Mary Alexander: Hi! I'm Mary Alexander from Home Instead Senior Care. Today, I am going to talk about how to choose a Certified Aging-in-Place specialist. Now I am going to talk about the questions and considerations you and your parents should discuss about their situation as well as the expectations with aging-in-place modifications.

According to aginginplace.

com, there are seven things to keep in mind when accessing your parent's aging-in-place modification means. Let's discuss those. The first category is canes, walkers, and wheelchairs. Are your parents currently using any of these assisted devices? If not, what is the likelihood they may in the future. Increasing a home's maneuverability is a very important aging-in-place consideration. Be sure to determine if the entrance doors are at least 36 inches wide. And interior doors are a minimum of 32 inches wide.

Next, look at the room features, such as sunken rooms, hallways that maybe difficult to navigate or ornamental fixtures that are hard to get around that may need to be removed or modified. Also, give thought to new or existing flooring. High pile carpeting, area rugs, or flooring that has a slippery surface can be a trip or fall hazard.

Speaking of tripping and falling, the second category to look at is balance and standing. As people grow older, physical issues cause by lack of muscle strength, equilibrium, and other conditions begin to appear. Making accommodations that prepare for these will help your parent stay in their homes longer. Two areas where standing occurs regularly are bathrooms, and kitchens. Look around each of these rooms to determine if there is sufficient space for grab bars. Also see if there is enough space to allow for a wheelchair to turn. Also, our counters in kitchen and the bath at proper height in order to accommodate wheelchairs, regardless of the room, you should work with your parents to ensure that there are ample place to provide chairs or benches so they can perform regular tasks.

The third category to consider is bending and reaching. The best approach to help your parents is to keep things within easy reach. Some areas of the home that are more prone to be problematic are the kitchen, laundry room, and bedroom closets. Look around to see if there are sufficient cabinets and counter space is at the proper height. If not, it might be necessary to install under-cabinet roll-out shelves, or pull down shelves, or organizing systems. The fourth category to look at is if your parents have reduced hearing. The sounds of doorbells, alarms, and telephone rings are often among the first that become difficult to hear.

It may become necessary to have phones and doorbell chimes in multiple rooms. Therefore, you should look to see if there are sufficient outlets. Also, make sure smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms are near where they sleep and spend most of their time. You can also consider replacing older detection models with ones that have visual indicators, or louder alarms.

Category five is grasping and holding. As our parents age, it may become difficult for them to open drawers and doors. Hold items that maybe heavy or turn and hold the fixture. Some items to look at include making sure cabinet drawers and doors have D shaped handles and that all doorknobs and faucets are lever handled. The sixth category is eye-sight. Ensuring proper lighting is one of the best things you can do for your parents if they have difficulty seeing. Next, make sure floor transitions are easily distinguishable such as having contrasting colors between levels and rooms.

The last category to look at for modification needs is if your parents are safely sitting or lying down and then getting up. If there are difficulties, check to see if there is plenty of open space where walkers can be stored nearby, or grab bars and safety rails installed.

Once you have discussed all of the modifications that might be necessary, the next step is to talk about a budget. We look at some financing options in the next video.