WHAT IS AGING IN PLACE? or How to Make your Home Accessible and Visitable

by Carol Van Duyne, OTR/L, CAPS
Your Home, Your Choice, LLC

Have you or a loved one ever been temporarily confined to a wheelchair, walker or crutches? Most of us get through these times and feel grateful it was temporary. In times like these it is clear how the activities and mobility we take for granted can become much more difficult. No one wants to be denied access to a home, even temporarily, due to an unforeseen injury or illness or the slow progress of aging.

Making a few strategic changes to a home can help us to “age in place.”

  • Appropriately placed grab bars and railings will make bathrooms and stairways safer and can prevent a fall.
  • Door knobs with lever handles are easier to use when grip strength is weakened due to arthritis.
  • Kitchen work surfaces set at an appropriate height will keep your family’s chief cook active as time passes.
  • Wider doorways and zero threshold entrances will get you in the door, or into the shower, with greater ease and safety, even if you’re in a wheelchair.

The term “aging in place” is about making a home safer and more accessible, for now and for years to come. It allows family and friends to visit, even if they have limited mobility. Every home is different and there are a multitude of options to consider based on your specific needs.

Sponsored By:

Your Home, Your Choice, LLC

Carol Van Duyne, OTR/L, CAPS, is an occupational therapist and certified aging in place specialist.
CAPS (certified aging in place specialist) is a designation for professionals with specific training and experience in home modification. Occupational therapists are skilled and licensed healthcare professionals with training focused on identifying a person’s specific abilities and what home modifications will have the best effect for safety, accessibility and long term ease of use. A home assessment carried out by a CAPS professional is a good start for future planning, or as a necessary response to a family’s changing needs.
Email: yourhomeyourchoice18@gmail.com
Website: www.yourhomeyourchoice.org
Phone: 440-821-2388

Opinions and claims expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ScripType Publishing.