Making home a safe place to grow older

By Margaret McCormick

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. But if you or someone you know is over the age of 70, the question is: Is home sweet home also home safe home?

Surveys show that the majority of elderly Americans wish to remain in the place they call home as long as possible (“you’re never going to put me in a nursing home!’’ is a common refrain) and that many baby boomers plan to stay in the home they own now until retirement and beyond. If they had plans to retire to Sun City, those plans changed a year ago, when the economy took a dive and the country entered a lingering recession.

“It is costly to move to assisted living or a retirement community or a nursing home,’’ says Cynthia Stevenson, director of the Caregiver Resource Center at the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth. The resource center provides information, education and support to family caregivers of people age 60 and older, and offers a variety of free courses through the Institute for Caregivers.

“We do see more people, especially with this recession, staying in their homes and having family members and friends and neighbors help with this,’’ Stevenson says.

Ron Dimon, owner of Dimon Construction in Fayetteville, calls the trend of seniors staying put “aging in place.’’ The market for “aging in place’’ has grown in the past year, Dimon says, as people tackle questions about their lifestyles and living spaces.

Sometimes, he says, the hardest part about helping seniors be safe in their homes is for adult children to initiate a conversation on the subject.

“There’s emotion involved,’’ he says. “There can be incredible stubbornness.’’

He and his team have been called on to make such changes as replacing old toilets and dishwashers with comfort-height (elevated) models; adding attractive grab bars in bathrooms and along stairways (they don’t have to look institutional, he says); brightening kitchen and desk areas with task lighting; and making shower stalls “curbless’’ for people who don’t get around as easily as they once did — and people who get around with walkers and in wheelchairs.

Dimon Construction also has done additions of large, multi-purpose rooms that double as an accessible space for a parent who can no longer maneuver stairs and a home theater or home office space for younger members of the household.

“Meeting the needs of older people can extend the quality of life for people,’’ Dimon says.

Stevenson says that loss of mobility, combined with poor hearing and eyesight, put the elderly at increased risk for accidents and injuries at home.

There are many elements of safety and security to consider, from assisting with the management of medications, if necessary, so they are administered and taken properly, to helping seniors protect their increasingly fragile skin and bones by taking precautions to reduce the risk of falls.

“So many older homes are built on two or three levels,’’ Stevenson says. “We hear about people sitting down on steps and going down them on their bottoms, and backing up the same way. Having the necessary household equipment on more than one level presents a real problem.’’

A logical first place to begin with home safety and fall prevention, Stevenson says, is to adapt a home’s first floor so it includes bedroom, bathroom and laundry room, which isn’t always an easy task, especially in older homes. Remove all scatter and throw rugs that can cause a person to trip and fall.

Another easy do-it-yourself fix is to make sure there is adequate lighting in all rooms. Install nightlights in the bedroom, hall and bathroom to allow safe access to the bathroom at night.

The home thermostat should have a dial that can be read easily, so the heat is set at 60 instead of 90. Kitchen appliances should have easy-to-read and easy-to-operate controls. Microwave ovens should be at counter level, rather than above the stove, for safety and convenience.

Phones should be in easy reach throughout the house and have large and lighted dials. For peace of mind, Stevenson says, consider paying for an emergency response system, so your loved one has help at the push of a button – in the form of a medallion worn at all times.

How to Make Home a Safer Place for Seniors

Every year in the U.S. about 7,000 elderly people die in home-related accidents, and millions are seriously injured. Falls are the leading cause of injuries, but the elderly are also at risk for being burned by the stove or scalded by hot water. To help make your parent’s home a safer, more age-friendly place to live, here are some tips and resources that can help.

Get Informed—Your first step is to learn where the potential hazards lie in your parent’s house and what you can do to reduce them. A good place to do this is at the Home Safety Council’s Web site (www.mysafehome.net) where you can take a house tour that points out the possible dangers room-by-room. Many of the changes the site suggests are simple and inexpensive, like removing clutter and throw rugs to avoid tripping, installing brighter bulbs in existing light fixtures to improve vision and adding grab bars to the bathroom for support.

Get an Assessment—If you or your parents have medical issues like chronic arthritis or poor vision, ask the doctor to prescribe a home evaluation by an occupational therapist who specializes in home modifications. They can analyze the potential challenges and shortcomings of your parent’s home (or youra) to come up with a plan that you, a handyman or a contractor can easily follow. Many health insurance providers, including Medicare, will pay for a home assessment. However, they will not cover the physical upgrades to the home.

Another option is to contact your nearby independent living center (see www.ilru.org). These are nonprofit centers that provide information on home modifications and assistive living equipment, and many even offer free or low-cost home assessments.

Ways to Pay—If you or your parents need or want to make substantial changes to their home, but don’t have the cash to pay for them, you should consider taking out a home equity loan. Another possibility is a reverse mortgage. Available to people over 62, a reverse mortgage will let your parents convert the equity in their home into cash that doesn’t have to be paid back as long as either one of them are living there. But the fees can be substantial, so be sure to speak with a financial planner before taking out this type of mortgage. For information on ways you can tap into your home equity, go to www.longtermcare.gov, a site run by the Department of Health and Human Services.

If you happen to have long-term care insurance, they should call their insurance agent and ask whether home modifications are covered under their plan and what documentation they need to be reimbursed. A policy will not pay for upgrades if they are still healthy.

If funds are scarce, contact the Area Agency on Aging (call 800-677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov to find your local office) near your parents, and inquire about home modification loans and services available to seniors. Many state and local communities have low or no-interest loans, tax credits or other programs to those with low or moderate incomes.

In addition, get in touch with Rebuilding Together (www.rebuildingtogether.org, 800-473-4229), a national nonprofit organization that repairs and modifies homes of older, low-income homeowners to help them age in place. (By Jim Miller)

Is Your Home Safe?

The following home safety checklist is from the American Association of Retired People (AARP).

Steps/Stairways/Walkways
• Are they in good shape?
• Do they have a smooth, safe surface?
• Are there handrails on both sides of the stairway?
• How about light switches at the top and bottom of the stairs?
• Is there grasping space for both knuckles and fingers on railings?
• Are the stair treads deep enough for your whole foot?
• Would a ramp be feasible in any of these areas if it became necessary?

Floor Surfaces
• Is the surface safe?
• Nonslip?
• Any throw rugs or doormats that might slip underfoot?
• Is carpeting loose or torn?
• Are there changes in floor levels? If so, are they obvious or well marked?
• Do you have to step over any electric, telephone, or extension cords?

Driveway and Garage
• Is there always space to park?
• Is it convenient to the entrance?
• Does the garage door open automatically?

Windows  Doors
• Are windows and doors easy to open and close?
• Are locks sturdy and easy to operate?
• Do doorways accommodate a walker or wheelchair?
• Can you walk through the doorways easily?
• Is there space to maneuver while opening and closing doors?
• Does the front door have a view panel or peephole at the right height?