By Clare Absher RN, BSN Updated: 06/04/2019
Photo by paulvelgos on Adobe Stock
Home Modification and Repair includes adaptations to homes that can make it easier and safer to manage activities of daily living such as bathing, cooking, and stair climbing. Examples include installing grab bars and transfer benches in bathrooms, and ramps and handrails for home access. Alterations to the physical structure of the home can improve its overall safety and condition.
There are several ways to get help with modifying and repairing your home. Besides doing it yourself, getting a friend or relative, or hiring a handyman, you can contact a home modification and repair company through your local Area Agency On Aging.
Still other programs for home modification can be found at State Housing Finance Agency, Department of Public Welfare, Department of Community Development, and Senior Center Independent Living Centers. Recommendations from such agencies and programs are valuable to ensure reliability, proper licensure and insurance to avoid potential liabilities, and to get fair prices/bids. Accessing creditable references can reduce fraud, as older people can often become prime targets. If further reassurance is needed, check with your local Better Business Bureau or your city/county Consumer Affairs Office regarding the contractor's reliability and performance record.
Home modification and repair promotes independence allowing older persons to remain in their homes. The most important purpose of home modification and repair is to help prevent accidents, such as falls. Older people too often live in older homes that, in addition to being ill-equipped to meet the needs of its aging resident, also often desperately need some type of repair and/or modification. The Census Bureau reveals that 1 in 3 older Americans has trouble utilizing at least 1 feature of their home.1 Home modification and repair can accommodate lifestyle changes along with declining abilities to also increase comfort.
Insist on a written agreement, with only a small down payment. Have a trusted family member, friend, or your lawyer review the agreement. Make the final payment only after the project is completed. See below for some home modification and repair programs that offer loans or provide services free of charge or at reduced rates.
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Clare Absher is a Registered Nurse with 44 years of experience. Most of her experience is in home health serving as a caregiver, educator, patient advocate, and liaison between families and community resources. She has also worked in acute care, assisted living, and retirement settings. She is passionate about helping families care for their elderly loved ones at home.
