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Another survey, this one recently conducted by the Home Safety Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing home-related injuries, found that most seniors prefer staying in their home instead of moving to a senior living community.

According to this article by the New York Times, staying in your home is not only more comfortable it also makes economic sense.  The average annual fees at an assisted living facility are $34,000. In more expensive metropolitan areas, like New York, it’s closer to $70,000.

While your home environment can be a great support to aging-in-place, Jon Pynoos, professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California, warns that it could be a health care hazard. Each year, nearly 7,000 seniors in the U.S. die from home-related accidents, and millions are seriously injured. Falls are the leading cause of injuries, but seniors and people with disabilities are also at risk for being burned by the stove, scalded by hot water, or drowning in the tub.

If you want to make your own home or an older relative or friend’s home a safer, more comfortable place to live, here are some basic guidelines to the most efficient and cost-effective approaches.

Reduce House Hazards
Learn where your potential hazards are and how you can reduce them. Go to the Home Safety Council’s site, MySafeHome.net, and take the house tour, which points out possible dangers room-by-room. Many of the recommended changes are simple and inexpensive, like removing area rugs and installing brighter light bulbs.

Professional Assessment
If you have multiple medical issues, ask your doctor for a referral to an occupational therapist (O.T.) or contact a company like Home Evolutions that specializes in home modifications. The O.T. or Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) from Home Evolutions can analyze your potential challenges and your home’s shortcomings and offer improvement suggestions. An O.T. can supply you with an invoice that lists the medical necessity of each improvement—a document that you might need to get reimbursed from a long-term care insurer.

Long-Term Care Coverage
If you have a plan, ask your insurance agent whether home modifications are covered under your plan and what documentation you need to be reimbursed. A policy will not pay for upgrades if you’re still healthy.

Home Equity/Reverse Mortgages
If you want to make substantial modifications to your home, but don’t have the cash on hand, consider taking out a home equity loan. For information on how you can tap into your home equity, go to LongTermCare.gov.

If a bank won’t give you a home equity loan, consider a reverse mortgage. Available to people over 62, a reverse mortgage lets you convert the equity in your home into cash. But the fees can be substantial, so be sure to speak with a financial planner before taking out this type of mortgage.

No Money?
Contact your local department of aging and inquire about home modification loans and services available to seniors. Use the federal government’s elder care locator — www.eldercare.gov — to find your local office, or call 800-677-1116. Some government agencies make low-interest loans to those with low or moderate incomes.

Finally, get in touch with Rebuilding Together (www.rebuildingtogether.org, or 1-800-473-4229), a national nonprofit organization that helps people with low incomes improve their homes. The organization’s Safe at Home program was created specifically to help seniors stay safe as you age in place.

Are you following us on Twitter? — Home Evolutions will give you real-time updates when our latest blogs are posted as well as timely information on Aging-in-Place news from around the country.

Home Evolutions has always incorporated Universal Design concepts into every home that we modify because it makes a home safer and more comfortable for anyone, regardless of age, size, or ability. It helps to prevent accidents, increase comfort and safety, and enhance you and your loved ones’ independence. In addition to making your home more adaptable to your needs, these modifications are seamlessly integrated into the design of your home.

Retrofitting a home, or even purchasing a new one, for accessibility can be costly. But a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist can sensibly help incorporate Universal Design features into your home without breaking the budget or compromising the current beauty of your home.

Below are just some of the essential Universal Design features for the exterior of your home:

Zero Step Entry. Whether you are a senior who has arthritic knees, a child with a physical disability, or even a young mother pushing her baby in a stroller, creating at least one zero step entry makes it easier and safer to go in and out of the house. At least one no-step entry to the house either through the front, back, or garage door is recommended.

Wider Doorways. Entryway doors should be at least 32 inches wide and interior doors at least 30 inches wide to allow for ample room for anyone to pass through.

Lever-Style Door Handles. These handles will make it easier for anyone to open and shut your front or back door because it doesn’t require any grasping or twisting to operate.

Covered Entryway. Not only will a covering help protect the porch from precipitation, but yourself as well from rain and snow, preventing potential slips and falls.

Safe Stairs. If you have steps leading up to one of your entryways, and you do not want a zero step entry, at least make sure your handrails are sturdy and in good shape to make it easier for you to climb up and down.

Level Sidewalk/Driveways. Do you have uneven sidewalks or driveway which can be hazardous to walk on? Leveling them can also prevent future accidents.

There are many other features associated with Universal Design. Whatever it is that you need, a Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist can help design it for you.

Take the next step toward your independent future. Now through May 31, as part of our outstanding service to our customers, Home Evolutions is offering a free in-home assessment. We’ll conduct a thorough evaluation of your current lifestyle and home to identify what can make your home safer and more accessible. Please note:  This limited time offer is currently available only to residences within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

If you, or someone you know, are interested in this free, limited time offer, please fill out our contact form today and one of our representatives will be in touch to schedule a convenient time to visit you in your home.

We are pleased to announce the release of the spring edition of The Forever Home, our quarterly e-newsletter which provides insightful information, valuable advice, and helpful tips about aging-in-place.

In this newest issue, you can read about how the current mortgage and housing crisis may actually be inadvertently advancing the Aging-in-Place Movement. With houses being harder to sell and as seniors have less retirement funds and security due to a volatile stock market; keeping one’s home, modifying it, and remaining there may be the most sensible and affordable option for seniors. Some explanation of related terms and things to think about when considering aging-in-place are also discussed.

Plus, a universal design house in Colorado is profiled along with the home’s designer and resident, Cynthia Leibrock. She is a Harvard instructor who has built her home with a myriad of aging-in-place options and functions just in case she or her husband would ever need them. The unique aspect of the house is that it is both functional and beautiful. In fact, Leibrock uses her home as a live-in teaching and marketing promotional tool for universal design and the Aging-in-Place Movement.

Then there’s the recent aging-in-place case-study featuring Bob and Jen Mankowski of Pittsburgh. Learn about how Home Evolutions assessed a house they were planning to purchase and how the remodeling company influenced their decision and alleviated their uncertainties about home customization. See what innovative modifications Home Evolutions suggested and provided for them. It’s a wonderful story about how the company helped Bob and Jen find and modify a dream house where they can now plan to remain living comfortably, safely, and independently for many years to come!

Finally, to complement this issue’s piece on the Leibrock house, check out our summary of AARP’s extensive definition, explanation, and exploration of universal design.

We hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you! As always, please feel free to forward our newsletter to your friends and families. We also invite you to email us at hburns@homeevolutions.com with your comments, suggestions, and any story ideas that would help The Forever Home address your interests and better meet your specific needs.

If you haven’t already heard, now through May 31, as part of our outstanding service to our customers, Home Evolutions is offering a free in-home assessment. We’ll conduct a thorough evaluation of your current lifestyle and home to identify what can make your home safer and more accessible. Please note:  This limited-time offer is currently available only to residences within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

If you, or someone you know, are interested in this free, limited-time offer, please fill out our contact form today and one of our representatives will be in touch to schedule a convenient time to visit you in your home.

Today’s turbulent economy is making it more difficult for seniors and people with disabilities to afford quality in-home care or to make the necessary home modifications which would allow them to Age-in-Place. However, for some people, reverse mortgages may be a way to obtain the funds you need to make this possible.

Reverse mortgages are a tax-free way for people ages 62 and older to tap into their home’s equity. You can borrow against your home’s value without having to repay the loan during your lifetime. However, the amount borrowed, including accrued interest, can’t exceed the value of your home and you must continue to pay property taxes and homeowner’s insurance.

The main advantage of reverse mortgages is that they are an extremely flexible financial planning product with very few restrictions on how you receive and use the money.

Other advantages of reverse mortgages include:

• They are not based on income or credit scores, so there is no need to qualify. This is especially helpful for those with a history of bad credit.
• Lenders include life expectancy when calculating loan payments, so seniors are eligible to receive more money.
• You can choose to stop making monthly mortgage payments, receive a flat monthly payout, or receive a lump sum.

Disadvantages of reverse mortgages include:

• Closing costs are usually higher than traditional mortgages.
• Your house must be appraised and in today’s economy, home values are dropping.
• You may be using a large part of your home’s equity, thus reducing inheritance to your family as well as decreasing funds that may be needed for future care.

Since this option is not for everyone, please first consult with your financial advisor or trusted family members before making any decisions!

So what do you think? Is a reverse mortgage a good or bad idea? Is it something that could work for you?