Metro DC and US Trend: 77 Percent of Americans Want to Age At Home

The United States is aging. According to the Urban Institute, by 2040 one in five Americans will be 65 or older, up from one in eight in 2000. Trends also show that most older adults want to stay in their homes as they age. A recent AARP Study revealed that 77 percent of adults aged 50 and older want to remain in their homes long-term.

Aging at home, also known as aging in place, makes financial and emotional sense for many. One issue that families of aging adults face is housing options and how people want to live as they age. For some members with disabilities or who are aging, the best solution is an assisted living facility. However, assisted living comes at a cost. According to Genworth Financials’ Cost of Care Survey, the average cost of an assisted living facility is $4,500 per month. In the metro DC area, those costs are even higher, with the average cost being $6,000 per month.

Aging in place allows individuals to stay in the communities they’ve come to know and love and could represent a better financial alternative for many on a fixed income. This represents an unprecedented challenge to the needs of an aging population and developing new models to help Americans successfully age, focusing on maintaining independence, health, and social inclusion.

Unfortunately, most homeowners are not aware that their homes can be modified to allow individuals to age in place and maintain their independence. The good news is that many of these modifications can be easily executed by a professional to create a safe and comfortable place to live.

For over 25 years, HandyPro has been successfully modifying houses for older adults to age in place. HandyPro is a CAPS- and CHAMP-certified contractor. CAPS is an acronym for Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist. CHAMP is an acronym for Certified Home Assessment and Modification Professional. These certifications were created to ensure that contractors have the essential skills to execute proper home modifications for aging-in-place and to modify homes for people with disabilities. Moreover, HandyPro of Washington DC has an occupational therapist on staff to help with project design, as well as an engineer overseeing all projects.

“Often, we find the cost to upgrade a house to make it more suitable for a senior to age in place is less or the same as the cost of long-term assisted living,” said Ali Soltani, owner of HandyPro of Washington, DC.

Based on HandyPro’s decades of experience, many seniors make the following modifications to upgrade their homes to allow them to stay safely and comfortably as they age in place:

• Modifying bathrooms with grab bars, enlarging and no step showers
• Improve accessibility to the outside with wheelchair ramps, handrails, exterior stair lifts, automatic door openers, and vertical platform lifts
• Replace old floors or tile with slip-resistant and wheelchair-friendly flooring
• Renovating the house for “first-floor living” by creating a new bedroom and/or bathroom on the first floor
• Widening doorways and adding smart lighting
• Adding a wheelchair-friendly vanity, cabinet, or countertops at varying heights
• Installing a stair lift for those who want multi-floor living
• Install Durable medical equipment, such as a shower chair or bench
  
• Install overhead lifts (Ceiling lifts) for safer repositioning or transfers, reducing injuries to caregivers or persons with mobility challenges

“The majority of homes we see are not appropriate for aging seniors. They have safety and mobility issues that need to be addressed. Who you hire to install these modifications is equally important. Improperly installed modifications can cause additional safety and mobility issues, which can be avoided by hiring a company like HandyPro that is certified and trained,” added Soltani.

HandyPro has an extensive network of experienced professionals to provide assessments, installation and ongoing customer service support for any installation or remodel. For more information on HandyPro’s aging-in-place services, visit www.handyprowdc.com.

About HandyPro:

Founded in 1996, HandyPro has provided home modification and handyman services in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. Its team of experts can plan, design, and install various home modifications, such as grab bars, ramps, lifts, stairlifts, walk-in tubs, roll-in showers, widened doorways, and lowered cabinets. Most franchisees have industry certifications, such as Certified Aging-In-Place Specialists, Certified Environmental Access Consultants, Certified Senior Advisors, and Certified Home Assessment and Modification Professionals (CHAMP). Franchisees are fully insured and offer a one-year warranty on all projects. HandyPro of Washington DC is a Maryland, Virginia and DC licensed remodeler.