If you plan on spending time with your aging parents or older family members during this holiday season, it can be a good opportunity to help out with plans for improving their home environment.
Sometimes making even small home environment changes can make a big difference in the quality of life for an elderly relative. If given a choice, most older adults prefer to stay in their own homes, and relative caregivers know that assisting older persons with daily activities of living can greatly increase their chances of remaining in their own home longer.
The same is true for older adults who function independently. If they can plan ahead for their home environment, they can prevent falls and enjoy greater mobility and health well into their retirement years. In addition, a home with improved access makes it easier for friends to visit, which is an invaluable asset for overall social and emotional well being.
Let's compare costs:
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Medical treatment for a broken hip...$33,000
Installing ramp to entry door -- $2,300
Lowering kitchen cabinets and adding lighting -- $900
Securing throw rugs and re-stretching older carpeting -- $350
Installing grab bars and non-slip surface treatments -- $500
Knowing the home environment is the best it can be -- Priceless!
So how can you help?
Learn more about senior home safety checklists to evaluate ways to improve the home environment. Encourage your older relatives to use these checklists and offer to review the information together. The following are links to home safety/environmental modifications checklists:
But how can we afford to pay for this?
Some of the changes that are recommended on home safety/ environmental modification checklists are of minimal or no cost and can be completed right away. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Home Safety Checklist for Seniors is a valuable tool you can use to take immediate action in making an environment safer. Also, contact your Area Agency on Aging for information on reputable home repair agencies and other sources that may be available to help defray some of the costs. Use the "Search for Services" to find an Area Agency on Aging nearest you.
Sometimes major repairs or modifications are needed or certainly indicated to make a home environment senior friendly. It is important to weigh the value of remaining in one's own home in a safer and more livable environment, against the costs of home improvements. Another consideration is the extent to which making some of these changes may help in delaying admission to a nursing home or another institutional setting.
This being said, for moderate to major home repairs or modifications, home equity loans are one way to cover these expenses. Another option to consider to cover extensive home repairs or modifications is called a Reverse Mortgage. A reverse mortgage allows those with significant equity in their home to use that equity to receive monthly payments that can help with these kinds of expenses. The following links are helpful in understanding how reverse mortgages work, what to look for, and how they can be used to finance home modifications.
What if it's a struggle right now just to keep the home and prevent foreclosure?Save Your Dream--Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention
Remember, even if you are not able to be home for the holidays you can still provide this information to an older friend or relative to make a positive, long lasting difference in their living environment.
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If you plan on spending time with your aging parents or older family members during this holiday season, it can be a good opportunity to help out with plans for improving their home environment.
