Home Security

How to Prepare Your Home for Aging in Place

By Ring on May 15, 2024

Staying in your home as you grow older, or aging in place, can help you maintain independence as a senior.¹ But most homes aren’t laid out to accommodate aging in place.

With a few future-proof home modifications, you can help keep your home safe and comfortable throughout any stage of life. Learn more about the benefits of proactive home upgrades, the essential changes to consider, and how to get started on your aging-in-place renovation.

Why Invest in Aging-in-Place Upgrades?

Even if you don’t have any difficulties getting around your home now, certain areas could pose a challenge as you age. Modifying your home to accommodate future mobility or health issues can help improve your quality of life later on.

Here are a few benefits of making aging-in-place home modifications before you need them:

Improve safety by removing or changing areas that could pose a hazard.

Boost convenience by making it easier to move around your home if you experience mobility challenges.

Avoid unexpected costs and spread out your investment.

Anticipate health challenges before they occur to aid recovery and avoid rushed modifications.

Tips to Help Get Started on Aging in Place Renovations

1. Assess Your Home

Before you begin aging-in-place home modifications, look around your home to see what needs to be done. Look for potential safety problems and things that might make it challenging to move around with limited mobility, like cluttered furniture or uneven floors.

2. Explore Financing Options

If you need major aging-in-place home modifications, such as a full kitchen and bath remodel, you may need to consider financing options. Some insurance plans may cover medically necessary equipment for aging in place, and your state may offer financial assistance for certain modifications. Home equity lines of credit and personal loans can also help fund your renovation.

3. Ask a Specialist

When searching for professionals to assist you in your renovations, consider seeking help from the following:

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS)

Home remodel companies specializing in aging in place

Volunteers from local organizations for seniors

Local resources found on the Administration for Community Living’s Elder Care Locator

7 Essential Aging-in-Place Home Modifications

These modifications can help make your home more accessible and safer as you age in place:

Handrails and Grab Bars

Railing and grab bars can help provide stability and prevent falls as you move around your home. Consider adding extra support on both sides of your stairs, in hallways, and near toilets and tubs.²

Accessible Fixtures and Hardware

The CDC reports that among adults 65 and older, 47% have reported being diagnosed with arthritis. The disease commonly affects hands and fingers, making it difficult to grip and hold onto objects, including door knobs and cabinet hardware.

To make your home more accessible, consider replacing knobs with lever door handles, which don’t require a tight grip. The same logic applies to cabinet pulls — if they’re difficult to operate with an open hand, look for larger hardware that hands and fingers can fit through. Finally, consider replacing faucets in the kitchen and bathroom with touchless technology.

Stairlift or Elevator

Stairs can be difficult to navigate when experiencing balance, mobility, and vision issues. If stairs become a challenge, a stairlift or elevator can help you safely travel to different levels of your home. You can also change the layout of your home to reduce the need for stairs. For example, you may consider turning a downstairs office into your primary suite if it’s currently on a different floor.

Bathroom Alterations

From slick tiles to deep tubs, many bathrooms are full of fall hazards. These adjustments can help reduce your fall risk as you age:

Install a walk-in shower or tub to make it easier to enter and exit.

Add a raised toilet seat, which can make it easier to sit and stand.

Place non-slip mats inside tubs and non-skid rugs over flooring.

Add a portable or permanent shower chair to provide support while bathing.

Ramps

Wheelchairs and walkers can help improve mobility for older adults. To accommodate mobility devices you may use in the future, consider adding ramps to outside entryways and thresholds.

Slip-Resistant Flooring

Uneven flooring and slick surfaces can make falls more likely. If your home has slippery floors, consider replacing them with a low-impact option with traction or adding no-slip strips.³ To prevent curling, stick rugs and carpet to the floor with double-sided tape or adhesive.

Kitchen Upgrades

As you age, using your kitchen may become more difficult. To create a more accessible space, consider these modifications:

Add pull-out shelves or replace cabinets with drawers, so you don’t have to reach into the back of a deep cabinet.

Use easy-to-grip hardware.

Adjust the countertop height to reduce stooping or allow for preparation in a seated position.

Install accessible appliances with buttons that are easy to press and read.

Buy kitchen and cooking aids, like electric can openers, jar openers, and reaching tools.

Smart Technology to Help Homeowners Aging in Place

Smart technology can help improve safety and make using your home easier as you age.

Smart locks eliminate the need for keys, which could be misplaced or become difficult to turn as you age, and allow you to remotely check the status of your lock.

Smart security systems, like Ring Alarm, monitor activity around your home. With a Ring Protect subscription, sold separately, you and other emergency contacts can receive notifications if your Alarm is triggered.⁴ You can also enroll in Alarm Professional Monitoring with your Ring Protect Pro subscription for an extra layer of protection.⁵

Smart sensors, like Ring’s Smoke and CO Listener, can alert you to safety issues at home. When connected to Ring Alarm, you and your loved ones can receive real-time notifications if a smoke detector goes off in your home (with a Ring Protect subscription, sold separately).⁴

Smart thermostats can automatically adjust to ensure a comfortable temperature at home. You can also set schedules to automatically change the temperature according to your routine.

Smart light switches and bulbs enable you to use a voice assistant or your phone to control the lighting in your home.

Medical assist systems can provide critical support during an emergency. When you have a Ring Alarm and a Ring Protect Pro subscription, sold separately, you can use the Panic Button to request emergency assistance. You can also enroll in Alexa Emergency Assist to request help using your Amazon Echo.

Smart cameras and doorbells can help you monitor your home and answer the door remotely. Your Shared Users on the Ring App can also check in via Live View and ask about your day using Two-Way Talk.

Start Building a Smarter Home With Ring

With smart home technology from Ring, you can create a safer and more accessible home as you age in place.

Explore our smart security systems, indoor and outdoor cameras, doorbells, and devices that work with Ring to see how you can create a smarter home for the future.

¹ https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-place/aging-place-growing-older-home#:~:text=Staying%20in%20your%20own%20home,requires%20careful%20consideration%20and%20planning

² https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/falls-and-falls-prevention/preventing-falls-home-room-room
https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/what_you_can_do_brochure-print.pdf

³ https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/falls-and-falls-prevention/preventing-falls-home-room-room

⁴ Ring Alarm and all Ring Alarm accessories require a subscription for in-app features and digital notifications, including digital arming / disarming and integration with other Ring, Echo, Alexa, and third party products. Subscription sold separately. View ring.com/protect-plans for pricing and details.

⁵ A compatible Ring Protect subscription is required to enroll in the Ring Alarm professional monitoring service. Professional monitoring service is available only within the U.S. (all 50 states, but not U.S. territories) and in Canada (excluding Quebec). Ring does not own its own professional monitoring center. Smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring is not available for a business or commercially zoned address. See Ring alarm licenses at: ring.com/licenses. Additional permit or false alarm fees may apply depending on your local jurisdiction. Additional charges may apply in areas that require permits or guard response service for alarm verification.