As our parents age, we are forced to make some tough choices regarding their living arrangements.  Not all options fit our requirements, our lifestyle, our parents’ needs, or our financial ability to pay for the arrangements.  If you decide, for now, that the best arrangement is for your mother or father to come live in your home, then you’ve got another thing to think about - making your house a safe place for him or her. 

1.    If your parent is disabled, you have to pay extra attention to the layout of your home and making things as accessible as possible for them.  There are some specific areas of your home you should take a close look at and do everything you can.

2.    The entrance to your home needs to be as safe as possible.  If you have steps, you may need to put a ramp over the top for the parent in a wheelchair or the parent who has hip problems and can’t lift her foot high enough to negotiate steps.  Make sure a handrail is available, firmly attached and not wobbly.  Check to see if the door is easy to open or if you need to oil the hinges or shave the frame to make it easier to open and close.

more…

One question I have when I watch my favorite home show on TV is “Why wait until you’re going to sell to increase the value of your home?”  Why not improve it and make it pleasing to you while you’re still living there?  Upgrading your home makes you feel good about living there.  Plus, it’s a lot less expensive to make small changes to your existing home than to buy a new one.

1.   Evaluate & Assess What Needs To Be Done

Before you can decide what to tackle first, you must take a walk around the inside and outside of your home and look at it with fresh eyes.  Take in details and think about the little things you can change that won’t take a ton of work or money, but can have an impact.

more…