Home Modifications Can Promote Aging in Place​

If you ask older people about their preferred living situation in the future, most will say that they would like to remain living in their current home for as long as possible. This is because for many people, homes have much greater meaning and sentimental value, far beyond the “bricks and mortar” they’re made from.
Peoples’ homes are often tied to their valued memories of important life events, from raising their families, and launching their children into the world of adulthood, to growing gardens, and enjoying their pets. Over time, homes may become sacred places that are impossible to imagine being apart from. Unfortunately, the process of aging often leads to changes that can challenge our ability to remain at home, or to “age in place”. As we grow older, the likelihood of experiencing disabilities increases. Without the proper resources to support our changing functional and cognitive abilities, many people may end up relocating to far less desirable settings, that limit our independent choices. Often, when an older adult is unable to independently complete tasks like cooking, bathing and toileting, their only option is to move into more institutional settings such as an independent or assisted living apartment, or even a nursing home. In extremely rural settings, that characterize many towns in Wyoming, this can also mean having to move away from family, friends and beloved communities. Though age-related disability is often unavoidable, it does not have to change your quality of life. When a person’s home environment is adapted to accommodate their unique abilities, many older adults are able to successfully remain in their homes and age in place. For instance, a vision impairment can lead to disability in reading, watching TV, and moving about. Simple environmental changes such as acquiring appropriate prescription glasses or improving lighting can help remove those barriers and restore the person’s ability to live independently. The same is true for all disabilities that may prevent us from completing life’s necessary activities, like bathing or preparing meals. By modifying people’s home environments, we can often accommodate those challenges. Home modifications are adaptations to a person’s current home environment, that address the physical changes older people often experience. When a person’s environment meets their unique abilities, it is said to have a high “person/environment fit”. In fact, a large body of evidence has shown the benefits of home modifications to address aging-related needs. For example, home modifications can reduce the risk of falls and accidents, increase personal functioning, improve caregiving capacity, and improve the quality of life of older Wyomingites. Home modifications include things like adding grab bars around the toilet and bathtub or adding a shower seat and bathroom fixtures that allow a person to sit down, soap up, and direct water where it is needed to rinse off. These relatively minor modifications can drastically improve an older adult’s ability to accomplish their daily care activities – which not only supports their ability to live independently but also improves self-efficacy and confidence. Home modifications on a large scale can enable those with major mobility difficulties to remain in their homes. For example, structural features of the home, like stairs leading to the front entryway, or narrow doorways blocking entry to important rooms can impede a wheelchair-user’s ability to move throughout the home. These challenges can be overcome, however, by adding ramps, widening doorways, and removing other large obstacles. Though the upfront cost of home modifications may sound expensive, when compared to the alternative options of long-term institutionalized living, the costs are relatively insignificant. In Wyoming, the average cost of an assisted living apartment is around $6,000 per month. Private rooms in nursing homes, which are commonly paid for by the Wyoming Medicaid program, cost around $10,000 per month. The national average estimated costs for one-time home modifications range between $3,000 and $15,000, depending on the work that is done. Though, it is important to note that needs can continue to change as we grow older, and additional expenditures may be necessary in the future. Still, you can do the math. Well-conceived home modifications usually include a professional person/home needs assessments, which are conducted by a medical professional such as a geriatric nurse or an occupational therapist. Further, it is important to involve knowledgeable contractors or handymen to ensure the modifications are done properly. This team-based approach has great potential not only to save Wyomingites, their families, and the state a lot of money, but also provide the additional benefit of accommodating the widely recognized preference of older adults to age in place. More information about Wyoming regional and federal resources to help implement and pay for home modifications can be viewed here https://www.uwyo.edu/homemods/. Or contact Kristen S. Glennie, M.S. at kglennie@uwyo.edu