting are some optimal modifications that can be done in their house.
- Whole-Home Accessibility: There are some other modifications present that help in making the usage more accessible for seniors. Usage of lower switches and plugs, mobility aids, etc., is an essential home modification for senior safety.
There are some other modifications also necessary, like proper sitting, accessible living rooms, etc., which also help in enhancing the overall living of elderly people.
Cost of Home Modifications for Seniors
There is a cost associated with these modifications for the installation, purchasing, and service costs. An estimation is mentioned below:
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- Slight Upgrades: If you are making only small changes and modifications, like grab bars, handrails, and anti-slip mats, etc. will cost around $100 to $500 approximately. It is a quick process and immediately improves safety.
- Bathroom Modifications: As we know that the bathrooms are one of the riskiest places for seniors in a household. For bathroom changes, including walk-in tubs, roll-in showers, anti-slippery flooring, and near accessibility, will cost $800 to $5000 based on the add-ons and modifications that you are pursuing.
- Stairs and Entrances: For installing ramps, stair lifts, it costs $2000 to $8000. Again, based on the features, quality, and desire, the cost will vary.
- Wide Doorways: Modifying the old narrow doorways to wide ones is essential to ensure easy access in the house for seniors. This will cost $500 to $2000, based on the doors and the material used.
- Smart Technology: Installation of smart home devices will help in providing extra levels of protection to senior citizens. Devices like motion sensor lighting, voice-command applications, and smart locks will make a comfortable and smart living. This will cost $500 to $5000+, based on the devices and companies.
Financial Assistance and Grants for Home Modifications
There are many home modification programs for seniors available that help the household manage the adjustment expenses. Many seniors and their family members worry about the cost of the modifications, but by using these assistance programs, the expenses can be reduced.
Medicare and Medicaid
The Medicare program generally does not cover any home modification costs because it is a program specifically for medical purposes. However, if a doctor prescribes certain durable medical equipment, like ramps or grab bars, then this can come under this program. Medicaid waivers can be used by low-income eligible seniors, making the essential modifications accessible.
Veterans Benefits
Seniors who have served in the Army or similar employment are qualified for the Veterans programs that provide grants through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). There are some programs like the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant and the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA), which come under this department, that aim to offer funds for home modifications for seniors who are veterans.
HUD Programs
In the USA, several programs can help seniors implement some essential changes in their homes. One of the programs is are U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which offers funds for eligible candidates to make the essential accessibility improvements. These programs help seniors by providing safety and independence with the required affordable modifications in their households.
Nonprofit Organizations
It is one of the best sources for having affordable or no-cost home modification assistance. Organizations like Rebuilding Together or Area Agencies on Aging provide no-cost modification options to low-income senior citizens. Also, they provide financial support for home safety projects.
State and Local Programs
In some states, the local government offers housing programs to low-income citizens to make their living a peaceful place. These local programs may help seniors implement some modifications like ramps, stair lifts, and bathroom safety upgrades.
The home modifications for seniors may be expensive due to the extra safety and accessibility features, but with proper knowledge of such programs, the extra spending can be managed.
Conclusion
As we know, aging reduces the ability to do tasks significantly. With this, the home modifications for seniors seem very important. It provides safety, independence, and quality of life, for which people work their whole life. There are many benefits associated with these adjustments, such as favourable surroundings giving peace of mind, which reduces the need for caregiving and avoids any risk of falls or slips that may cause life or serious injury.
Improving the safety and well-being of senior citizens is one of the top concerns in a household, because they require more assistance and help than a young person does.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a type of modification that might help the older adult remain in their home?
There are many essential modifications, such as good lighting, motion sensor bulbs, hand bars, supporting handles, railings, low height stairs or auto moving staircases, grippy flooring, decent living, etc., which help older adults to remain in the same home.
How much do home modifications cost?
The actual cost of home modification depends on various factors like the level of mobility assistance needed, the type of accessibility features, specialized medical equipment installation, bathroom safety upgrades, and kitchen accessibility adjustments. The average cost lies between $500 – $50,000 based on the modifications needed.
