Reflection
February is the shortest month of the year. It also tends to be one of the coldest. But that also means that spring is just around the corner. I am spending a lot of time these days reflecting on my life and my business. I turned sixty last year. I know they say that sixty is the new forty and I feel quite healthy. I walk five miles most every morning, swim 1000 yards several times a week and drink a lot of water. I try to learn new things every day. My walk with the Lord is important to me and I try to draw closer to him on a daily basis. I run a business that truly makes a difference in the lives of my clients. Yet something about that number 60 makes me want to reflect on the life I have lived and what is ahead. Almost certainly, the number of days I have left on this earth is less than the number of days I have lived here thus far. I have done some things well and there are many things I wish I had done differently. As I reflect on my life some questions that bubble to the surface are, “What are the really important things in life?” “What can I do to get the very most out of every day of my life?” “How can I be a force for good in the lives of the people I touch on a daily basis?” These are big questions and I don’t pretend that I have the knowledge and wisdom to present a comprehensive answer to any of them. I simply would like to share some of my thoughts on the topic. I think that the two most important things in life are to be sure of our eternal destination and to treat everyone we meet with kindness and love. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as our self. He also said, “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these things (food, clothing, shelter, etc.) will be added unto you. As I write this, I realize that this is the answer to the other two questions as well. What looked like big theological and philosophical questions turned out to have a very simple answer after all. Just because it is simple, doesn’t mean it is easy. Everyday we are pulled in any number of other directions than the one we should follow. We are bombarded my messages constantly that distract us and pull us off course. To persevere and do the right thing is well worth the effort. I know that in my business, I have the opportunity on a daily basis to make a real impact in people’s lives. Installing a ramp may allow someone to leave their home who hasn’t been able to do so for many years. Creating a wheelchair accessible bathroom may allow some to take a proper shower for the first time in years. Creating a safe and accessible home for a disabled veteran who served our country and can now live a little more comfortably is one of the greatest honors I have. I would encourage each of you in this short month of February to take some time to reflect on your life. Think about what is important to you. If there are things you would like to do differently, ask God to help you. Thank you for letting me share my heart with you. Contact Chris to learn more at 540-384-2064 or by email at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com.
Most Wonderful Time of the Year
What is it that makes Christmastime the most wonderful time of the year? Certainly, for those of us who are Christians, the celebration of the birth of our Savior is the most important part of this joyous season. A little research, however, will reveal that there is very little evidence that Jesus was born on December 25. It is considered likely that this particular date was borrowed from the pagan holiday Saturnalia. During the seventeenth century, both in England and parts of the American colonies, Christmas was banned by the church because it was believed to be connected to pagan rituals and not properly reverent. Other faiths and traditions also seem to celebrate at this time of year. Maybe we all need something to celebrate when it is cold outside and many living things seem to have retreated into the earth. At any rate, for most of us, the Christmas season is a time of sights and sounds and tastes and smells that we cherish and look forward to all year. It is a time when we are more likely to pause and consider what is important in life. A time when we take to the time to ponder how important our family and friends are to each of us. Life is short and none of us is guaranteed tomorrow. Make time to enjoy the season and spend time with those you love while you have the opportunity. When you gather at the homes of family and friends to enjoy the special fellowship of the Christmas season, please be mindful of safety and accessibility in the home. Most of us never consider fall prevention or access into and out of the home until we are forced to by a fall or the loss of mobility in ourselves or a loved one. At Christmastime, when we often have extended family visiting or we are visiting them is the perfect time to consider increasing the safety and accessibility of our homes. Some of these modifications can be quite simple, like removing throw rugs or trailing extension cords. Other modifications, such as adding a master suite addition for multigenerational living can involve a significant investment of time and money. Most modifications to improve safety and accessibility are somewhere between these two examples. Adding grab bars, railings, or other features to help prevent falls is often the first line of defense when creating a safer and more accessible home for people of all ages and abilities. I believe that we all benefit when we gather together with family and friends of differing ages and abilities. Young people glean the wisdom of their seniors and older folks enjoy the energy and enthusiasm of the young. As you make your plans for this holiday season, make sure you plan for safety and accessibility in your home and the homes of your loved ones. Whatever other plans you have for this festive time of the year, I hope you plan to spend time enjoying the company of those you hold most dear. Take time to consider those things in life that are most important to you. Please consider how great a gift the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ really is. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year! Contact Chris to learn more at 540-384-2064 or by email at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com.
Gratitude in Grief
Astute long-time readers of Housing Matters may have noticed that most of the columns this year have seemed vaguely familiar. In fact, almost all of them have been reruns. I have been unable to write for most of the year after my beloved wife Barbara went to meet Jesus on July 31 after battling stage 4 lung cancer since the beginning of the year. This article is both the hardest and the most important column I have ever written. In fact, I have tried to write it every month since Barbara’s passing but have been unable to do so. I hope that I will be able to get it done this month. It is especially important to me to get it written this month because Thanksgiving was always Barbara’s favorite holiday. I have learned a great deal about Thankfulness during my excruciating grief. I choose to focus on the fact that I am thankful for the 33 wonderful years we had together rather than the emptiness I feel with her passing. I am thankful for my six children and five grandchildren. We have all drawn closer in her absence and brought comfort to one another. I am thankful that Barbara is now in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and will never suffer or shed another tear for all eternity. The great quantities of tears I have shed makes this realization all the more comforting. None of this changes that fact that my sorrow and devastation has been overwhelming. At times I have felt as if the grief would smother me. I truly have learned what it means to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I also have experienced the grace of God holding me up and sustaining me in the midst of my sorrow. I have decided to be this vulnerable and to share this with you because I want to tell you in no uncertain terms, PLEASE, PLEASE take the time in this holiday season to spend time with the ones you love and give your life meaning. Do not let a moment pass without letting them know how much they mean to you. As my daughter said to me in the early days after Barbara’s passing, “Till death do us part wasn’t long enough.” None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Live each day as if it were your last, or someone you love’s last. As I pick up the pieces of my broken life and try to figure out how to move forward, I would appreciate all of the prayers you can send my way. Already this loss has made me a more compassionate person and I have more empathy for the suffering of others. As you gather with your family and friends for Thanksgiving, I pray that you would treat them all with a little more love and kindness this year. My hope is that we would all have more awareness of the many gifts we have been given. Don’t let small things and the hustle and bustle of life take away from being thankful for all that you have that really matters. Hope that we can all set aside more time this year to appreciate our many blessings, both large and small. Thank you for listening. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. — Chris Moore
Fall Colors
October is one of the most beautiful months in this part of the world. The mountainsides erupt in a blaze of color that is truly breathtaking. Bright and beautiful yellows, reds, and oranges take the place of the tranquil green that dominated the view all summer long. Those of us who have enjoyed this extravaganza all our lives can tend to take it for granted. There are, however, many places where the forests do not put on this annual show. In the American West, for example, the mountains are much taller, majestically reaching much higher, with many of them remaining covered with snow throughout the year. The towering conifer forests are impressive in stature yet remain green throughout the year. No blaze of color for them. The aspen groves that spring up so readily whenever the conifer forests are disturbed have leaves that turn color in the fall. Unlike our trees here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, all their leaves turn yellow. Nothing like the multicolored display that our forests here produce. I do believe that the fall colors around here are some of God’s finest handiwork. You may be wondering what any of this has to do with seniors or housing for that matter. It seems to me that if the leaves on the trees can put on such a show as they are nearing the end of their life, we can learn a lesson from them. The idea that at 65 or 70 years of age our productive years are behind us and we should just coast through the rest of our lives is ridiculous. With a lifetime of experience and wisdom behind you, you might be just getting started. Many people have their greatest successes late in life. Laura Ingalls Wilder of “Little House on the Prairie” fame didn’t write her first book until the age of 64. Benjamin Franklin was 70 years old when he signed the Declaration of Independence and 81 years of age when he signed the U.S. Constitution. Grandma Moses started painting at the age of 76. Over the next 25 years she painted every day, producing more than 1,000 paintings. Colonel Sanders started KFC after he turned 65. He traveled around the country trying to convince restaurant owners to use his recipe and pay him a small commission on every piece of chicken sold. Legend has it that he was turned down 1,009 times before the first person said yes. Most people would have given up! But not Colonel Sanders. Oh, and by the way, he sold the company nine years later for $2 million dollars. (Worth approximately $16.2 million dollars today.) You are never too old to follow your dream. Whatever you would like to do, get out there and do it. If you have been reading Housing Matters and believe, as I do, that aging in place represents a rapidly growing opportunity and will provide a valuable service to many people over the coming years, you may want to consider becoming a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). I will be teaching the three-day certification courses online again beginning in 2023. Follow your dream relentlessly. Remember, you are never too old to pursue your dream. You never can tell, you might be the next famous author, or artist or fried chicken aficionado. You will never know unless you try. As William Wallace said in Braveheart, “All men die. Not all men truly live.” Be one of those that truly live. Contact Chris to learn more at 540-384-2064 or by email at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com.
National Falls Prevention Awareness Week
September 18-24, 2022, is National Falls Prevention Awareness Week. Each year, on the first week of fall, activities and events are scheduled by the National Council on Aging to raise awareness of the problems associated with falling and offer practical solutions to help reduce the incidence and severity of falling, particularly in older adults. Falls are the leading cause of injury and death among older adults. One in four adults over the age of 65 will fall every year. Two-thirds of those who fall will fall again within six months. At least one-third of these calls are caused by environmental hazards within the home. Annual medical costs associated with falls and their consequences is estimated at $50 billion. Deaths due to falls have increased by 30% between 2007 and 2016. If this trend is not slowed, there will be seven deaths due to falls every hour in the U.S. by 2030. As a contractor specializing in aging in place, I am often called upon to install grab bars and other fall prevention devices in people’s homes. Having something sturdy to hold on to, particularly in the bathroom, is extremely helpful in preventing falls. The first step, however, is recognizing the value and importance of fall prevention. In my experience, many people will deny that they are at elevated risk for falling and therefore refuse to take steps to mitigate the risk. The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound or cure.” is very applicable to falls prevention. I recommend a home assessment and home modifications for safety, falls prevention, and accessibility for all people, regardless of age or ability. If all homes were built using Universal Design principles, then these features would already be in place before we need them. If you would like more information on how to make your home safer, please give me a call at 540-384-2064. Some other areas to pay attention to in order to prevent falls are remaining active, vision, medications, and chronic conditions. Often when people are afraid of falling, particularly if they have fallen before, they limit their activity and move tentatively and fearfully when they do move around. This can lead to losing strength and coordination as well as a shuffling gait. All of this can lead to a greater chance of falling again. It is a vicious cycle. Take the initiative now to improve your strength and balance to make falling less likely. Talk to your health care professional about exercise and balance programs that are available. Another factor that can lead to an increased chance of falling is poor vision. Getting regular eye exams, having bright, glare free lighting, and contrasting colors on surfaces such as stairs can help prevent falls associated with poor vision. Be aware of how chronic conditions and multiple medications can increase your risk of falling. Certain chronic conditions such as diabetes, stroke, arthritis, MS, and many others can impair our functionality. Prescription and over the counter medications can often lead to dizziness, weakness, and loss of balance, all of which can contribute to a fall. Don’t wait until after you have fallen to take action. Take steps today to improve your strength, balance, and the safety of your home environment. Contact Chris to learn more at 540-384-2064 or by email at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com.
Accessible Vacations To Try This Summer
It’s summertime and that means it’s time to do some traveling. If you have mobility challenges, traveling can present challenges that others don’t have to deal with. Although ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requires that all businesses with public accommodations offer facilities that will be accessible by all people without regard to their physical, cognitive, or sensory limitations, the reality is that vacationing with someone who uses a wheelchair or other mobility device or has other limitations can be challenging. With proper research and advance planning; however, you should be able to have a memorable and relaxing vacation. There are a number of vacation destinations that offer accessibility to all. There’s even a theme park in San Antonio, Texas — Morgan’s Wonderland — that was designed and built specifically to be a place where children with all levels of ability can play and interact with each other. Closer to home, the Addy Grace playground, located at the Daleville YMCA, is an all-abilities playground for all children to be able to enjoy. Maybe playgrounds and theme parks are not what you have in mind. Maybe you were thinking of a few relaxing days away from the routines of your life. Many vacation destinations and resorts are wheelchair accessible. Acadia, Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, Great Sand Dunes, Great Smokey Mountains, Shenandoah, and Yellowstone are noted as the most wheelchair-accessible National Parks. Newmar makes a line of Class A RVs that are wheelchair accessible complete with built-in platform lifts. There is even a Swiss company that makes a one-wheel rough terrain wheelchair that can traverse practically any hiking trail. It is operated by two people. The one in the front provides direction while the one in the back provides balance and braking. There certainly are a lot of opportunities for recreation these days for people with various impairments that did not exist just a few years ago. If you would like to take advantage of one of these opportunities, I hope that you have the time of your life! I would encourage you to plan ahead and do your research ahead of time. Just as I recommend planning when configuring your home to serve you throughout the course of your life, I encourage you to take the time to properly plan your accessible vacation. Just because an attraction is listed as wheelchair accessible, I would not take their word for it. I have seen many locations listed as wheelchair accessible that are far from it. I would pick up the phone and call them to verify the details. At a minimum, I would recommend that they have at least one, and preferably two zero-step entries at least 32” wide that are protected from the weather and have automatic lighting. There should be an accessible bedroom on the same level as the zero-step entries that has a door that provides at 32” of net clear opening. There should be an accessible bathroom on that level as well. The bathroom also must have a 32” wide net clear opening, a curbless shower, a roll-under sink, a comfort height commode, and grab bars throughout. Every room should have a 5’ diameter clear floor space for turning and all outlets, switches, and environmental controls between 2’ and 4’ off the floor. A bonus (and essential for people who love to cook) is an accessible kitchen. Have a great trip! Call Us to Get Started If we can help make your home a safer and more comfortable place to live please give us a call at 540-384-2064. Chris Moore is the owner of Solid Rock Enterprises and writes a regular Housing Matters column for Senior News.
Are you a Planner or a Procrastinator?
Are you a planner or a procrastinator? Do you view making plans to live independently in your home for years to come as smart planning or as surrender to the ravages of aging? How you answer these questions will help determine whether your actions will lead to a greater possibility of living independently throughout the course of your life or finding yourself forced into a living arrangement you have not chosen due to accident or illness. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people I talk to are resistant to the idea of having home modifications done to make their homes safer and more accessible. Many people are more open to the idea of prepaying their funeral expenses than they are to making their home safer and more accessible. Some people justify this by stating that they know that they are going to die, but they do not know whether they will need home modifications. However, with falls being the cause of over half of all accidental deaths of adults over the age of 65 NOT modifying your home could lead to your premature death. Besides, you have automobile insurance and homeowner’s insurance, and you don’t know whether you will need these either. (Hopefully, you won’t) We plan for so many other aspects of retirement and I say that making sure our homes are ready for our retirement years is just as important as making sure that we have our financial house in order. For most of us, our homes represent the biggest single investment we will ever make. By making sure that it doesn’t kick us out when we need it most, we should take a look at our home to determine whether it meets basic accessibility guidelines. If we find ourselves with a temporary or permanent mobility impairment, would we be able to get in and out of our home and access the various areas of our home? The old adage that if you fail to plan you plan to fail certainly holds true in this case. When buying, building, or remodeling a home that will be functional throughout the course of your life, look for these features as the minimum requirements: At least one zero-step entry with a 36″ wide door. This door should have a flat threshold and would ideally be protected from the weather, have lighting triggered by a motion sensor, and have a package shelf and a levered handle. A bedroom on the main level with a 36″ wide door and room to maneuver. ( 5′ diameter open area in the floor for turning a wheelchair if necessary) At least one accessible bathroom on the main floor. The bathroom should have a 36″ wide door, a chair height commode, an accessible or adaptable sink, a curbless shower, grab bars at all these fixtures, and room to maneuver. A common area such as a living room that is accessible to all three areas already listed. This basic level of accessibility is a little more than visitability which would allow someone who uses a wheelchair (and anyone with most other mobility impairments) to come to your house for a visit. Visitability consists of the first two items on the list and doors with at least 32″ of net clear opening. Call Us to Get Started If we can help make your home a safer and more comfortable place to live please give us a call at 540-384-2064. Chris Moore is the owner of Solid Rock Enterprises and writes a regular Housing Matters column for Senior News.
Would You Like a Safer Home and Tax Savings?
I have been telling you about the Livable Homes Tax Credit for years in Housing Matters. The LHTC is the Virginia state income tax credit that allows homeowners or contractors to take up to $5,000 off their state income tax liability if they build an accessible home or make accessible home modifications to their existing homes. This tax credit has certainly been a benefit to many people in helping to offset the expenses of home modifications to enhance accessibility. Home modifications are extremely important in a world where 10,000 people a day are turning 65, almost everyone wants to stay in their home, and most of us live in Peter Pan housing (Housing built for people that never grow old). Against this backdrop, there has been an effort for many years to pass Federal legislation to provide a tax break for people modifying their homes to enhance accessibility. At the forefront of this effort is Louis Tenenbaum. Louis was a remodeling contractor, who was asked to remodel a bathroom to meet the needs of an individual with significant mobility impairments. Just like the first time I was asked to do something like that, he had no idea how to proceed. In the process of researching that project he came face to face with the reality that many people need modifications, but don’t know how to go about getting them. That was over 30 years ago, and since then, Louis has become a tireless advocate of aging in place and making it easier for people through home modifications. Louis founded the Homes Renewed Coalition. Their mission is to significantly increase the number of American homes prepared for residents to live throughout the modern lifespan by conducting research and educating consumers and legislators. Due to the efforts of Louis and other members of the coalition (I am proud to be a member), a tax bill is scheduled to be introduced in Congress that will make home modifications for accessibility tax deductible up to $60,000. The bill would allow homeowners to use funds from their IRAs, 401Ks, and other retirement plans without penalty. It has been estimated that, if enacted, this legislation would save homeowners an average of 20% on home improvement projects that increase the safety and accessibility of their homes. And while they are waiting for the Congressional Budget Office to score the bill, the Homes Renewed Coalition has a study called Making it Safe to Age in Place that makes the case that the lost tax revenue to the government would be more than offset by the savings from reduced falls and other injuries sustained by older Americans because they live in Peter Pan housing. The adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. It has never made sense to me that Medicare will pay for a wheelchair but not a wheelchair ramp or that they will pay for treatment for a broken hip but not a grab bar to help prevent a broken hip. Just as tax incentives for solar energy or electric vehicles have incentivized people to utilize these technologies, this bill will incentivize more people to create safe and accessible homes for themselves and their loved ones. I am excited about the potential to help more people stay safely and comfortably in their homes as long as they choose to. This legislation has been a long time in the making and it is exciting to see it moving forward. For more information about this bill as it progresses, log in to Homes Renewed Coalition or email me at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com.
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. Call Us to Get Started If we can help make your home a safer and more comfortable place to live please give us a call at 540-384-2064. Chris Moore is the owner of Solid Rock Enterprises and writes a regular Housing Matters column for Senior News.
Could You Use a $5,000 Tax Credit?
If you followed my advice last year and took steps to make your home safer and more accessible you may qualify for a tax credit. The Livable Homes Tax Credit is a Virginia income tax credit for building or buying a home with certain accessibility features or for remodeling to incorporate these features into your existing home. You may qualify for up to a $5,000 tax credit and you can carry the credit forward for up to seven years. If you qualify for the tax credit for 2021 you have until January 31 to submit the application. If you purchased a new home in 2021 (either newly built or converted from a non residential use) and it meets the three features of Universal Visitability or incorporates three accessibility features and meets the requirements of an existing standard, you are eligible to take the $5,000 credit. The three features of Universal Visitability are: at least one zero step entry into the house an accessible bathroom on the same level as the zero step entry doorways with at least 32” clear width and hallways and passageways with at least 36” clear width leading from the zero step entry to the bathroom and an eating area. If all of these three features are present, there are no further requirements. If you do not have all three of these, the home must incorporate three accessibility features and meet the requirements of an existing standard. Some examples of accessibility features are: Accessible route such as a ramp Zero step entry Lifts Elevators Zero step entrance 32” clear width doorways 36” clear width hallways Accessible switches, outlets, and controls Accessible bathrooms Accessible and usable kitchen facilities Grab bars Lever handles on doors and fixtures Sensory modifications The requirement that you meet an existing standard is a little murkier because there are several different standards that exist that could be referenced. I have found that the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), while not technically applicable to single family homes, will cover you if you are in compliance. If you have specific questions, get in touch with me and I’ll do my best to answer them for you. If you retrofitted or remodeled an existing home, the project must include at least one accessibility feature and meet the requirements of an existing standard. If sensory modifications have been provided, they must be structurally integrated into the home. Sensory modifications are anything that would assist sensory disabled people such as a doorbell that activated a strobe light for a person with hearing loss. Any device must be permanently attached to the home to qualify. The credit for retrofitting an existing home is also $5,000 but is limited to 50% of the cost of the project actually incurred by the taxpayer. Please note that any costs paid through Granting Freedom, the VA, VHDA, or any other organization would not be eligible for the credit. For either new or existing homes, if the credit exceeds your tax liability, you may carry the credit forward for up to seven years, and if the amount of eligible credits exceeds one million dollars, each approved taxpayer will receive a prorated amount of credit. Once you have submitted your application you will receive a tax credit certificate from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development by April 1. Call Us to Get Started I hope this information is helpful. If you have questions please call me at (540) 384-2064 or email me at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com. You can download a copy of the guidelines and application at www.dhcd.virginia.gov/LHTC. Chris Moore is the owner of Solid Rock Enterprises and writes a regular Housing Matters column for Senior News.
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