National Aging-in-Place Week October 11-15
Remodelers trained as Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS) can help home owners adapt their home for easier accessibility and improved functionality, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). During Aging-in-Place Week, October 11-15, Blue Ridge Home Improvement (BRHI), a Blacksburg remodeler, is helping home owners learn more about the benefits of remodeling their home to meet their changing needs.
As the first Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists in southwest Virginia since 2000, BRHI has seen how the new mentality of staying in one’s home and adapting the surroundings is affecting not only our business, but the industry as a whole.
“A large portion of our projects over the last ten years have incorporated a number of universal design features,” said Tim Lawrence, president of BRHI, “including wider doorways and hallways, the use of grab bars and handrails in bathing areas, and increasing space in baths and kitchens for walker or wheelchair access.”
According to AARP, most seniors prefer to stay in their home rather than move due to health and independence concerns. Remodeling for aging-in-place can enhance a home’s function as an individual ages or lives with a disability. CAPS remodelers have received education about aging-in-place home design and partnering with customers to create a more comfortable home.
Aging-in-place solutions are tailored for each individual, but home remodels frequently include installing grab bars to minimize falling, adding comfort-height toilets, building no-step showers, and widening doorways to allow for mobility-assistance equipment such as wheelchairs.
“Remodelers can make a home more accessible while also improving its beauty,” said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Donna Shirey, CGR, CAPS, CGP, and a remodeler from Issaquah, Wash. “In fact, NAHB Remodelers recently presented Homes for Life awards to two CAPS designers for beautiful aging-in-place remodels that incorporated universal design features.”
Lawrence will hold two informational breakout sessions focused on aging-in-place remodeling techniques during the New River Valley Agency on Aging Caregiver Conference and Resource Fair on Saturday, October 16 at New River Community College in Dublin, Virginia. BRHI will also have a design and technology booth entirely dedicated to helping you find your forever home through aging-in-place techniques. The conference is open to anyone who provides care to an older adult or person with disabilities.
Lawrence will also hold an educational workshop titled How do I make my home fit my needs as I grow older, at the YMCA in Blacksburg on Thursday, October 26 from 7-9 p.m. The workshop is one of a series of classes offered by BRHI, including a course on the new EPA lead paint rule and how to choose a remodeler. Anyone who is interested in learning how to increase accessibility of their home as they age can register for the class at http://www.vtymca.org/openu.html.
For more information about remodeling for aging-in-place, contact Blue Ridge Home Improvement at [email protected] or 540-951-3505.
