Archive for Chris Moore

For most of us, our homes represent the largest single investment we will ever make. As we look towards retirement, making sure that our homes provide a good return on our investment is smart planning. This is true not only from a financial perspective but also in the sense that our homes will provide a safe and comfortable environment for us to live out our lives. A home that is full of fall hazards and impairments to mobility is like a ticking time bomb which could go off at any minute, shattering our independence. As you plan for retirement, I suggest that you spend as much effort on preparing your home to be a home for life as you do on laying a good financial footing to fund your retirement years. What features should you look for in a safe, comfortable, and beautiful retirement home? First and foremost, it should be a home we enjoy living in and feel relaxed in. For many of us, this is the home we currently live in, which is exactly why we live there. There should be at least one, and preferably more, zero step entries. Anyone, including people who use a wheelchair or walker, can enter the home easily. Hallways and doorways throughout the home should be wide enough to allow passage in a wheelchair or walker, Three foot wide doorways and four foot wide hallways are generally considered optimum. The next area I recommend taking a good hard look at is the bathroom. Many falls occur in the bathroom, and falls are the leading cause of injuries in older adults. An open floor plan bathroom with a curbless shower, comfort height commode, and plenty of grab bars can go along ways toward promoting safety and be quite luxurious to boot. The spacious open feel of a custom curbless shower lends a spa like feel to an accessible bathroom, while the fold up seat and grab bars make it safe and comfortable. Throughout the home, provide non slip flooring and bright glare free lighting. Make sure there are no trailing extension cords or clutter to trip over. It is also a good idea to have accessible walkways and a maintenance free exterior. These are just a few of the ideas that you might consider as you look over your house with an eye on creating a home for life. For a more complete set of checklists or a comprehensive home assessment, contact Senior Remodeling Experts at (540) 384-2064. We have the knowledge and expertise to recommend accessibility solutions that will go a long toward ensuring that you will be able to live safely and comfortably in the home that you love for many years to come. Please let us know if we can be of service to you and thank you for reading Housing Matters.

We don’t like the word old. We also don’t like the words elderly, senior, “getting on in years”, aged, “no spring chicken”, older, “not getting any younger”, etc. You get the idea. The value of youth is extolled, while the value of old age is scorned. Nobody wants to admit to getting “old”. When you talk about solutions to help people adapt to the inevitable repercussions of aging, they reply, “I’m not ready for that yet.”, or “That’s for old people.” Think of the things that get better with age. With age comes wisdom. (Or at least it should!) Why do so many people want to stick their heads in the sand when it comes to preparing their homes so that they can live safely and comfortably in them for the rest of their lives? I get the impression that people think that if they install a grab bar in their bathroom or add an extra handrail on their stairs they are surrendering to the onslaught of old age, never to return. I prefer to say they are showing wisdom. We are encouraged to plan ahead for every other eventuality in life. We are encouraged to get our financial house in order for retirement, why not our physical house? Having a home that is safe, accessible, comfortable, and beautiful is one of the best investments you can make in your retirement. Those who turn a blind eye to the fact that most of us live in Peter Pan Housing (Housing built for people who never grow old!) frequently find themselves suddenly facing the fact that they can no longer live there after a fall or other traumatic event. Decisions made when facing a crisis are almost universally bad decisions. Don’t wait until there is a crisis! Make plans now to have a home that will serve you throughout your life. I believe that all homes should be built using Universal or Lifespan Design. Since only 15% of us go through life without experiencing some form of mobility challenge at some point in our life, it makes sense to build homes that don’t present barriers to entry or movement throughout the home. You may be surprised to learn how simple it is to have a home that is accessible to all people. The simple act of installing 3’ wide doors throughout the home can make a huge difference in access not just for those who use a wheelchair or walker but also for everyday use. (And for those moving the furniture in or out!) The price difference between a 2’ wide door and a 3’ wide door is negligible when compared with the price of replacing it later. There are many examples of simple and inexpensive changes that can be made to make our homes more user friendly, but the first change that must be made is in our thinking. Take a few minutes to think about your home and what it means to you. If it is a place you love and feel comfortable in, what changes can you make to make it a home for a lifetime? If you need help with planning, get in touch with us. We can help. A good place to start is with the Aging in Place Planning Guide. You can download it from our website at www.solidrockenterprises.com or you can call us at 540-384-2064 and we will be happy to send you a copy. Thank you for reading Housing Matters.

Over the last few months, I have become increasingly aware of a phenomenon that puzzles me. It has been there all along, that is, since I have been helping people live safely and comfortably in the home of their choice. I have written about it before in this column (See Housing Matters from May 2011, “I’m not ready for that yet”). The phenomenon is simply this. Many people believe that if they even consider modifying their homes to make them safer and more accessible, they are somehow surrendering to the aging process and are two steps from the grave. The thought (spoken or unspoken) is that those things are for old people and old is always considered ten years older than your present age. The puzzling part to me is the fact that people prepare financially to be ready for retirement without feeling they are surrendering to the inevitability of their own mortality. Why then do they feel that preparing their home to be a safe, comfortable and beautiful environment for them to reside in during their retirement years is any different? It seems to me that having a home that will suit your needs should be one of the basic building blocks of retirement planning. After all if you have to suddenly make other living arrangements it could severely and negatively impact your financial plan. I looked at several checklists of suggested items to do to get ready for retirement. Only one mentioned anything about housing and that was not in the context of accessibility. Most people are intentionally turning a blind eye to their changing housing needs as they age, to their own detriment! What can be done about it? I believe that we need a paradigm shift. I believe that creating a home for yourself that is safe, beautiful, and accessible and that will serve your needs throughout the course of your life is one of the wisest retirement planning investments you can make. It is an investment in not only your physical well being but your mental and emotional well being as well. People are happier and more relaxed at home. Start today to make your home an important part of your retirement plan! Dave Ramsey, the author, speaker, and radio host who tirelessly extols the benefits of getting out of debt and building wealth starts his radio program with the saying, “Where the paid off home mortgage takes the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice.” While I am not suggesting that the lifespan designed home will take the place of the well funded retirement account in retirement planning, I am suggesting that it take its place firmly beside it. For most of us, our home is the biggest investment we will ever make. Designing and building this investment to serve us well for the long haul makes good sense from a practical as well as a financial sense. Here are some things to look for when building or remodeling a home for a lifetime: An accessible approach to the home from the outdoors A zero step entry Wide hallways and doors with lever handles At least one accessible bathroom Bright, glare free lighting Slip resistant flooring Railings or grab bars at strategic locations There are many other features to consider and these features will vary somewhat depending on the situation. If you have questions about how an accessible home can be an important part of your retirement plan, please call us at (540) 384-2064 or email us at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com. Thank you for reading Housing Matters.

With the summer weather, people are spending more time outdoors. When you are planning an outdoor space, whether it is a deck, a patio, a garden, or even a pool, use Universal Design principles to create outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone. Start with zero step entries from the inside to the outside. Lever handles on the locksets make the doors easy to open for everyone. Hard surface gently sloping walkways through the yard and garden make the outdoors accessible for everyone, including those with mobility issues. Those of us who enjoy gardening will appreciate raised bed planters with knee space underneath for gardening while seated. A covered, screened in area will keep the rain and the bugs out, extending the amount of time it can be enjoyed. This porch we are currently building features a stamped concrete floor, an Ultimate Underdeck ceiling to keep out water from the deck above, ceiling fans for a cooling breeze, wide arched openings overlooking the lake, and zero step entry doorways into the house. When the project is finished it will be screened in with pool and patio screen to create a relaxing insect free environment. With a porch like this, the outdoors can easily become your favorite room in the house. To gain access to your yard and garden you need to consider the topography of your lot. If you are putting in a ramp, the recommended maximum slope is one inch per foot. If you can, a slope of one inch per twenty inches will create a gently sloping walkway that is comfortable for almost everyone to negotiate. Level areas which are covered provide a spot to relax and spend time outdoors. Use your imagination to create accessible, inviting spaces outdoors that you can enjoy for years to come. For more information on creating an outdoor retreat at your home, give us a call at 540-384-2064. Happy Summer!

Housing Matters has always been about promoting independence. We talk about ways to safely and comfortably live independently in our homes throughout the course of our lives. One of the leading causes of losing ones independence is certainly falls. Oftentimes when an older adult falls it is the beginning of the end of living independently. What you may not realize is how prevalent falls are and the devastating effects of falls, both financially and personally. There are many steps that can be taken to prevent falls and fall related injuries. Over one third of adults over the age of 65 will fall each year, resulting in 2.4 million injuries. The result of an initial fall will often be fear and trepidation of falling again, which frequently results in actions contributing to another fall. However, falling does not necessarily have to be an inevitable part of the aging process. I suggest a multi faceted approach to staying on your feet. Work with your health care professionals. Sometimes certain medications can cause light headedness, lack of balance, or other conditions that may raise the risk of falling. Remaining physically active can help tremendously to reduce the risk of falling. There are a number of programs designed to help prevent falls by increasing strength and balance in those at risk of falling. Occupational therapists are an important resource to proactively keep people living independently. Reduce clutter. Go through you home and look for things that might be a fall hazard. Getting a friend or family member to do this with you can give you a fresh perspective by pointing out things you might not notice. Look for trailing extension cords, loose throw rugs, frayed carpets, and things piled in the walkway. If your home is cluttered, these simple steps can make a huge difference in reducing the risk of a fall. Light up your life. All of us experience diminished eyesight as we age. Increasing the level of light in our homes, particularly in the kitchen and bath can help tremendously to see where we are going. Contrasting colors on the tops and edges of surfaces such as countertops and stairs can help us see where the edges of these surfaces are which can help prevent falls. Hold on to what matters. Make sure you have something to hold onto. Installing railings, grab bars, and hand holds throughout your home so that you always have something sturdy to hold onto will go a long way to prevent falls. I often have people tell me that they do not need any of these products yet. That is exactly the right time to have them installed. If you have them installed before you need them, they may prevent a fall. If you have them installed after you need them, it is usually because you have already fallen. If you need help installing railings, grab bars, or hand holds, please call us. Prevent injury. While our primary goal is to prevent falls, we cannot prevent them all. By installing fall protection flooring in your home, you can prevent injury if you do fall. This special flooring, called Smart Cells, will absorb 90% of the impact of a fall if you do fall on it. Available in mats or fitted to the entire floor, it is available in different colors, and can be covered with sheet vinyl or carpet. For more information on fall prevention and protection, a home safety assessment, or help implementing these or other home modifications, please call Senior Remodeling Experts at 540-384-2064. Thank you for reading Housing Matters.

In the last week and a half I have attended two caregiver conferences. Both of these conferences were presented primarily for family caregivers. The statistics are staggering. There are over one million family caregivers in Virginia, providing over one billion hours of unpaid care per year. Many of these caregivers are in what has been described as the sandwich generation, caring for aging parents while still caring for their own minor children. The number of people who need care will continue to increase, even while the younger people who provide the care declines. In 2010, the family caregiver ratio was 8.5 potential caregivers aged 45-64 for every person in the high risk years of 80-plus. By 2030 this ratio is projected to be 4.2 to 1, and by 2050 is expected to reach 2.8 to 1. If you are one of these family caregivers, you understand how difficult it can be. Most caregivers are happy to care for their loved one, but it can all get extremely overwhelming, particularly when your loved one is suffering from a progressive disease such as Alzheimer’s. Don’t try to go it alone! It is important to assemble a care team to help you care for your loved one. Recruit the help of family and friends as well as medical professionals and other service providers to provide the care that your loved one needs. Make a list of tasks that would help take some of the load off of you and when someone asks if there is anything they can do, ask them to help with a specific task. On the top of the home page of my website at www.solidrockenterprises.com there is an aging in place planning guide that you can download. By working through this planning guide, you can develop a plan to help your loved one successfully age in place. The local chapter of the aging in place council can be reached by phone at (540) 339-7891 or by email at westernandcentralva@ageinplace.org. At Senior Remodeling Experts, we provide a plethora of services that can make your job as a caregiver much easier. If your loved one has mobility issues, we can provide ramps, wider doorways, levered handles, and accessible bathrooms and kitchens. If they are at risk for a fall, we provide grab bars, handrails, non slip flooring, and fall protection flooring that will absorb 90% of the impact in the event of a fall and prevent broken bones. We provide electronic remote activity monitoring systems that will increase safety as well as independence for your loved one by monitoring their activity and sending an alert if the system is triggered by an event such as wandering, leaving the stove on, not eating or taking medication, or leaving the water running. I believe that technology will play an increasing role in the years to come in helping us care for our loved ones. Remember, if you are a caregiver, you don’t have to do it all alone. Get some help; take a break before you wear yourself out. There are resources available from a variety of sources. Download the planning guide at www.solidrockenterprises.com. If you need help modifying your home, call Senior Remodeling Experts at (540) 384-2064 or email us at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com. If you need help in other areas, or you are not sure where to start, call the Western and Central Virginia Council for Aging in Place at the number listed above. I hope and pray that you will find some valuable resources to help you care for your loved one and thank you for being a caregiver!

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” These words from the 1822 poem titled A Visit from St. Nicholas but known by most as The Night before Christmas bring to mind memories of good food, fellowship and family gatherings with bright eyed children. Although people have many different Christmas traditions, there is something magical about this time of year. The music, the lights, the food, and the anticipation bring out the kid in all of us. If there is a time of year when people are inspired to be generous and kind, it is without a doubt the Christmas season. Perhaps one of the most poignant examples of the power of goodwill at Christmas time is the spontaneous truce which erupted on Christmas Eve and carried through Christmas Day in the trenches during World War I in 1914. The war was barely four months old but already hundreds of thousands lay dead. But that Christmas Eve something happened. Candle lit Christmas trees poked out of trenches and soon Christmas carols, notably Silent Night, were being sung by soldiers in English and German. In the midst of war, the Prince of Peace was making his presence felt. The hostilities ceased and both sides helped each other bury their dead. For a brief moment in time the true spirit of Christmas prevailed. If the true spirit of Christmas can break out in the trenches of World War I then it can break out anywhere. Let’s all do our part to make this the most wonderful time of the year! If you are like me, you dislike the fact that Christmas, which is supposed to be a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, has become more about commercialism than about a time of goodwill and giving. I would encourage everyone to take the time this Christmas season to pause and view the world through the eyes of a child. Remember the wonder and the excitement you felt as a child at the most wonderful time of the year. I think we need to gain some perspective on what Christmas is really about. Let’s all take some time this Christmas season to cut through the hype and the commercialism (and the politically correct “Happy Holidays”) and remember the true meaning of Christmas. Just as the soldiers in the trenches in 1914 experienced the power of Christmas, I believe there are miracles just waiting to be discovered around any corner. Keep your eyes open and you just might experience one. Look for opportunities to reach out to others and bring a little joy into someone’s life. As you decorate your house think of what makes a house a home. I generally write about things you can do to your house to make it safer and more accessible. What I am talking about now is how to make it a home. It is the spirit and atmosphere within the house that makes it a home. The true spirit of Christmas is that sense of thankfulness for the gifts we have been given and the willingness to reach out and share them with others. I want to thank my readers for all of the kind comments I have received and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! If you have questions about Housing Matters or have topics you would like to see discussed, you can reach me at (540) 384-2064 or email me at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com.