10 Home Improvements That May Help Your Parents Age In Place

For their peace of mind as well as yours, talk with your parents about making home improvements based on Universal Design a set of principles for creating products and spaces usable by all individuals, without modifications or specialized design. Consider these improvements that may help your parents living happily, comfortably and safely at home:

• Relocate their bedroom to the main floor.
• Widen doorways to 32-36 inches and hallways to 36-42 inches to improve accessibility for parents using mobility aids such as walkers or wheelchairs.
• Decorate with contrasting colors and finishes to help improve depth perception for seniors with poor vision.
• Replace a standard toilet with a taller model that's 16-18 inches in height.
• Reinforce the walls around the tub, shower and toilet and install grab bars that can handle a person's weight.
• Install a large walk-in tub or a shower with little to no curb that can be accessed with a mobility aid. Bench seating, a hand-held showerhead and non-slip flooring are other improvements to make in the tub and/or shower.
• Create no-step entries and seamless thresholds between rooms to reduce the risk of tripping and to make maneuvering with a mobility aid easier.
• Outfit doors and faucets with lever-style handles, which are easier to operate with arthritic or weak hands.
• Replace standard light switches with easier-to-operate rocker-style switches installed 36-40 inches from the floor.
• Raise appliances off the floor to reduce the need to bend over when unloading the dishwasher or switching the laundry.

Some of these are DIY projects, while others are better left to professionals who specialize in remodeling homes for older adults. The National Association of Home Builders can help you locate a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist near you.