Ways We Assist Seniors to Stay at Home

We recently provided a client with Parkinson's Disease & MS, a more functional kitchen.

To be able to remain in their home, despite the challenges of aging and disabilities, many are making modifications to their homes in order to stay there. That's the question many older people ponder as they move into their 70s and beyond.

As we age, the day-to-day challenges of getting around will most likely increase, whether for basic things such as turning a doorknob or more complex tasks such as taking a shower or climbing a stairway. Often, people wait until a stroke, heart attack, hip replacement or other crisis before thinking about housing adjustments.

Such hasty decisions can end up being unattractive and costly.

Older people are settling on staying put, according to a recent survey by the Home Safety Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing home-related injuries. Positive aging at home is about independence, dignity and control. Proper Aging in Place planning enables you to move around and get out of the house on the day you feel the very worst.

Aging in Place is all about Senior Citizen empowerment. It's about no limits and no barriers. It's about nursing home diversion, fall control, and community based care. The fact is more and more people want to live as long as they can in their home with familiar surroundings- where they are comfortable, secure, and have peace of mind.

Staying put makes economic sense. It is not only more comfortable to live out your life in your own home, it's much more affordable. In order to have your home age safely with you, you need professionals to make a Home Safety Functioning Assessment. This plan will show you how to live safely, prevent falls, and add convenience features so that you fully enjoy your home. Bob Bakst can be reached at 781-598-5437 or www.drfix-it.net.

Smart Bathrooms part one Showers

Are you thinking of renovating or remodeling your tired bathroom? If so here are some ideas to think about before you do your project. Boomers, families with young children, and Seniors should consider elements of Universal design in their new bathroom. It not only yields very beautiful results, but is very practical. It will give you ample circulation space, organization, convenience and other design essentials for your needs and style.
No-curb or low-curb showers are a design highlight in bathrooms today. The floors are slightly sloped to the drain and present no tripping obstacles and can be entered on wheels. A built in bench or folding seat, a handheld shower spray on a vertical slide bar, integrated soap compartments, and well placed grab bars make a shower safe, and luxurious washing place. Here, as elsewhere in the bathroom, pressure-balancing valves keep hot water temperatures safe, and nonskid flooring prevents slips. At Dr. Fix-It we know how to design and build safe, sumptuous bathrooms. We have built and designed over three hundred. Visit us at www.Dr.Fix-It.net to see our work and to contact us. We are reliable, dependable and get the job done to your satisfaction. Call 781-598-5437 for more information.

Fall Prevention and installion of Grab bars

Fall prevention is so important to the healthy lives of those over 65. One in three older adults fall in the US each year. Out of those three, one of them will fall again within six months. Every 18 seconds an older adult gets treated in the emergency room due to a fall and every 35 minutes someone dies as a result of their injury.

At Dr. Fix-It we understand the importance of safety and preventing falls in the home. Preventing and protecting yourself against a fall is important to maintain a healthy and independent lifestyle. Grab bars are a must. They come in all sizes and shapes, they don't need to look institutional at all. By having grab bars it will allow for easy maneuverability and give safety to people of all ages.

Grab bars are very important in the bathroom to help get in and out of the bath or shower to prevent slipping. Having a grab bar vertically on the outside of the shower helps to get into the shower and having horizontal and vertical grab bars in the tub are most important. They are also useful by the toilet for easy access. Having a railing system in hallways are helpful if walking or dizziness is a problem. Grab bars are also helpful at the top of a staircase.

Grab bars are safety supports only if they are installed accurately, at the correct height and into the proper structural elements to provide maximum safety. They are designed to bear the entire weight of the person. They offer stability in the home.

Visit http://www.DrFix-It.net for additional information and talk to a Certified Aging in Place Specialist

What is Aging in Place?

This column will discuss what is Aging in Place (AIP) with regards to aging at home.

As a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) from the National Builders Association, and a licensed General Contractor, we can remodel and build improvements to homes for those wanting their home to be safe and accessible regardless of age, physical, mobility or cognitive issues.

Ninety percent of elders want to stay in the home they love. AIP allows us to modify things to accommodate changes as events unfold. It allows more enjoyment of your home and planned properly with Universal Design accessibility (that offers a non institutional look) your home will increase in value when you are ready to sell. Most importantly it makes your home more livable promoting independent living and daily tasks become simpler and easier to do.