Multigenerational Housing is Making a Comeback
Multigenerational Housing is back in a big way. Multigenerational households contain three or more generations under one roof or skip a generation, such as grandparents raising their grandchildren without the parents being present. An estimated 67 million Americans, comprising one in four adults over the age of 18 currently live in a multigenerational household. This represents a 271% increase over the last ten years. Webinar: How to Best Retrofit a Home for Multigenerational Living Wednesday, October 6, 2021 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ETLEARN MORE + REGISTER Several factors have contributed to this increase: Economic conditions such as job loss or retirement savings being insufficient has been a major contributing factor in many of these cases. Increased apprehension about senior living facilities is another factor leading to an increase in multigenerational households. Immigration of people from cultures where multigenerational living is more common is another factor driving this increase. Regardless of the reasons that multigenerational living is increasing, the arrangement offers many benefits. There are also some challenges and pitfalls to watch out for when contemplating entering into a multigenerational living arrangement. For most of our history, multigenerational living was the prevailing living arrangement for most households. Prior to the industrial revolution, there were no retirement benefits and most people never ventured more than 50 miles from the place of their birth. Families were tight-knit and took care of their family members throughout the course of their lives. The TV show The Waltons represented a way of life that was the rule rather than the exception. After World War II, families became more mobile, frequently moving across the state or across the country to pursue work opportunities. The rise of company pensions, retirement savings, and Social Security lead to more seniors having the financial means to support themselves in retirement. During the period from 1940 to 1980 the percentage of Americans living in multigenerational housing fell by 50%. Now, due to factors including those mentioned above, the number of multigenerational households is increasing again. The more things change, the more they remain the same! Benefits of Multigenerational Living There are several benefits to multigenerational living. Certainly, the financial benefit is a major incentive for many of these households. Combining the income and financial resources of several generations makes it easier to make ends meet. Improved relationships between family members are another great benefit. The wisdom that younger generations gain from their elders and the enthusiasm and vitality that the older generation gains from being around young people is a vital part of society that we lose when the young and the old are sequestered from each other. The extra resources that are available for caregiving is another benefit. Challenges of Multigenerational Living There are also challenges and potential pitfalls that can accompany multigenerational living. Probably the most common one is the need to ensure that everyone has some level of privacy and some personal space that they can retreat to when required. Having open communication and the ability and willingness to address and resolve conflicts is vital to making multigenerational living work. No matter how much you love your extended family, there need to be healthy boundaries in place to preserve everyone’s sanity. You may not have enough room in your existing home to accommodate multiple generations under one roof. Often families considering multigenerational living will consider adding an addition to create more living space for additional family members. Oftentimes adding a bathroom, a second laundry room, or a second kitchen can make all the difference in having the room to accommodate a multigenerational household. If you are living in a multigenerational household and experiencing growing pains or are contemplating such an arrangement, give us a call at 540-384-2064. We can help. Webinar: How to Best Retrofit a Home for Multigenerational Living Wednesday, October 6, 2021 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ETLEARN MORE + REGISTER
Gardening for All Ages and Abilities
With spring right around the corner, many people are itching to get out of the house and into the garden. Whether you are growing your own food or are growing ornamentals, gardening is good for body and soul. Like so many other activities, gardening can become more difficult if you are struggling with mobility challenges. If you are planning to plant a garden this year, especially if it is your first time, proper planning is very important. First of all, don’t bite off more than you can chew. It is easy in early March to plan a garden that is to big for you to take care of in August. Make sure you grow those plants that do well in our climate and look up companion planting to see which plants grow well with each other. Having wide, firm surface walkways throughout the garden is important for accessibility. These pathways should be at least three feet wide. They should be no steeper than 6-8% grade and level from side to side. They should be hard surface in the sense that a wheelchair or stroller will not sink into the ground. Asphalt and concrete work well but may be cost prohibitive. Compacted crushed stone is a more economical alternative. Brick or pavers also work well if care is taken to create a smooth surface without raised edges. Grass walkways can also be an option if the ground is even and the grass is kept closely cut. A good way to make sure that your garden is accessible to all people regardless of age or ability is to create raised beds. These beds can be up to 24” high and should be no wider than 30” if access is from one side only and up to 48” wide if access is from both sides. They can be built of treated lumber, concrete blocks, retaining wall blocks, and various other materials. You can even create raised beds out of hay or straw bales. Many plants can be planted directly in the bales and as the bales decompose they turn into excellent compost to make your garden richer. Another way to create an accessible planter is to build a planter like a table with knee space underneath. These should be 34”-36” at the top with 27” of knee space underneath. Another way to create accessible gardens is with container gardens. These can be anything from five-gallon buckets, to stacked up tires, to old milk crates, even shoe racks, or empty 2-liter soda bottles cut open and hung sideways from a wall. No matter how much or how little space you have you can find a way to grow a few flowers or vegetables. Not only will you get to harvest your own produce, getting out and getting your hands dirty can be very therapeutic. Spending time in the outdoors and sunshine is good for you, body mind and spirit. If any of this seems like something you would enjoy, I encourage you to be creative and spend some time gardening this year. You just might find a new hobby that pays dividends in better health, a clearer mind and fresh, healthy vegetables. If you need help in any area of making your home or garden safer and more accessible, please give us a call at Solid rock Enterprises, Inc. Our phone number is 540-384-2064. We would be happy to meet with you and discuss ways we can make your home and yard safe, accessible and beautiful for people of all ages and abilities. Thank you for reading Housing Matters!
2020 Certified Aging in Place Specialist Designee
I am honored to be recognized as the 2020 Certified Aging in Place Designee of the Year. I enjoy creating homes that seniors are happy, comfortable, and safe in as they continue to age. Being a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, I have experience in constructing quality home remodels and builds for my senior customers that want to remain at home as they age. As you grow older, it becomes more important to be feel safe and at ease in your own house. Whether you live alone, with a partner, or with caregivers, something that shouldn’t come with age is losing independence. The inability to move around your own house, on your own, is something that should never be a requirement associated with aging and is a reason I became the first Certified Aging in Place Specialist in Roanoke Valley. Here is the press release from the National Association of Home Builders about my 2020 Aging in Place Specialist Designee of the Year award: Chris Moore, CAPS, CGR, founded Solid Rock Enterprises Inc. in Salem, Va., to provide quality building, remodeling and consulting services to his customers. Moore is an expert on using universal design principles to build and remodel homes to help seniors age in place; he performs comprehensive home evaluations to measure his clients’ abilities against the features of their homes in order to recommend home modifications customized for each client’s unique situation. Moore teaches the CAPS curriculum through NAHB and speaks to groups on aging in place, universal design, home modification and home safety. He is the author of Housing Matters, a column that appears monthly in Senior News, a member of the Age Safe® Advisory Team, serves on the Advisory Council at Good Samaritan Hospice and is a recognized expert on aging in place matters at www.caring.com. Remodeling your house to support your ability to live at home as you age is surely one of the most important home decisions you will ever make. And you want to be sure that the people you hire to make these home modifications understand the particular needs to aging in place customers. This recognition from NAHB as CAPS Designee of the year is another piece of evidence that Chris Moore and Solid Rock Enterprises are the right choice for your aging in place improvements. Don’t wait too long to upgrade your house, so that you can age without being forced to leave your house due to mobility issues. Call (540) 384-2064 today or click here to schedule a free consultation!
To Grandmother’s House we Go
When I was a boy, we lived on a farm in Rockbridge County. We had over 200 acres of woods and rolling hills to explore. My grandmother lived right across the road. We always enjoyed walking across the road to visit my grandmother. She always took time to talk with us and ask how we were doing and what we were interested in. Grandmother’s house was quite small. Downstairs there was a living room and a kitchen and upstairs there was a bedroom and a bathroom. We had to be careful how much water we used because her water supply consisted of a cistern that collected the water that ran off the roof when it rained. If we had an extended dry spell, she had to have water delivered in a truck. In her kitchen she had a wringer washing machine that she used to wash her clothes before hanging them on the clothesline to dry. Her cookstove was a combination wood and gas stove. On the left side of the stove was a wood burning firebox. The top of it was cast iron and you lifted the burners to add wood. When there was a fire going in the woodburning side it kept the kitchen warm while it cooked your dinner. The right side had gas burners. I am not certain but I believe that the oven could be heated by either wood or gas. At the time I was much more interested in the delicious meals that came out of the oven than the specifics of its operation. I particularly remember the mincemeat pies that my grandmother used to make. She liked to listen to opera on the radio, which I remember thinking was very strange. In the last few years of her life, she became a baseball fan. She used to listen to the Cincinatti Reds baseball games on the radio. She could only pick up the station after dark, so she usually missed the first few innings of the ball game. She kept meticulous stats, filling in the missed innings later from the Sporting News. A few weeks after she passed away in October of 1989, the Reds swept the World Series. My grandmother was always fascinated by Australia. She had made several trips there after she retired, and her house was full of books and artifacts from Australia. All of this was very interesting to me. Her front porch was partially screened in and on nice days we would sit out on the screened porch and talk. Looking out from the front porch and across the dirt road were woods that ran down to the creek. Lining the road were redbud trees which erupted in color in the springtime. They were always her favorite. My grandmother lived alone for nearly 30 years after my grandfather passed away. She lived a rich and fulfilling life and I was privileged to know her and to benefit from her wisdom and understanding. Thinking back to spending time at my grandmother’s house as a boy, I think about how much simpler life was in many ways. The important things in life have not changed. Taking the time to learn from those who are older and wiser than us is more important than ever. I encourage you to spend time with your loved ones. Remember that safe and accessible homes make it easier to continue to live at home throughout the course of your life. If we can help make your home a safer and more comfortable place to live please give us a call at 540-384-2064.
Remember our Veterans
Since November is the month when both Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving occur, it is the perfect time to thank a veteran for their service to our country. Their service too often goes unappreciated or even disdained. The liberties that this nation was founded on are disappearing under our noses and those who fought and bled and died to preserve those liberties are not given the credit they deserve. I encourage everyone to take time this month to show a veteran how much you appreciate their service. One of the ways that we are honored to be able to show our appreciation to our veterans is by helping them continue to live comfortably and safely in their home through home modifications. If you or a loved one is a veteran who could benefit from these programs, I would be delighted to help point you in the right direction. There are three grants we participate with to modify homes for veterans, the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant, the Home Improvement and Structural Alteration (HISA) grant, and the Granting Freedom grant. I will give some of the requirements and details of each grant here. Feel free to get in touch with me if you have questions or need more information. The SAH grant is the largest of the three, the most comprehensive, and has the strictest requirements. In order to qualify for the SAH grant, a veteran must have a service connected disability that falls within the guidelines of the program. The grant is used to help the veteran live independently in a barrier free environment. The funds can be used to remodel an existing home to meet the requirements, build a new home that is compliant, or even pay down the principal on a home you already own that is accessible according to the VA standards. Bear in mind that the standards are quite stringent and the VA will generally stick to the letter of the law in meeting their accessibility requirements. For example, there must be two means of egress such as a ramp or lift, one of which must lead directly from the veteran’s bedroom. The current maximum amount of the grant is $90,364. The grant is administered through the VA Regional office, located in the Poff building. The HISA grant is available to veterans with both service connected and non service connected disabilities. A HISA grant will pay up to $6,800 to a veteran with a service connected disability and $2,000 to a veteran with a non service connected disability. This is the only one of the three grants that offers benefits to veterans with non service connected disabilities. The HISA grant will pay to modify an existing home to make it more accessible. Examples include installing a curbless shower or widening doorways. It cannot be used to alter the use of part of a home such as converting a bedroom into a bathroom. HISA grants are administered by the prosthetics department at the VA hospital. The Granting Freedom grant is paid with private funds and is administered by the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA). The requirements are similar to the HISA grant except that it is not available to veterans with non service connected disabilities. This grant pays up to $6,000. The application is processed by your local independent living center. We frequently do jobs for veterans combining two or even all three of these grants on the same project. There is also accessibility equipment available to veterans who need it outside of these grant programs. For more information, please call me at 540-384-2064.
Safety in the Home
As the weather gets cooler, we will be likely to spend more time indoors. It is a good time to look at our homes for safety and fall prevention. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let’s take time this month to look at our home as if it were the first time we saw it. Sometimes a fresh perspective will show us things we never saw before. Let’s start with the front door. Is there a clear, slip resistant, hard surface walkway to reach it? Is there plenty of bright lighting, preferably on a motion detector? Is the entryway protected from the weather? Is there a package shelf where you can place items while opening the door? Are there full-length sidelights or multiple peep sights so that everyone in the household can see who is at the door before opening it? Is there a zero-step entryway so that people of various abilities can enter easily? If you answered no to any of these questions, you might want to consider making some changes to your entryway. Once inside the door look for lack of lighting and fall hazards as well as other safety issues as you move throughout the home. One of the most common tripping hazards found in homes is loose throw rugs. Loose flooring, particularly at transitions between different flooring types can be another cause for concern. Make sure that there are not trailing extension cords or clutter in walkways that could present a fall hazard. Handrails, grab bars, or other handholds throughout the house can be helpful in preventing falls. Bright, glare free lighting in the home, particular in circulation areas such as hallways and stairs can help prevent falls. Battery powered; motion activated lights are a low-cost way to bring light to dimly lit areas. Most of these hazards can be remedied at little to no cost just by taking the time to address them. If you have a loved one who would benefit from these measures, help them to see the importance of preventative measures. As always, the bathroom is a prime area of concern when it comes to safety and fall prevention. There are many safety concerns in the typical bathroom. The room is too small, the floors are too slippery, the door is too narrow, the lighting is too dim, the controls are too difficult to operate, the tub or shower is difficult to enter, and there are no grab bars or other fall prevention. Think safety first, accessibility second, and convenience third. Grab bars should be included in every bathroom, regardless of the age of the residents. Safety and fall prevention are for everyone. If the flooring is slippery, changing the flooring or adding a slip resistant coating should be a high priority. Widening the door and changing the bathtub to a curbless shower will allow the bathroom to be more accessible to all. Adding lever controls to the doorknob, faucets, shower valve, and other controls will allow those with limited hand strength to access the controls. Adding better lighting will improve safety by making it easier to see. Changing the faucets and shower valves to pressure balancing, positemp controls or lowering the water temperature can help prevent burns, particularly among those with limited feeling in their extremities. I hope these suggestions will help you look at your home with new eyes. If you need help implementing any of these ideas, or any of our other remodeling services, please give us a call at 540-384-2064 or visit our website at www.solidrockenterprises.com.
Features to look for in a New Home
If after assessing your current home and considering its accessibility features (or lack thereof) you have decided that making a change of venue is in your best interest, it is important to know what to look for in a new home. When looking for a new home in which to age in place, I would recommend that you consider not only the features of the home itself, but also its proximity to services that you might need as well as support services that could be helpful in your aging in place efforts. I will address each of those concerns separately here. In the home itself, the first thing I would look for is at least one zero step entry. Ideally, this entry should be protected from the weather, with a motion activated light and a package shelf. If there is an attached garage, then this is an ideal place for a zero step entry into the house. I would eliminate any house that does not have a zero step entry or could easily have one installed. The ability for people of all ages and abilities to enter the house is critical for a house for all ages. Doorways into the house and throughout all critical areas of the home (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc.) should be 36” wide. If possible, find a house with 42” wide hallways, but at least 36”. A single story house or one equipped with an elevator or lift would enable you to access the entire even if stairs become too difficult to climb. I also consider an accessible bathroom on an accessible level to be a must have for any house to be used for aging in place. The bathroom should feature a 36” wide door, 60” diameter clear floor space for turning, a curbless shower, and a roll under sink. Other features to look floor include bright, glare free lighting, non slip flooring, fall protection, accessible storage, and easy to clean surfaces. I would also make sure that bedrooms and common areas such as living and dining rooms are easy to get to. Finally, especially if cooking and baking are activities that you enjoy, I would look for an accessible kitchen. Features to look for in an accessible kitchen include adjustable or varied countertop heights, accessible appliances, bright, glare free lighting, non slip flooring, fall protection, accessible storage, and easy to clean surfaces Accessible appliances include such things as roll under cooktop and sink, raised dishwasher, microwave and wall oven at convenient heights with adjacent countertops for placing dishes when removing, and French door refrigerators or those with freezer compartments on the bottom. Another valuable feature to look for is pull out and pull down shelves in cabinets. Accessible outdoor living areas such as porches, patios, and garden areas would be another option worth considering. Outside of the home, consider the location. Is the home convenient to amenities such as shopping, public transportation, delivery and home care services and other services that may be required? Is there a senior village or other network of people helping people located nearby? Is it located in a neighborhood that is improving or in decline? There is a lot of talk these days about walkable communities and the idea of neighborhoods that look more like an old fashioned village where everything you need is in close proximity to your home. If you have extended family or close friends that provide an informal support network, you would also want to consider proximity to them. Please call 540-556-0650 if you have questions.
Maintain your Independence!
July is when we celebrate Independence Day, otherwise known as the Fourth of July. Fireworks and picnics seem faraway this year, but Independence Day is more important than ever. As you know, Independence Day commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia. We celebrate this day because it represents our establishment as a sovereign nation and release from the burden of oppressive taxation. (One hundred and forty-three years later, we have oppressive taxation and overbearing government regulation that would make our Founding Fathers roll over in their graves. But that is not the subject of this article.) What I want to talk about today is independence with a small “i”. Not in the political sense, but in the everyday sense. We all like to make our own decisions about our day to day lives. Our ability to make our own decisions and live independently can diminish with age if we do not take steps to protect and preserve our independence. Like all liberties, our ability to live independently throughout the course of our life will erode if not safeguarded. What kinds of liberties am I talking about and how can they be safeguarded? For starters, a home that will be safe and accessible even in the face of mobility challenges will allow us to physically remain in our home as long as we choose to. Having the proper legal documents in place is vital. This ensures that our wishes will be carried out in case we are not able to communicate. I am a strong advocate of planning early so that our later years can be relaxing rather than stressful. Having trusted resources for caregiving, transportation, and other needs preselected before they are needed leads to less stress and a better outcome. Having the financial resources in place to pay for all these needs is very important as well. Of all these areas, financial planning is the one area that most people recognize the need for. I am looking forward to the day that people plan for their housing, healthcare, transportation, and social and community interaction needs in retirement as well as they plan for their financial needs. If this kind of planning to preserve your independence makes sense to you and you would be interested in receiving a free resource to get you started, please give me a call at 540-384-2064. I would like to get you a copy of the planning guide put out by the National Aging in Place Council. This 24-page guide walks you through the process of assessing your needs, prioritizing them, and creating a plan to live a better later life. If you think you are too young to be making these kinds of decisions, remember if you don’t make these decisions regarding your retirement, someone else will make them for you. If you cherish your independence, you must work and plan to keep it. So, enjoy your summer and your Independence Day celebrations. Spend some time with family and friends. Just don’t forget to take time to make plans to preserve your independence throughout the course of your life. A few minutes spent planning for your future now can change the course of your life in years to come. If I can be of service to you or a loved one to help make your home safe, accessible, and beautifully for you to enjoy independently throughout the course of your life please give me a call. You can reach me at 540-384-2064. Happy Fourth of July and thank you for reading Housing Matters!
Home is Where the Heart is
Home is where the heart is. We have all heard this saying. It suggests that we are most comfortable in our own homes, surrounded by family, memories, comfort, and the furnishings and items that we hold dear. This has always been the case and numerous studies undertaken over a period of years and decades indicate that most people strongly prefer to remain in their own homes throughout the course of their lives. None of this has changed. What has changed is that with recent developments people have become even more fearful and apprehensive of relocating to any type of congregate living arrangement. This increased apprehension and the growing population of older Americans will fuel the increased demand for Aging in Place products and services. For the past twelve years I have been advocating for the benefits of Aging in Place, providing home modification, and consulting services, and writing and speaking about the other services needed to successfully age in place.According to the National Aging in Place Council there are five core areas required for successful Aging in Place. These areas are Housing, Healthcare, Personal Finance, Transportation, and Community and Social Interaction. We need a home to Age in Place in. As we grow older often our needs change. These needs can include mobility, sensory, and cognitive challenges. It is important that the homes we live in be built or modified to meet these needs. It is also important that we have access to the healthcare services we need to live quality lives. These services include not only medical care, but nutrition, therapy, and exercise programs as well. We must have the means to pay for housing and healthcare as well as all our other expenses. We must have access to reliable transportation. Often older people reach a point when they can no longer drive safely. Giving up driving not only creates transportation challenges but loss of a sense of independence as well. It is important that alternative transportation sources help to fill in the gap. Finally, social isolation is a problem for many older adults living alone. The ability to interact with others is important, especially to more outgoing people. When all of these factors are in place it makes the ability to live comfortably in the home of your choice throughout your life much safer and more enjoyable.The real challenge for those of us in the industry is how to deliver services in these five core areas to people that need them in an efficient manner. Often people discover that they need these services suddenly because of a traumatic life event such as a fall. They do not know what services they need much less where to find them. Therefore, I espouse the importance of early planning. If you are interested in a free Aging in Place Planning Guide, please give me a call at 540-556-0650 and I will tell you how to get a copy. This planning guide walks you through a self-assessment of your needs in the five core areas of Aging in Place and helps you to formulate a plan to fill in the gaps. I recommend getting the guide and getting your plan in place before you need it. Decisions made in a crisis are never your best decisions. I believe that we will see many new and innovative delivery models emerge over the next few years. Finally, if you are a professional who works with seniors, I will be teaching Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) designation classes on June 22-24. Call me at 540-556-0650 for more inform
Safety in the Rock
As I sit down to write this month’s column, many people around me are consumed with fear and the overriding sense of uncertainty of what the days and weeks ahead will look like is palpable. Where do you turn for comfort when uncertainty fills your life? It is precisely during times of crisis and uncertainty that the need for faith in an omnipresent and omniscient God is shown most clearly. It is easy to have faith when the sailing is smooth, the sun is shining, there is money in the bank, and everyone is healthy. When the storm clouds gather, the cupboards and the bank account are bare, and sickness looms we discover whether our faith is strong or anemic. Or maybe you don’t have any faith in anything larger than yourself. Maybe you are one of those people who depends entirely on your own resources to get you through whatever life brings your way. In that case you are definitely facing a crisis when you find yourself face to face with a situation that you have absolutely no power to control. When I was starting my company twenty years ago I named it Solid Rock Enterprises after the scripture in Matthew 7: 24-27 which says, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” On what foundation is your life built on? Have you had more time on your hands lately to think about it? The Bible says that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved! Have you also noticed things around your house that need attention lately? Safety in the home is a very real concern. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths. Many of these falls are due to environmental hazards within the home. Things like trailing extension cords and clutter can be remedied easily. Other projects require more of an investment but are well worth the expense in increased peace of mind and decreased chance of falling. Here are a few items to consider: Adding grab bars throughout your home in areas of fall risk such as bathrooms, stairways, level changes, and entryways. Adding extra lighting in areas that are poorly lit. Adding motion sensors will assure that the lights are on when you need them. Adding non slip flooring in place of slippery flooring, especially wet areas such as bathrooms, laundry areas, and kitchens. Also adding anti slip treads or tape on stairs can help prevent a nasty fall. Converting a bathtub into a curbless or step in shower can make it easier and safer to bathe. Be sure to incorporate the grab bars mentioned above and possibly a shower seat. If I can help with any of these or other home safety modifications, please give me a call at 540-384-2064