The Inside Outside Guys: Home safety assessments can help you age in place

We all acknowledge that getting older is a blessing and a curse.

As time goes by, most of us tend to experience reduced capacity in a variety of forms, from stiff muscles to aching backs, diminished eyesight and other maladies.

We are also beginning to discover ways to stay in our homes as we age that are safer, more affordable, and create methods for us to perhaps even improve our quality of life.

One thing we try to avoid is falls.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, CDC, there are roughly 36 million reported falls in adults each year resulting in 32,000 deaths and untold related injuries.

One in every 5 falls results in a serious injury either to the head or related bone issues, like fractures.

Luckily, the housing industry has recognized both the economic and social need to safely stay in our homes or age in place, AIP.

Companies like Barrier Free Plus in Macomb and Atlas Home Safety in Whitmore Lake provide mobility and accessibility solutions for homes and businesses alike utilizing known products, procedures and professionals.

Darian Bobby, an owner at Atlas, tells of observing an elderly male having difficulty getting out of bed.

Installation of a simple, affordable and adaptable railing on the bed frame allowed the client to easily and safely sit up and move from the bedside.

A medical professional these companies may take advantage of is an occupational therapist, a healthcare professional that focuses on enabling people to do things they want and need to do in their everyday lives.

One function of an OT is to create a needs analysis for people in their own home.

These home assessments are intended to identify potential barriers or challenges the home may present, from stairs to lighting, reaching, trip hazards, slippery surfaces and more.

This is done by observing clients in their daily living environment and assessing capabilities and risks. The OT will work with a professional company to then create solutions for the client.

Keep in mind this can be done proactively as one anticipates a future need or reactively as we might adapt to an accident, injury or progressive health issue.

An OT will ask a client to move about the home as they would on a daily basis and perform daily rituals.

Simply negotiating a set of stairs may present a challenge that can be overcome through the installation of a lift or modifying a floor plan to move the owner bedroom suite to a main floor.

Bathing can become a difficult and, potentially, dangerous task for many.

One in 3 falls in and around the home occur in the bathroom. Hard, wet and slippery surfaces are main contributors, as is poor lighting that may create shadows that hinder mobility.

An OT will look for possible obstructions in the path through the home, including plush carpet that may restrict a device such a walker, cane or wheelchair, loose rugs and slippery floor surfaces.

In the kitchen, bath and stairs, it may be suggested to create identifiable color contrast between various edges whether on countertops, steps or walkways.

Lights that turn on automatically to illuminate common routes both in and outside of the home may be suggested.

The list of potential upgrades is quite long and companies like those named can phase work as the budget permits while protecting, and often enhancing, value in the home. Indeed, when properly executed, these improvements can often blend into the decor to keep the home from having an institutional feel.

Make certain that the home you live in, or that of those you love, is adapted to accommodate changing needs and abilities.

Talk to the professionals you’ll find at Insideoutsideguys.com about a home assessment today.

For more advice, listen to the Inside Outside Guys every Saturday and Sunday on AM760-WJR from 10 a.m. to noon or contact us at insideoutsideguys.com.