HOME MODIFICATIONS

Home modifications are an investment. They can provide HUGE savings and are preventive measures that increase your ability to live that home rather than limit you or indicate a decline. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research revealed that home modifications may prevent up to 50% of all home accidents among older adults– including falls.

Home modifications are adaptations to your environment to meet the needs of individuals with physical, social, and cognitive impairments to allow them to remain at home in the safest way possible. Modifications may be as simple as:

• decluttering
• using grab bars in the bathroom and shower
• installation of handrails
• improving lighting
• reconfiguring furniture
• moving rooms from upstairs to downstairs
• or adding assistive devices to increase mobility

Home modifications should take into consideration these elements:

• Accessibility: i.e. adding ramps or lift devices, changing countertop heights, making doorways wider to allow individuals to access their environment.
• Adaptability: Usually quick and easy accommodations such as adding lighting, grab bars and changing the level of sofas, chairs, and beds to enable safer mobility.
• Universal Design: designing spaces to be usable by all people, regardless of ability. An example might include open floor plans so that they are easy to navigate for everyone.
• Visitability: A design or home modification that makes the space able to be lived in or visited by people with impairments. For instance, if they have trouble with steps or use wheelchairs or walkers. A home is visitable when it meets these basic requirements:
  1. A zero-step entrance
  2. At least 32 inch wide doors with clear passageways
  3. A bathroom on the main floor that is wheelchair or walker accessible

---

Where to Begin?

At Home of Mine, we believe the first step to making effective and meaningful home modifications begins with understanding you.

• We first see to understand your needs, goals, and objectives
• We assess how you function within your home. Having trouble getting on/off the couch? We problem solve why.
• We have you show us around your living space. Taking careful measurements of you and your space in order to make the correct recommendations.
• About a week later you’ll have a complete write up with all of our recommendations and links so you can fully understand what we recommend and why we recommend it