Aging in place has become the retirement plan of choice for many homeowners in the Portland area. It allows you to stay in the home you love, leverage your home equity to cover renovation costs, and create a safer environment to accommodate changes to your mobility and health. Here we share the essential considerations when planning aging-in-place renovations to create the ideal space for your retirement.
What Is Aging In Place?
Aging in place allows you to remain in your home, maintain your independence, and continue actively participating in your community. To do so requires upgrades that make your home safer and more accessible, allowing you to perform day-to-day tasks easily as you age.
What To Consider When Renovating To Age In Place
The goal of aging-in-place remodels is to help you remain as vital and independent as possible. A room-by-room assessment will ensure you identify potential challenges for things that might not seem like hazards right now but will present safety issues in the future, such as:
- Poor lighting, particularly at the top and bottom of stairs
- Insufficient storage that contributes to clutter, increasing the risk of tripping or falling
- Tripping hazards, such as bulging carpets or uneven floors
- Mobility challenges, such as a step down into a sunken living room
- Insufficient handrails on stairs
- Lack of supports when using the toilet, tub and shower
- Slippery surfaces in the bathroom, entryway, kitchen, laundry room, etc.
- Hard to hold/operate faucet and door handles, window cranks, kitchen cabinets, etc.
- Narrow walkways that don’t allow for a walker or wheelchair
What Renovations Should I Do To Age In Place?
With a better understanding of potential hazards, you can break down the changes needed by room:
Bathrooms
More than a third of adults aged 65 and over slip and fall each year, with 80% of these accidents occurring in the bathroom. The following bathroom renovations are recommended for homeowners wishing to age in place:
- Grab bars and handrails on reinforced walls to accommodate your weight
- Varied height counters, or installing wall-hung sinks to accommodate someone sitting
- Curbless showers with an extra wide opening as opposed to a tub
- Materials with antibacterial protection for easy care and cleaning
- Higher toilets
- Easy-to-reach toilet paper holder
- Improved lighting in shower stalls
- Slip-resistant surfaces in the bathroom and shower
Kitchen
An accessible kitchen can reduce the risk of injuries such as slips, falls, and burns. Key considerations for kitchen remodels to age in place include:
- Locating frequently used items between 33″-48″ off the floor for optimal ergonomics
- Pull-out stepstools in areas with hard-to-reach upper cabinets
- Drawers to replace lower cabinets for easier access to dishes and high-use items
- Use of kitchen storage accessories such as corner cabinet pullouts, lazy Susans, drawers for recycling and garbage, etc. to reduce stretching and straining
- Multi-level countertops to allow for meal prep while sitting
- Rounded edges on countertop corners
- Lower-maintenance materials like quartz
- New kitchen layout to improve functionality and open flow
- Non-slip floors
- Wider clearance for mobility equipment between kitchen island and perimeter
- Appropriate task lighting and, when possible, windows for more natural light
- Reduced sink depth to reduce strain
- Hands-free faucets or lever handles with a pull-out sprayer for ease of use
Bedrooms
Relocating your master suite with a bathroom to the main floor creates single-level living for easier access. Other considerations include:
- Wider doorways
- Improved closet storage that organizes everything free of high shelves
- Closet lighting to make it easier to see what you need
- Removing “curbs” and bulky carpeting on flooring to reduce tripping and slipping hazards
Laundry Room
As with the bedroom, moving your laundry room to the main floor will reduce the risk of falling downstairs, especially when carrying laundry. For example, you might downsize to a laundry closet in the kitchen with a stackable front-loading washer and dryer. Some other considerations might include:
- Installing a laundry chute from your bedroom to the laundry room
- Choosing a front-loading washer and dryer on pedestals for easy access and reduced back strain
- Installing a wall-mounted laundry sink for knee access so you can sit while handwashing clothes or treating stains
- Replacing cabinets with open shelves for storage to make it easy to find things
- Improved lighting
- Non-slip floors
Entry, Stairs, and Halls
Functional spaces that get you from room to room are just as important as the individual rooms themselves. Important details for these areas include:
- Wider hallways to accommodate mobility aids
- Having handrails on both sides of the stairs
- Increased lighting on stairs and in halls
- Contrasting colors on the treads and risers to define each step
- Entryway and stair landings with a minimum 5-foot square area
Other General Aging-in-Place Upgrades
A few more things to consider include:
- Increased windows for natural light
- Energy-efficient upgrades to keep the home more comfortable and reduce energy bills
- Water-saving toilets, shower heads, and faucets to reduce monthly water bills
- Modern upgrades to increase home value
- Easier-to-operate crank-free windows
- Lower-maintenance exterior upgrades such as gutter guards, vinyl siding and windows, etc.
The Cost Benefits Of Aging In Place
Your age-in-place remodel allows you to upgrade your home to suit your taste and lifestyle while helping to stretch your retirement savings. It’s often more affordable to renovate your home to age in place compared to the cost of living in a retirement community.
Although the money from selling your home would help cover your rent, if your home is outdated the selling price might not be enough to cover your retirement expenses for upwards of the next 20 years. Investing in aging-in-place upgrades will be a cost savings long-term, over retirement community living.
Aging in place is the best option to help save your retirement dollars, create a safe environment, and enjoy your independence for as long as possible.Not sure where to begin your aging-in-place remodel? Call us today at 503-939-9782 or click here to submit your remodeling project details.