Building or Modifying for an Aging-in-Place Friendly Home

If you or your relatives want to build a new structure, or get modifications done on your house, there are resources to make sure that the builders are doing it right. Dr. Jill Bjerke joins Suzanne to talk about aging in place constructions as part of this month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place. A home assessment at silverspaces.com provides guidelines and recommendations to design an aging in place home, like lever handles on doors and faucets, a raised dishwasher so you don't have to bend down so far, a stove that has controls in the front, a low-maintenance exterior, things you ordinarily wouldn't think about with new construction. Dr. Jill says, "You can't predict your future. I had knee surgery, I had joint replacement. And boy, did that give me a firsthand view of what it's like to have to use a walker, and to have to shuffle, and... I have stairs. I shouldn't have stairs. How am I going to get up and down the stairs? So this assessment really gives you a picture of what you could be facing in the future if you're not thinking about it." Learn more at silverspaces.com. Hear more podcasts about Silver Spaces with Dr. Jill Bjerke. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.