Baby boomers are retiring in droves. I just read this morning that there are more baby boomers older than 65 than there are people under the age of 14 in this country. In addition there is only one applicant for every two jobs that are being vacated by baby boomers retiring from the work force. This is putting a lot of pressure on business and government, however that issue is a topic for another post. In this article we wanted to focus on the baby boomer building boom and what consumers over the age of 65 should focus on in their homes to allow them to age comfortably in place. After all most people want to do just that. They are not ready to move or downsize and in many cases it is just cheaper to stay where you are.
However there are some things that need to be done to their homes to make it more comfortable to stay in their home as they age. We will cover three major areas that we all need to pay attention to.
Baby Boomer Building Boom
Steps – get rid of those steps or at least find away so that you climb less steps every day. A number of things come to mind that are relatively inexpensive and yet will make life a lot easier:
- Build ramps at appropriate locations
- Install stair lifts to the second floor
- Move bedrooms onto the main level
- Add an addition to the home with no stairs
- Hire people to do the house cleaning and other work that involves steps
Bathroom – Slips and falls in the bathroom are a major accident source for many seniors. Wet floors can be slippery, we tend to be less steady on our feet and our eyesight is not as good as it used to be.
- Install Grab Bars in showers and tubs
- Convert tub to a walk in
- Add grab bars everywhere to give you something to hold on to
- Use a walker or a cane, don’t be too proud
Remove Tripping Points – A rug, a one step stair, a bed too high etc are all places that can cause trips and falls. Combine grab bars with removing all items that could cause a trip or a fall to make it safer around your home:
- Install grab bars
- Remove throw rugs
- De-clutter your home
- Survey your home for all potential trip points