(BPT) - Aging in place isn't just about staying in a familiar building. Continuing to live in your home as you age is also about preserving a sense of self, dignity and control over daily routines.
The vast majority of older American adults (ages 50 and older) would like to live in their current home and community for as long as possible, according to AARP's 2024 Home and Community Preferences national survey. However, traditional home layouts often create mobility and safety challenges over time, making aging in place more difficult and even dangerous.
Luckily, a few smart renovations can make it more attainable for older adults to maintain independence, comfort and peace of mind as they approach their golden years. Whether you're thinking ahead for your own safety and comfort or preparing to take care of a relative as they age, consider the following changes that can help make aging in place easier.
1. Improve a home's layout with mobility in mind
The standard home assumes homeowners can easily navigate stairs every day, multiple times a day. As you age, stairs can become painful and even dangerous to use, limiting a senior's ability to get around their own home.
When updating a home, focus on creating a layout that allows you or your loved one to perform all essential daily functions entirely on the main floor. Depending on your home, that could include moving the primary bedroom, full bathroom and laundry room downstairs.
Consider converting a seldom-used dining room, den or home office into a permanent main-floor primary suite. You likely won't miss the extra space, and you'll be grateful for the renovation down the line.
2. Create an accessible bathroom
Creating an accessible bathroom on the main floor of your home should be your top priority when renovating. The bathroom is one of the riskiest places in your home. In fact, according to UCLA Health, an estimated 80% of falls in the home occur in the bathroom.
Take stock of your bathroom and note what features could improve safety and mobility. For example, getting on and off the toilet can be more difficult for older adults. Installing grab bars and comfort-height toilets can make going to the bathroom safer and more comfortable.
Make sure you also have sufficient lighting. Without proper lighting, overnight trips to the bathroom can quickly turn into an emergency room visit. A simple fix like a night light or two can brighten a room, improving visibility and reducing the risk of a fall.
3. Trade the tub for a shower
A bathtub can add a touch of luxury and create a spa-like atmosphere homeowners can enjoy on any given day. However, they take up a lot of a bathroom's footprint and can pose a safety risk to older adults.
Getting in and out of a tub safely can be challenging for anyone, especially if you're not as mobile as you used to be. Instead of risking a fall now or in the future, consider removing your bathtub and replacing it with a shower. Inside the shower, make sure to install handrails and a shower seat for added accessibility and safety.
4. Build an accessory dwelling unit
For some homes, it can be impossible or at least prohibitively expensive to incorporate aging-in-place renovations. If that's the case for you, consider adding an accessory dwelling unit (ADU).
ADUs are secondary living spaces added to a single-family home. Some are detached structures like a backyard or granny cottage, but you can also create an ADU by renovating a garage or basement into a separate living space, sometimes referred to as an in-law suite.
For Tina, a new homeowner in the Connecticut area, one of the most appealing features of her home was the basement that doubled as an in-law suite. With exterior access, the residence would provide her elderly parents with their own private living space on the lower level.
The problem: The basement ADU only had a half bath. Tina didn't initially see this as a problem, as both of her parents could still navigate the steps to use one of the three full bathrooms upstairs. However, soon after moving in, Tina's father suffered a heart attack that made it difficult for him to use the stairs.
To add a full shower to the in-law suite as soon as possible, Tina's contractor recommended installing the Saniflo Sanishower. This above-floor plumbing system allows homeowners like Tina to add a shower to an existing room, basement, garage, guest suite or first-floor space without breaking through concrete or reworking an entire plumbing system.
Using the Sanishower, Tina's contractor finished installing the pump in just four hours. This allowed Tina to complete the rest of the bathroom remodel quickly, just in time for her father to come home from the hospital.
Making aging-in-place renovations more accessible
The Sanishower isn't the only solution that makes aging-in-place renovations easier.
Saniflo's Saniaccess 3 is ideal for creating an accessible full bathroom in an existing room or converting a living space on the main floor. Need to add a toilet? The Sanicompact makes it easy to add a space-saving toilet system to smaller homes, condos, guest suites or caregiver accommodations. To add a sink to an aging-in-place suite, you can use the Sanivite.
These above-floor plumbing systems are ideal solutions for retrofitting older homes, first-floor living conversions and accessible bathroom installations. They can ultimately help homeowners create safer, more functional layouts without relocating.
Aging in place is possible
You don't have to move out of your home to age in place. With a few smart renovations, older adults can maintain their independence while staying safe and comfortable where they are. To learn more about how above-floor plumbing makes aging-in-place renovations simple and attainable, visit Saniflo.com/EN.