Many transitions in life are difficult to manage, but when you decide to help your parents find a way to make sure that they are able to stay in their own homes. And while aging in place is a popular decision for many families, it is a process that requires many modifications and considerations. From installing wheelchair lifts for homes that have two stories to purchasing medical lift recliners and making plans for a medical ramp, there are many plans that need to be put in place to make sure that your parents are healthy, safe, and well cared for. Making plans for any transition takes time, but it is impossible to understand the transition to making a home accessible without a little bit of help. Understanding the accessibility standards for a wheelchair, for instance, requires careful attention to slope, width, and the materials used.
Finding the right kind of modifications requires careful attention to many safety standards and accessibility requirements. The decision to age in place is a family decision that more and more families are making, but it is a decision that requires quite a bit of help. Finding someone who can come in to your home to help your parents or grandparents. From meals to medications, finding the right care giver can help the elderly people in your life be successful.
In addition to wheelchair lifts for homes, there are also a number of other modifications that can allow more and more people to stay in their homes as long as they want. Consider some of these facts and figures about the increasing number of Americans who want to stay in their home instead of moving into an assisted living community or other option:
- Research indicates that by the year 2030, older adults, often referred to as seniors, will account for roughly 20% of the entire U.S. population.
- An older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall every 11 seconds. Many of these falls may have been avoided if home safety modifications had been in place.
- One of the limitations that forces many people to move out of their home is the use of a wheelchair. Fortunately, wheelchair lifts for homes provide a way for many people to stay in their homes.
- As many as 53 million Americans live with a disability, and according to a recent study, limited mobility is the most common.
- 48% of homeowners over the age of 55 indicate that the bathroom is the top area in the home that they have considered modifying when they consider plans for aging in place, according to HomeAdvisor’s 2016 Aging in Place Report.
- 90% of people over the age of 65 indicate that they want to live in their home as long as they can, according to AARP and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Stairlifts are just one example of a modification that allows many people to stay at home and remain independent. In fact, as more and more individuals are aging in place the market for accessibility products continues to grow to meet these needs.
