Why More People Are Staying Put
With over 75% of aging individuals wanting to stay in their communities and a similar percentage wanting to stay in their current homes as they get older, there is a limited inventory of homes available for purchase. The real estate market has seen a dramatic shift, as fewer older individuals are selling their homes than in previous decades. Instead, older generations are primarily opting to age in place, both for comfort and financial reasons. The cost of moving, whether to downsize or transition to somewhere with care or amenities, can be extremely prohibitive. To reduce that burden, people are staying in the homes they’ve paid off.
Accessibility Where It Counts
As we age, mobility tends to decline, and changes have to be made to the home's layout and features to accommodate that. Those modifications can make the difference between someone living independently or having to move elsewhere. With the bulk of older individuals wanting to remain in place, home modifications to install ramps, grab bars, and wide doorways as a way to reduce falls and increase independence have become increasingly popular. By partnering with accessibility companies such as EZ-ACCESS®, homeowners are able to adapt the space to their needs.
Another major shift is multigenerational living. This is when two or more generations of a family live in a single household, whether the older adult moves in with a child or younger relatives move in with the aging person. It still prompts the need for home modifications such as ramps and threshold plates like the ones EZ-ACCESS delivers around the United States. Many homes that people have lived in for their entire adulthood were constructed without considering the needs of an aging generation. With the high cost of retirement communities and assisted living facilities, multigenerational homes are an option for those who may not be able to afford to live on their own any longer.
Retirement communities are continuing to grow in popularity for those who can afford them. Built to have accessible features throughout, like bathrooms, doorways, and few to no stairs, these buildings improve the built-in mobility features heavily used by that generation. They’re also designed as communities, still giving people that familiarity and socialization they crave as part of aging in place. While not in their original home, people are able to remain within the neighborhoods and cities in which they’ve spent a lifetime.
Aging in Place With Grace
For those who remain in their home or with family, it’s important that home modifications be prioritized to preserve mobility, promote safety, and provide the chance to be independent. EZ-ACCESS helps individuals looking to make their homes more accessible with tailored solutions. From aluminum ramps that eliminate the challenge of stairs to threshold plates for overcoming doorways, our Customer Service team is ready to help you age in place. Reach out to EZ-ACCESS by calling 1-800-451-1903 or sending a message through our website. We’ll help you come up with the right solutions to keep you safe and mobile in your home while remaining in the place you love.
