Most people want to stay in their homes as they age, but for many of them that just isn’t feasible. Less than 1 out of 10 homes owned by seniors in the United States are livable for people with moderate mobility difficulties, and another 4 out of 10 could be modified, according to a report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In other words, half of all seniors won’t be able to stay in their homes safely if their mobility is even moderately reduced.
This isn’t something that can really be fixed, it’s a flaw in the basic design of the houses. They would have to be completely rebuilt to correct this. At that point the homeowners would be better off just moving to a new home which is accessible. On the bright side, at least for those whose homes can be modified, most states have programs to help people upgrade their homes to be more accessible by offering grants or low interest loans. The
Oregon K Plan for instance, allows up to $5000 for home modification. There are also many nonprofits that handle home modifications, such as
Rebuilding Together. As is often the case however, there are far more people in need of help than there are people willing to help them.
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