{"id":12830,"date":"2023-12-13T06:51:53","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T12:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legaltalktexas.hammerle.com\/?p=12830"},"modified":"2025-06-18T12:46:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T17:46:01","slug":"aging-in-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/adult-guardianship\/aging-in-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Aging in Place"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you living in your <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forever Home<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, put another way, is your house ready for you to age?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those are only weird questions if you are not planning on getting older! Aging in place is a term used to describe the ability to live in your own home safely, independently, and comfortably for as long as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About 15 years ago, my parents started looking for their forever home. They had a list of \u2018must haves\u2019 which included three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a pool, and a large yard. When they found the house that met their criteria, they were ready to show it to my sister and I.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My gerontologist soul almost died right then and there. The house was a two-story home with all the bedrooms upstairs. A conversation was had regarding the physical layout of the home. Ultimately, against the advice of their children, they decided to buy the house.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As predicted, they continued to age. Now, 15 years and a hip replacement later, they will need to add a bedroom and a full bathroom to the bottom floor to have maximum access for the duration of my mom\u2019s life. Or they will need to move.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Makes a Home Right for Aging in Place?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many different assessments to help determine if a house is ready to age in place. A quick review of a house using a walker could be a great start to preparing for the future. Using a walker through a house will force you to become more aware of the house\u2019s flooring, lighting, and door widths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where are the bedrooms and bathrooms and are they easily accessible?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can someone with limited mobility get in and out of the tub or shower safely without another person being physically present? Handrails may need to be utilized around the toilets and tubs, especially if the senior will be living alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can the individual get in or out of the home safely?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is there access to windows and doors for someone using a walker or wheelchair?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can emergency personnel get into the home with a gurney should there be a need?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look at the rugs for any frayed edges or edges that roll up, these could be trip hazards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walking through a home at different times can bring awareness to areas of the home that may need more lighting. People with compromised vision due to age, cataracts, or other vision disparities, may see shadows differently, which could create trips in the home. An easy way to remedy lighting issues could be to install light switches at each entry into the room or even voice activated lights.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional door knobs could also cause issues for people with limited range of motion in their hands due to strength issues or arthritis, so consider installing door levers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now is also a good time to look at furniture placement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install at least one ramp outside for any future needs. Keep all steps in good repair and replace the rails as needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a lot more to a home assessment, but these questions will get you started. We all want to age gracefully and comfortably in our own home. Do your part now to make that happen.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hammerle Morris Can Help With Your Guardianship Needs<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you or a loved one has questions about adult guardianship, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/lewisville-attorney\/#form\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">schedule a consultation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/our-team\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">experienced attorneys and staff<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at Hammerle Morris Law Firm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courtney Carey is a Texas Certified Guardian and a Care Manager, with experience in Texas Medicaid waiver programs, intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health, and geriatrics. Contact Hammerle Morris Law Firm to schedule a consultation:<\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hammerle.com\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">www.hammerle.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This column does not constitute legal advice.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you living in your Forever Home?\u00a0 Or, put another way, is your house ready for you to age?\u00a0 Those are only weird questions if you are not planning on getting older! Aging in place is a term used to describe the ability to live in your own home safely, independently, and comfortably for as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12831,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1226],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12830","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-adult-guardianship"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Aging in Place | Hammerle Morris Law Firm<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Courtney Carey, Geriatric Care Manager, explains why it\u2019s crucial to assess your living space for safety and accessibility as you age.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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