Aging Shouldn’t Mean Losing Your Independence
September 12, 2008 on 1:56 pm | In Family Health | 1 CommentIs your current home ready for you as you get older? As we age, our requirements and needs change, will your current home be able to accommodate your needs?
We had neighbors in Illinois who had their entire home custom built with the needs of the elderly in mind. This was their retirement home and they have every intention of living out the rest of their lives in that home. Obviously we can’t predict what our needs may be as we age, but they had certainly done an amazing job of thinking ahead.
Although both of them are 100% healthy now, they built the home to be accessible by wheel chair, should one be needed in the future. The floor plan included wider halls and door ways as well as countertops that would accommodate a wheel chair. The floors flowed from one room to another so that it would be easy to get themselves throughout the home. The light switches were slightly lower on all of the wall to make them easy to reach whether you’re standing or sitting in a wheel chair. The faucets all had handles that were easy to turn should they suffer from arthritis. Even the bathrooms were roomy to move around in and the master bath included a walk in bathtub for easier access.
Everything they’ve done, right down to the smallest detail, was done to allow them to maintain their independence, even as they get older. I believe that is very smart planning.
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This is very smart planning, they are fortunet in that they can afford such an extravagance. I think many people try to plan for the future in such a way, but fore many people the best they can do is down size to a one story home. I hope when i am approaching an age where these concern are more prominent i have the fund it put such precautions in place.
Comment by Anna — September 16, 2008 #