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We’re very happy to announce the release of the summer edition of The Forever Home, our quarterly e-newsletter which provides insightful information, valuable advice and helpful tips to assist you in Aging-in-Place comfortably and independently.

In this latest issue, you can read about the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and how Enable America (EA) is empowering people with disabilities to achieve independence through employment. Through its research and outreach across the country, EA has discovered that millions of Americans with disabilities who have employable skills, want to work, but often face additional barriers to finding jobs.

Another article discusses The Stanford Center on Longevity’s newly published review of aging and demographic statistics in the United States. Entitled New Realities for an Older America: Challenges, Changes and Questions-this document captures the nation’s major aging trends in a single report, summarizes what is already known about aging realities, and also poses twelve important aging-related questions about how America is going to deal with them.

Did you know that every seven seconds, another Baby Boomer turns 64 years old and that the nearly 77 million Baby Boomers represent the largest age group in America today? Our next story describes how as Baby Boomers continue to age-they also continue to shape and transform new technological innovations and look for convenience, connections, and caring as they Age-in-Place. The article discusses a recent CNBC report that noted “while the parents of the Boomers were content to simply live longer, the new generation gap is about expectations: to live longer and to live better.”

Also in this issue, we offer some tips and advice for healthy Aging-in-Place.

We hope that you enjoy this issue. Please feel free to forward our newsletter to your friends and families.  Home Evolutions invites you to email us at hburns@homeevolutions.com with your comments, suggestions, and any story ideas that would help The Forever Home better meet your specific needs.

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

Spring is here and as the flowers bloom and the days grow brighter and warmer while buzzing with renewed life, it is a great time to think about renewing your home with modifications and renewing yourself with the possibilities of aging-in-place comfortably, safely, and independently.

With all of this on our minds, we here at Home Evolutions are excited to summarize what interesting articles you will find in this newest edition of The Forever Home—including information about financing, universal design, and of course, about what’s new and exciting in aging-in-place and home modification options.

In this newest issue, you can first read about various programs that may help fund aging-in-place home modifications. A recent article by Lisa Ann Fagan and Cheri Cabrera for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) offers some advice and financial ideas while discussing the following funding possibilities:  insurance coverage of home modifications; federal programs administered at the state or local level; state assistive technology projects; health promotion / fall and injury prevention grants; foundations and organizations; and tax deductions.

The second article discusses a new AARP study revealing that nine out of ten people prefer to age-in-place. These latest research findings come from a recent study conducted by AARP members in New York. AARP commissioned these surveys to examine the opinions of members regarding issues of neighborhood safety, community services, affordable housing, home modification, and transportation. The findings note that seniors who are 55 and older are less likely to move and buy/build new homes and more likely to age-in-place because most of them feel satisfied with their homes and the communities in which they live.

The next article covers another survey conducted by MetLife showing that aging-in-place is an affordable future option for baby boomers. This piece discusses author, Tom Kelly’s description of how rising long-term care costs are fueling the demand for aging-in-place home modifications. The article also describes the MetLife study’s findings that the cost of living in general is still increasing in its traditional manner despite the economic recession. For retirees and seniors who are realizing the reality and limitations of a fixed income, aging-in-place may not only be the best personal choice in one’s golden years, but it may be the most economically sound option as well. The economic and aesthetic benefits of universal design options are also considered.

Our final piece showcases the newest high-tech devices and products that allow caregivers to check on aging family members. The article describes products that were introduced to the commercial market during a recent National Council on Aging and the American Society on Aging conference. One highlight is a new wireless, home monitoring system called “BeClose” that was announced. According to the piece, this new technology will effectively connect caregivers with those who receive care. The BeClose system utilizes unobtrusive, wireless sensors that are placed throughout the home, which then transmit information to a website where caregivers can log in to monitor the daily activities of their loved ones.

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.

The latest edition of The Forever Home is now available online. For those of you who are new to our blog, our quarterly e-newsletter provides you with insightful information, valuable advice, and helpful tips to assist you to age-in-place comfortably and independently.

In this issue, you’ll read about the recent AARP’s Aging-in-Place videos which we participated in to help raise awareness on how to make your home safer as you age. The 3-part series of short video clips showcases Ross and Anna, a couple in their 70s who are making changes to their home so they can age in place. AARP invited us to visit the home of this couple to make some simple kitchen, bathroom, and home interior/exterior fixes at low-to-no cost.

According to the online health care Web site, HealthCommentary.org, our current health care system is not well equipped to address the immediate demands of a rapidly aging population. In our article, Technology Continues to Advance Home-Centered Health Care, you’ll read why experts are recommending that we place a stronger emphasis on prevention and wellness.

We’ll also take you behind the scenes of a nursing home. One medical student documented her time inside a nursing home to better understand what it’s like for an aging person who is living in one. The theory behind the program is that if future doctors can better understand how seniors live and what they go through on a daily basis, then those doctors can better treat and care for older patients because they have truly walked in their shoes. As an added bonus, the program hopes to inspire and steer medical students to choose geriatric care as their focus. This specialization is in near desperate need of new doctors.

Finally, our country’s general awareness of green practices is growing at an almost fever-pitched rate. This is a result of the now more accepted reality of the dangers and undeniable negative effects that global warming can have on our future. In addition, there has been an expansion of political and social pressures on us to modify our overall consumption behaviors.

We hope that you enjoy this issue. Please feel free to forward our newsletter to your friends and families. We invite you to email us at hburns@homeevolutions.com with your comments, suggestions, and any story ideas that would help The Forever Home better meet your specific needs.

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

Although the summer is slowly winding down, it is never too late or a bad time to think about home re-modification and aging-in-place. Before the fall brings fading and changing colors to the landscape, we would like to present a few articles that focus on green (environmental sustainability). As environmental consciousness seeps more and more into the minds of builders and remodelers, it is only natural that green practices become part of the conversations related to the aging-in-place movement. Of course, there are also more traditional articles about what’s new and exciting in universal design and home modification options.

In this newest issue, you can first read about how universal design can be made accessible for everyone with the help of a knowledgeable contractor. The article references the North Carolina State University Center for Universal Design’s emphasis on designing products and environments that are useable by all people—especially taking into consideration their varying physical differences and capabilities. Learn what universal design modifications Arthur and Mariam Eisenberg of Jericho, NY did to their home after Arthur had spinal surgery. The article also lists some helpful and quick, aging-in-place fixes that homeowners can do themselves.

The first sustainability-related article highlights Home Evolutions’ recent certification as a green professional. Read how earlier this spring, Home Evolutions’ president, Harry Burns, received his Certified Green Professional Designation from the National Association of Home Builders. This designation recognizes builders, remodelers, and other industry professionals who incorporate green building principles into homes without driving up the cost of construction. This interesting article is a wonderful testament to how Home Evolutions is always committed to staying current with industry innovations.

In addition, our other green-related story discusses current trends in how accessibility options can also be environmentally friendly. Relating an article from the International Code Council, it notes how accessibility might complement the concepts of green and sustainable building. With a focus on increasing the efficiency of our resources while reducing the impacts on human health and the environment, some energy provisions fit very well with accessibility concerns. The article also discusses the concepts and ordinances of ‘visitability’ requirements for homes.

Our final piece may make you completely rethink the concepts of remodeling and aging-in-place! Discussing a recent article from the University of Southern California News, such reconsiderations seem to have been inspired by the Obama Administration’s plan to retrofit dwellings throughout the country for energy conservation. The article describes how millions of seniors and people with disabilities can benefit from the adaptation of safer building codes, the further development of age-friendly communities, and the significant changes that need to be made to existing coding systems and construction processes. It then picks up on the hot topics of ‘visitability’ and universal design, while discussing how current health care reform legislation can positively affect aging-in-place.

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.

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.

We are pleased to announce the release of the winter 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 the latest trend in the Aging-in-Place movement:  How home remodelers can partner with healthcare professionals like occupational therapists to help facilitate communication with seniors and people with disabilities in order to better understand their specific needs. As a result, home modification specialists can provide clients with the best products and services possible that will help them achieve their specific aging-in-place goals.

Another recent trend, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and NBC News, is that more and more children are having increased involvement with directly caring for their aging parents. With such growing responsibilities come additional financial and emotional burdens, which are giving baby boomers added stress in their already hectic lives. Learn about what others are feeling and experiencing as they care for loved ones through the personal stories of people like Betty Seckinger and Brian Williams. Also, see what healthcare experts have to say about this trend.

Then, read about Sherry Schwab from the National Association of Home Builders, who spent nearly a month in Europe studying how people overseas view and approach aging-in-place. Learn about what other countries are doing to help their seniors and people with disabilities continue to live in their homes comfortably, safely, and independently. The article also discusses how the United States is positioned to set the world standard for the Aging-in-Place movement.

Finally, check out our summary of a recent AARP survey, which indicates that baby boomers generally plan on remaining in their current homes. This trend, of course, will require the assistance and services of companies like Home Evolutions, since many seniors are now making house modifications so that they can continue living independently. The survey shows that nearly one-third of Americans age 45 and over are making changes to their homes so that they can stay in them longer.

We truly hope that you enjoy this issue. 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.

All of us here at Home Evolutions wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving! May you continue to spend this wonderful family holiday at home with your loved ones for many years to come.