New Beginnings, Part Two
It is February, the shortest month of the year. The days are short, and the nights are long. Many of the New Year’s resolutions we made so expectantly lay shattered and broken along the roadside. It is an easy time to get discouraged and feel defeated. The hope and joy of spring’s new life seems a long way off. My goal in this article is to breathe hope and belief in new beginnings into your February. Why should January get all the new beginnings? Every day you get out of bed, you have the opportunity to create a new beginning. No matter what you have been through, you can reshape your experience by your attitude. Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to life’s events. If you are feeling down and discouraged, try counting your blessings. Look around you for things you have to be thankful for and focus on these things rather than those areas that you are discouraged or sad about. Remember that the darkest hour is just before the dawn. In my life, I have much to be thankful for. In my professional life I have the privilege of helping people live safely and comfortably in their own homes throughout the course of their lives. In partnership with occupational therapist Carrie Ferguson, I am launching a new, more comprehensive home safety and accessibility assessment service. This assessment will help people to plan proactively to age in place in the homes they love. More details on this service coming in Housing Matters next month. In my personal life I am thankful for family and friends. I have wonderful children and grandchildren that bring me great joy. After walking through the valley of the shadow of death after losing my wife Barbara to lung cancer in July of 2022, I have had the privilege to marry Michelle who is beautiful inside and out and loves me with all of her heart. Just as spring follows winter, there can be love and new beginnings after loss. I saw a quote that states,” Mostly it is loss that teaches us about the worth of things.” I have found this to be true in my own life. If you or someone you know has been widowed, I would like to extend an invitation to attend our widowed person support group. We meet the second and fourth Mondays at 5:30 pm at Good Samaritan Hospice at 2408 Electric Rd SW Roanoke VA 24018.For more information visit Roanoke Archives – Widowed Village or Roanoke Widowed Persons Meetup Group Events Call me at 540-556-0650 to RSVP or if you have questions. I also will be exhibiting and speaking at the Roanoke Home and Garden Show. The show will be held February 16-18 at the Berglund Center. For more information visit Greater Roanoke — Home and Garden Shows (showtechnology.com) I will be speaking on the subject of “Through the Years – A Contractor’s Journey” on Friday and Saturday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 2:45. I will be telling stories about some of the memorable projects that I have been privileged to undertake over the course of my nearly 40-year career in construction. Many of you have been reading my column for years and I would love to be able to meet you in person. Admission is free, so come on down! Remember that there is no time like the present to make a new beginning in any area of your life. If you need help in any of the areas mentioned in this article or need help with a home modification or home improvement project, give me a call at 540-556-0650. I would love to help. Here’s to new beginnings!
Are You Lonely this Christmas?
Christmas time is a wonderful time of year. The sights, sounds, smells, and tastes often bring back wonderful memories. The wonder in children’s eyes and gathering with family and friends to celebrate the season can be delightful, joyful, and whimsical. I really love Christmas, and everything involved with it. I believe that it is important to remember that the whole reason we observe Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I think we should take time to slow down this Christmas season and appreciate all of the gifts and blessings in our lives. At the same time, I recognize that for many people, it is the very fact that this is a joyous time of year that makes it so difficult. For seniors living alone, loneliness and social isolation can be extra painful this time of year. Seeing others enjoying time with family and friends can be a stark reminder of loved ones that have passed on or simply cannot or will not visit. If you have family members you have not seen in a while, I suggest that Christmas is the perfect time to reach out to them and reestablish the relationship. Life is so short, and the years slip by before you know it. In researching this article, I have found it difficult to come up with a percentage of seniors who live alone. Estimates of those over the age of 65 who live alone range from 28% to 43%. Either way, a significant number of seniors live alone and many of them experience loneliness and social isolation. What I did find was lots of information on the physical and mental health effects of loneliness and social isolation. It turns out that loneliness and social isolation can increase the likelihood of things like stroke, heart attack, and mental health disorders. It can even increase the risk of dementia by 50% and shorten a person’s life expectancy by as much as 15 years! Loneliness and social isolation, especially during the holidays, is a big deal! People all around us are suffering in silence. If you are a senior living alone, I would suggest you reach out to those around you. Invite a friend to come over, get involved at a local senior center, join a church or civic group, or volunteer at a worthy organization. It may seem daunting at first if you are on the shy side, but I believe that you will find it worthwhile. You are likely to feel fulfilled and make lots of new friends. If you know someone who lives alone and needs a friend, take the time to reach out to them this Christmas season. A small gift, a special treat, or just taking the time to visit can make all the difference to a lonely senior. I found several websites where you can send handwritten notes to seniors all over the world. Amazing how a few minutes of your time can brighten someone’s day! Closer to home, Home Instead hosts Be a Santa to a Senior in Roanoke and Lynchburg. There are gift trees at various locations where you can select a bulb with a senior’s name and gift request. These are seniors who would not receive a Christmas gift if it were not for this program. Call Home Instead at 434-385-0321 for more information. Whatever you do, look around you and see if you can brighten someone’s day this Christmas. From all of us at Solid Rock Enterprises, Inc. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Contact Chris to learn more at 540-384-2064 or by email at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com.
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!
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.
A Brand New Year
As I write this, it is a few days before Christmas. Everyone is scurrying around getting their last minute preparations done. The children are nearly bursting with excitement and anticipation. Festive lights and sounds are everywhere. By the time you read these words, however, the year 2019 will have begun. The resolutions will have all been made. Many of them will have already been broken. I prefer setting goals to making resolutions. What are your goals for 2019? May I suggest that you consider making an aging in place plan one of your goals for this year? Many people think that aging in place means that you stay where you are throughout the course of your life and make the best of it. Sometimes that is not the best choice. Actually, successful aging in place entails aging in the right place. In other words, we choose where we will live and what services we will utilize. We should make these decisions in advance of needing the features and benefits of an accessible home. We should investigate in home services and know what resources are available and trustworthy long before we have need of any of these services. Having a plan in place in advance makes the entire process smoother and less traumatic. Many people turn a blind eye to their declining mobility and their changing needs. They prefer to remain in denial that they don’t get around as well as they used too, are at increasing risk of falling, have declining vision and hearing, or face a myriad of other issues. Sometimes the prospect of facing these concerns head on seems too frightening. It seems easier, somehow, to wear the rose colored glasses. The problem with this approach is that, too often, it culminates in a fall and a significant, life altering injury. Faced with a crisis, the options are limited and the process is stressful. Decisions made in crisis mode are rarely the best decisions. By planning ahead, you can make decisions about you or your loved one’s aging in place plans. The plan should include where you will live, who will take care of you, and how you will pay for it. I have available a number of resources to help you get started on your aging in place plan. I would recommend that you get a copy of the National Aging in Place Council’s planning guide. Entitled “Act III: Your Plan for Aging in Place”, the guide walks you through a questionnaire on the five core areas of aging in place. These areas are housing, health and wellness, personal finance, transportation, and community and social interaction. After determining where you are, it helps you form a plan to fill the gaps. You can obtain a copy by visiting my website at https://solidrockenterprises.com/service/aging-in-place/ and clicking on “download planning guide”. You can also email me at cmoore@solidrockenterprises.com or call me at 540-384-2064 and I would be happy to send you a copy. For those of you who want to know if your current home will meet your changing needs in the future, I offer a Comprehensive Safety and Accessibility Assessment. By assessing your home and making recommendations for needed home modifications, I can provide a road map to a safer and more accessible home. Call or email me for more details. Finally I will be speaking at the 10th Annual Greater Roanoke Home and Garden Show. Held at the Berglund Center on January 11-13, the show features Wayde King and Brett Raymer of Animal Planet’s Tanked. Visit http://showtechnology.com/event/annual-greater-roanoke-home-garden-show/ for more information. Happy New Year!
The 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 a 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. I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading Housing Matters. I hope that I have made a difference in some of your lives and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Aging in Place
How it all started I have been involved in construction for over thirty years and on June 1, 2001, I embarked on this journey known as self employment. I had decided that it was time for me to chart my own course. I started Solid Rock Enterprises, Inc. with the goal of providing quality building, remodeling, and consulting services to the Roanoke Valley and beyond. In the ensuing fifteen years, much has changed. When I first opened my business, I knew nothing about accessibility, aging in place, universal design, or peter pan housing. I was simply building and remodeling homes in the way that they had always been built. Like everyone else, I was building spaces for the 15% of people who will go through their lives without ever experiencing permanent or temporary mobility impairment. Wake up call My wake up call came, as it does with many of my clients, when a family member needed help getting in and out of their home. My mother had experienced a stroke and the balance and coordination issues that came with it. Having fallen several times, she was apprehensive about walking and fearful of falling again. She used a walker and sometimes a wheelchair to get around. We installed a wheelchair ramp, some grab bars, and swing clear hinges in her home to help her get around more safely and comfortably. She was very interested in aging in place although neither one of us knew the term at the time. From that point forward, I began to educate myself on the value and impact of creating homes that are safe, accessible and beautiful for people of all ages and abilities. Over the last nine and a half years I have been writing about these ideas here in Housing Matters. I have had the privilege to help many people, including dozens of disabled Veterans, stay in the homes of their choice due to the home modifications we were able to provide. I am truly thankful for the opportunity to help people stay safely and comfortably in their own homes. What’s coming next Looking forward to the next fifteen years and beyond; I know that Americans will continue turning 65 at the rate of 10,000 per day. This adds up to more than fifty million of us reaching that milestone over that timeframe. With more of us living longer and healthcare costs spiraling out of control, the current housing model for older Americans will grow increasingly obsolete. At some point during this time we will reach a tipping point when it will become painfully obvious that something needs to be done. I for one will continue to work on supplying real world, common sense solutions now to create homes that will meet the need for safe aging in place and the desire for a beautiful home to live in and enjoy. Planning Ahead If you or a loved one is planning to spend the rest of your life in your current home or you are trying to decide whether your current home is the best place to spend the rest of your life, we have the tools and resources to help you make an informed decision. Please don’t be like many people who stick their heads in the sand and refuse to consider their options until a choice is forced upon them. If you would like some help in the planning process you can download our Planning Guide. Or simply call us at 540-384-2064 and we would be happy to mail you a copy. Whatever else you do, please start the conversation. Be proactive and take steps to maintain your independence before it becomes critical. As always, thank you for reading Housing Matters and here’s to a full and independent life for each of you!
Are you a Frazzled Caregiver?
I was talking to a client the other day who is caring for her mother. We converted her bathtub into a step in shower and we installed some hand rails on her front stoop to help prevent falls. She told me that her mother, who is almost 90 looks great, but “the rest of us are worn out”. Caregiving is an exhausting job that takes a toll on everyone who tries it. Many people with a caregiver’s heart feel guilty because they are not doing enough, even while neglecting themselves as well as their other responsibilities. If you aren’t careful, it will leave you frazzled. An internet search for “Are you a frazzled caregiver?” returned over nine million results. Maybe you think this topic is outside the realm of my usual subject matter. Caregiver burnout is a serious issue and many of the solutions that we provide can help not only the client but the caregiver as well. Many studies show that approximately 30% of caregivers die before their patients. This can be attributed to physical stress from lifting, supporting, and carrying our loved ones because of their mobility challenges as well as from the emotional stress of worrying about their safety. Many family caregivers feel that they shouldn’t ask for help because they should be able to care for their loved one by themselves. I have a news flash for you. You are not superman (or superwoman). We all need help, especially when caring for a loved one. Sometimes that help might come in the form of another family member pitching in so you can take a much needed break. Other times it might mean recruiting a professional caregiver on a full or part time basis. Or it could be that having some home modifications made can make your caregiving routine less physically and emotionally demanding. For example, adding grab bars or handrails can lessen the probability of your loved one falling and injuring themselves. Converting a bathtub to a curbless shower may eliminate the strain of lifting or assisting your loved one in or out of the bathtub. Removing throw rugs and trailing extension cords can help eliminate tripping hazards. Or a remote activity monitoring system could send alerts if activity is detected such as not taking medication or not getting up in the morning. This type of system can help provide peace of mind by knowing you will be alerted of a problem when you are not able to physically be there with your loved one. If you are a caregiver and would like a professional evaluation of your home or your loved one’s home, please give us a call. We can assess your home and tell you what modifications can increase safety and independence. We can be reached at 540-384-2064 or by logging onto our website at www.solidrockenterprises.com. If you are a caregiver, please get the help you need. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be any help to anyone else. You need a support network to help support you. Resources can be found at your local area agency on aging or at the National Aging in Place Council website at www.ageinplace.org. There are numerous support groups for caregivers to get together and share their struggles and triumphs. Sometimes just knowing that there are other people experiencing the same challenges you are can help you feel less alone. If you are a frazzled caregiver please take the time and make the effort to take care of yourself. It could make all the difference for you and your loved one.