Different Categories of Aging in Place

The different categories of aging in place include urgent needs, progressive conditions and no urgent needs.

• Urgent needs require immediate changes in the living environment such as universal design or home modifications.
• Progressive conditions are conditions that are not urgent but will become manifest in the future. They include heart or lung disease or diabetes that may cause difficulty in living at a later stage in life.
• No urgent need includes people who do not have any health or mobility issues and prefer to remain in their homes.

What are the Home Modifications needed for Aging in Place?

Homes need to be modified to include conveniences that make everyday living easier for aged people. Falling is one of the most common injuries for aged people and can even cause death. Preventing falls is crucial for a person who would like to age in place. This means support in the bathroom and shower, railings on stairs, no loose throw rugs or obstructed pathways.

Increased lighting and easily accessible switches, nonskid flooring, ramps and sliding shelves are other things that make a home safer. These changes are not expensive and relatively minor. There may be other, more drastic changes that need to be done in some cases such as the installation of a private elevator, adjusting counter top heights and constructing new first floor master suites.

How to Become a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist?

The CAPS training program was created by the Remodelers™ Council of the National Association of Home Builders, in together with the NAHB Research Center, Seniors Housing Council and the Association of the Aging and Retired People. The training includes learning about:

• The needs of older people
• Specific home modifications that support independent living
• The most common types of remodeling required
• The most common obstacles and their solutions

The program also teaches how to make the remodeling aesthetically pleasing as well as obstacle-free for a safe living environment.

How to find Training for CAPS?

There are several places online where candidates can find CAPS training programs including the NAHB website and the AARP website. The program is three days and addresses the technical needs for this specific market as well as the communication skills needed to give the best possible modifications for the customer.

The program also teaches how to market aging in place to increase the number of people who select this option. Many older people may not be aware that there is help available for them to make their homes livable for when they become older and have special needs. Children of aging parents may also not be aware of this option.

After the training program is completed, participants must complete the graduation application and submit it to the NAHB University of Housing. CAPS graduates are not merely home remodelers. They offer a service to the public and take a pledge to uphold a code of ethics. They may retain their certificate only by joining continuing educational programs and participating in community service.

1) Are There Any Covenants or Restriction to Keep You From Building a Mother-in-Law Suite?

Check with your subdivision, city and/or your county to see if they will allow two separate households to reside at the same address. You may be able to use same address “front, rear or side”. Even if you don’t need a permit to build your in-law suite always ask this question. Is there any public entity that may have judgment over your “zoning” privileges? Zoning can specifically define the use of your property.

2) Are Your Existing Utilities Sufficient For A Mother In Law Suite?

This could be a big one. Check the utilities of your existing home, to include the electrical service (power panel), the plumbing (both waste and water supply) and the heating/ cooling system to see if they are large enough to handle the new in-law suite. Use our “Concept Design Form” found at or website. Print it out and present it to a licensed mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractor to evaluate the additional need that the remodeling project will demand. They will be able to give you a ballpark estimate on the cost according to your need. Caution, some of the MEP upgrades costs will be quite significant but they are necessary to a successful project that will add value to your home.

3) Hiring An Architect?

I suggest hiring a licensed architect. Here again, use our “Concept Design Form” listing the number of bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms and other rooms you think are required to help an architect find the layout that will give you the best use of the square footage you have to work with. Remember that this space is for home care for a senior or other loved one. You’ve got one shot so get it right the first time. You may also need an architect’s seal on the drawing for the building permits. He will also make sure you meet compliance for emergency and secondary egress. As a Realtor I see clients shocked after spending hard earned money to remodel and find that without the correct window size or walk out, that it does not qualify for “living space”. That could mean a big fat zero gain when you list your home for sale.

4) Getting Estimates

The documents the architect produces gives you a devise to obtain complete estimates with fewer duplications and/or omissions. Getting three estimates is standard operating procedure. Give the contractor two weeks or fourteen working days for a bid dead line. Put in writing. Remember this is a buyers market. Be sure to have a schedule including a start date, a completion date and a payment schedule. Most contractors use the one-third system. Once again get it in writing, one-third on starting, one-third at the middle of the schedule, and one-third on completion. Get lien waivers from the general contractor as well as his sub-contractors and suppliers. Make sure the big ticket items are paid for, such as the ac-unit, copper wire and power panel box, bath tub with surround, roll-in shower, doors and windows, flooring, etc. Make their certificate of insurance for liability and worker comp part of the contract. One last thing you might want to get in writing is to make sure they supply a port-a-potty. This will help to keep your bathrooms clean during the construction.

5) Choosing The Right Contractor for Your Project

Pick a contractor that you feel at ease with. Check his references. Check all of them. How long has he/she been in business? Ask friends, neighbors and even your city about them. Use the Better Business Bureau. They may have a record of any complaints about them and how the complaints were handled. You must be sure that your contractor is trustworthy, responsible and prompt. This is a time of quick decision and close working space. I always feel as if I am at my clients beckon call. You never know when the electric will go off or the water doesn’t work. I’ve seen it all. The best-laid plans do go a stray. You probably have better odds at the casino than having a completed project end without some kind of hiccup. Building your mother-in-law suite can be a good experience. If you ask lots of question, do your homework, and choose wisely, you have a pretty good shot at enjoying the construction of your mother-in-law suite.

Here’s a scenario that many of us may face: what if you have a relative, like a mother-in-law or a child, come back to live with you for a time? The basement can be an excellent place to remodel for this purpose, giving your relative space they can feel at home in. The basement naturally feels a little different from the rest of the building – you can use this to your advantage. That “different feeling” will make your guest feel more comfortable with calling a certain portion of the house their own.

You can seize on that “different feeling” for other purposes, too. Once you’ve renovated the basement, you will find that the space’s unique qualities make it very suitable for rooms in the home that aren’t meant to feel quite like the rest of the house. The basement can make an excellent playroom for children, or a good home office space. Since you want to be able to focus on work rather than the demands of home, having this different space can be a real asset. A game room or a den with a bar might also be good options. Since most basements are huge, open spaces in comparison to other rooms, you may even be able to utilize more than one of these concepts without even needing to build new walls.

Basement Remodeling Considerations

There are some things you will need to take into account as you remodel your basement, though – the basement just isn’t like the other rooms in your house. The biggest difference is lighting. Pretty much every room in the upper floors of your home has windows to let in some ambient light, but because the basement is below the grade of your property, it lacks this property. Don’t respond to this just by flooding the place with bright lighting and whitewashing your walls – while that will make things very bright, it will also make it garish and uncomfortable. Instead, consider using warm, bright colors, and using things like can lighting and sconces. The dark quality of the basement can be an advantage in some settings, like a game room or a den.

Other things to consider are elements like pipework or ventilation ducts. Try and keep these along the walls of the basement, so that they don’t crowd the space in the center of the room. You can also cover them up with paneling so that they don’t stand out, or paint them a darker color for a more moody effect. There are plenty of ways to make these pieces work for your renovation.

The main thing to remember is to not be daunted by the task at hand. Your basement has the potential to be as inviting and useful a part of the home as any other room, and has other advantages besides – that “different feel” we mentioned, which makes the basement a perfect place for a mother in-law suite, a playroom, an office, or dozens of other uses. Instead of just a place to store your high school memorabilia, why not give the place a remodel and see what a difference adding a floor to your house makes?

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