Top 10 Recommended Senior Home Improvements

Updated on September 19, 2020

According to this recent article, most Americans want to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible. Over 80 percent have made some sort of home modification that improved safety and/or accessibility in order to continue living comfortably and independently.

Vince Butler, Remodeler’s Council Chairman of the National Association of Homebuilders, is quoted in the article as saying that too many homeowners don’t think about how advancing age can affect their home environments until it becomes a necessity.

“Most who remodel for accessibility only do so after their home becomes too difficult to navigate,” he said, then adding, “With a little foresight, homeowners can enjoy an independent lifestyle without undergoing a difficult and unexpected transition.

The article then lists some of the top 10 changes made to homes that enable seniors to age-in-place. They include:

  • Grab bars in the bathroom
  • Movable shower heads
  • Portable shower seats
  • Levered faucets in both the bathroom and kitchen sinks
  • Widening doorways
  • Adding wheelchair ramps
  • Replacing standard doorknobs with the levered variety
  • Installation of a full bathroom, complete with shower
  • Added bedroom on the first floor of multi-level homes

What kind of home modifications have you made to allow you or a loved one to age-in-place? If you haven’t made any yet, what types of home modifications do you think you may need someday?

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