Home Designs For Life: Remodeling Ideas To Increase Safety, Function, And Accessibility In The Home.

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Nature has an amazing ability to restore physical and mental wellbeing through simple activities such as walking, birdwatching, gardening, and enjoying the fresh air. Elderly people can find solace in nature which helps them relax and escape from everyday stress. Nature-based activities offer many benefits for older adults, allowing them to stay activ...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Tax season is around the corner and we can all benefit from tax cuts during a period of inflation. Did you know that home improvements can add value and increase the enjoyment of your home? Fortunately, some home improvement projects may qualify for tax deductions or credits that reduce your overall tax burden. To take advantage of these benefits on y...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Color can help us create a space that is welcoming and inviting, but did you know that there are certain colors and undertones that are better for the aging eye to see? Visual perception changes significantly throughout our lives, affecting how we perceive color and ultimately our ability to function and navigate our environment. Please listen to lear...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Senior home care services can help your loved one be safer at home. More people are choosing to age in place rather than move to an assisted living facility. Hiring a paid caregiver may be the best solution for someone who needs assistance but does not want to move to a senior living facility. Please listen to my conversation with Ryan McEniff, owner...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. As we age, the desire to stay in our own homes becomes more important. For many of us, the thought of leaving our home and community is a scary proposition. The home environment and aging in place can be a challenge for many older people. Fortunately, there are design strategies that can help us age in place gracefully and safely. As we age, our futur...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. The aging eye sees colors differently as we age. The natural yellowing of the lens has a lot to do with this. It is thought that older people see the world through a color similar to ginger ale. This could influence our risk for falls. However, we can adjust for these physical changes by creating color contrast in our homes. Wall color, furniture, rug...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Certain eye diseases and problems are more common as we age. Blind spots, dry eyes, and presbyopia are some of the conditions that are brought on by aging. More serious eye conditions include diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Please listen to part 2 of this 3 part series to learn more about how vision changes and disease proces...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Jintronix is already helping thousands participate in engaging and therapeutic experiences in hospitals, nursing homes, communities and at home. Their research-backed approaches benefit individuals undergoing intensive rehabilitation and residents participating in therapy, restorative and fall-prevention programs. Jintronix  can help older adults rema...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Vision changes is one of the first declines we experience with the onset of aging . Visual impairment can occur as early as 35-40 years of age. The best way to ward off more serious eye problems is through early detection by a doctor. Visual impairment accounts for one out of the four leading causes for falls in older adults. The other 3 causes are ta...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. It is amazing how technology can make our lives easier and safer nowadays. Alexa, which is a technology created by amazon, has many features designed to help older adults simplify their lives, improve communication with family members, and even help them establish a medication routine. In my interview with Esther Kane , Co-founder of the website senio...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Esther Kane and Robin Shiltz co-founded the website seniorsafetyadvice.com . Esther is a retired occupational therapist and Senior Safety Specialist. Their website is focused on helping seniors age in place and live life to the fullest. They have published over 800 articles in the past four years and also have a YouTube channel. Please listen to my ep...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Our kitchen appliances are one of the biggest investments we make in our home. Where these appliances are placed in the kitchen helps to determine their utility and value to the homeowner, especially to older adults. In fact, the types of appliances and where they’re installed ultimately determine how smart, functional, and accessible a kitchen is. Ma...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. In order for flooring to be considered low maintenance it must be easy to clean, require little to no upkeep, and durable. Some of the most common choices available are luxury vinyl plank (LVT), linoleum, bamboo, engineered wood, ceramic, porcelain, laminate, and natural stone. Please listen to learn more on how to choose the best flooring for your ho...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Seniors are choosing to live in a multi-generational home. Also, the number of Americans living in a multi-generational household ( 3 or more generations) has nearly quadrupled in the past decade. I think we can all agree first and foremost privacy is key to a successful living arrangement. Aside from privacy, there is a laundry list of must-haves to...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. As an occupational therapist specializing in home modifications, I believe that making improvements to your home that directly impact safety are at the top of the list. Falls are the #1 cause of death and serious injury in people aged 65 and older. Therefore, preventing falls should be the primary concern for caregivers, health professionals, and poli...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Seniors Home Services is a nation-wide company that provides a myriad of services to seniors and their caregivers, in order to help people "age in place".  Some of these services include a 24/7 Home Monitoring System, connected home monitoring options, home modification, bath conversion, air purification, and education on grants and programs...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. A Bathroom remodel should fit our existing needs but should serve our future needs alike. No one wants to spend money twice on the same remodel in less than a 5 year span. Therefore, we need to plan for our future needs as well. Unfortunately, our abilities change as we age and we need to take this into consideration. Planning and being prepared means...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. There are many ways that we can reduce our fall risk. However, There are 4 main categories that need to be addressed if we are going to take a holistic approach to preventing falls. They are:  1. Having your medications reviewed by a health care provider at least once a year or any time after a hospitalization. 2. Having your eyes and feet checked at...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Becky Wright , CAPS; Division Manager from from Ponte Giulio USA , joins us again to educate our listeners on accessible sinks. These sinks will not just increase your independence and quality of life, but they will also look amazing in your bathroom. They are seamless and contemporary, come in different sizes, and some are even equipped with a grab b...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. It is no secret that daylight is the best tool we have for preventing falls. It is also crucial for our emotional and psychological well being. Daylight helps maintain our circadian rhythm in check and provides us with the best quality light possible in order to function in our homes safely. Brant Hurdlebrink from Velux educates us on how skylights, a...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Whitney Ward is the co-owner of Peach Pro Consulting . She is an expert in everything related to television home technology and internet. Whitney educates us on what is new in the industry and how fiber is transforming home technology.  Support the show website: https://homedesignsforlife.com/ Email: homedesignsforlife@gmail.com

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Taylor Davis, Owner and Principal of Architecture + Design is passionate about helping her clients live longer in the homes they love. Her firm specializes in architecture that has its foundation in function and accessibility that also achieves a beautiful design. Please listen to learn more about all the ins and outs in creating a "forever home,...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. The bulk of our existing home inventory was built in the 1950"s for young and growing families. These homes do not meet the needs of an aging population, many of whom live alone.  In order to age with dignity in our home and remain in our community, we need to plan for the future and identify solutions that will effectively reduce fall risk, incr...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. As our life expectancy continues to increase, so does our likelihood of developing dementia. Dementia is a condition characterized by progressive or persistent loss of intellectual functioning, especially with impairment of memory and abstract thinking, and often with personality change, resulting from organic disease of the brain. Alzheimer’s disease...

Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans. Amy Tokos, CPO is a Certified Professional Organizer. She is also the president of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Amy is the owner of Freshly Organized, LLC in Omaha, Nebraska. Amy's organizing tips have been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, AARP, and Good Housekeeping. Please listen to learn...