seniors
Simple Changes Allow You to
Stay Home As You Age
ROSIE ROMERO JR | SPECIAL TO THE JE
T oday’s real estate market is
tough for homebuyers. From
the soaring prices to low inven-
tory, fi nding a home that fi ts your
needs as you or a loved one age can be
challenging and costly.

If you are having trouble looking
for another house with aging-friendly
amenities, consider staying put and
adding them to your current home.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money
to make a few simple changes to your
home that could allow you to live there
longer. Th ere are many low-cost ways
to make your home, or your parents’
home, more comfortable and accessi-
ble, including these suggestions.

For starters, focus on these areas that
can become the biggest barriers as you
22 get a little older: the doorways and the
bathroom. In addition, it’s wise to get
rid of the steps approaching at least one
of the home’s entrances.

Entryways You could replace the steps with a
small, natural ramp with some grading
and landscaping. Pro tip: Th e ramp
should be a foot in length for every inch
of rise to the threshold. Otherwise, the
slope will be too high and someone
approaching in a wheelchair will stall
halfway up. Th ere are also portable
ramps if you can’t add a permanent
one. For stairs where a ramp isn’t fea-
sible, add additional lighting to reduce
the risk of falls.

Widen the front doorway to the
home so it’s at least 36 inches, the
width a wheelchair or walker needs to
fi t through without scraping the sides.

AUGUST 4, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Doorways Th e same goes for interior doors to
bedrooms and bathrooms, which are
typically only 30 inches wide. Can’t
aff ord construction? Fit your door with
a swing-out hinge that will add 2 to 3
inches to the width. Th e hinges can be
found at hardware stores or online.

Bathrooms Next, make your bathroom more com-
fortable to use now and in the future.

If you’re having trouble getting up and
down when using the toilet, add a steel
toilet safety frame with arms to help
you lift and lower yourself. You can
fi nd them at home improvement stores
that sell medical aids.

If you don’t like the look of the safety
frame, install a grab bar on the wall
next to the toilet. You can fi nd grab
bars in stylish fi nishes and designer
colors to match your bathroom’s décor.

For a more comfortable solution,
though a bit pricier, swap your old
14-inch-tall toilet for a new “com-
fort-height” model with a seat that’s 17
to 19 inches from the ground, which
is more like the height of a chair.

Consider adding a washlet or bidet.

A bidet is a standalone fi xture that
resembles a toilet. It uses water with
a retractable or separate hand-held
sprayer, faucet or direct spray from the
bottom of the bowl. A washlet is a toilet
seat with integrated bidet functions.

Grab bars in the bathroom were once
associated with disabilities. Th at’s not
the case anymore. People of all ages
and abilities are buying and installing
them. In addition to the grab bars next
to your toilet, place one or two on the
shower walls. Th ey’ll help you hang on
if you lose your balance. Your visitors
will use them for the same reason.

Pro tip: Before installing grab bar(s),
consider how you will use it. One that’s
positioned horizontally will give you
the best leverage as you get out of the
bathtub or stand up from the toilet.

Choose one that is 24 inches long. Place
it 33 to 36 inches above the fl oor. If
you’d like to add a bar on the same wall
as the showerhead, it should be at least
12 inches long.

Keep in mind that an angled bar is
handy if people of diff erent heights
share the bathroom.

Th e angled grab bar might be easier
to install because wall studs are placed
16 inches apart. A 24-inch bar installed
at a 45-degree angle will allow you to
screw the bar into those studs easily.

You need to anchor the grab bar to a
wall stud or with a toggle bolt that has
a guaranteed weight rating. Otherwise,
it could pull right out from the wall
and send you fl ying if you lean or pull
on it. Plus, most building codes require
that grab bars be secure enough to stay
in place even under the pressure of a
250-pound load. Th at means you must
screw the bars into wall studs. If the
wall studs don’t match the length of
the bar, then reinforce the wall with
plywood, and screw it into that.

Many people use their showers
far more than their bathtubs, espe-
cially if they no longer bathe children.

Th erefore, consider replacing your tub
with a curbless shower. Have a bench
and a hand-held spray installed at the
same time, so that you can sit while
you shower. If you’re still stepping over
a curb to get into the shower, you could
trip. And if you need to use a wheel-
chair down the road, rolling into the
shower will be easier. Better to make
those changes now when it’s not an
urgent need.

Most people want to live inde-
pendently, no matter what their age.

Making a few future-minded improve-
ments to your home now can help keep
you comfortable and safe at home for
years to come. JE
Rosie Romero, Jr. is co-owner of
Arizona’s home improvement radio pro-
gram “Rosie on the House.”