Many of us know of someone, or ourselves, dealing with issues that may cause them to have difficulty functioning in their current home environments. Dorothy Gale said it best, “There’s no place like home.” Boy, was she right! We feel most comfortable in the place we call home and nobody wants to be forced to leave because of physical issues.
2014 saw the largest number of elderly – 44.7 million – ever in the United States. This number represented 14.1% of the entire US population (www.aoa.acl.gov) and is expected to increase by ⅓ by 2040. And, like most who are in this age category, with advancing age comes the realization that living like we did in our younger years may be more challenging than we would like.
Home modifications for elderly individuals can help make their current living environment safer and more functional. These changes can be rather simple, and will allow you or a loved one to maintain a certain level of independent living. The below modifications can help make aging in place easier for individuals who wish to stay living in their current home.