Aging in Place for Seniors: 10 Changes Your House Needs

According to a survey, 90% of people over the age of 65 prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible, and 80% want to live in their current homes forever. 

Senior citizens nowadays prefer their homes over assisted living facilities. But are their homes ready for this?

Not all houses have all the featured that older people need, so they might need some changes.

In particular, there are 10 features that your house needs to be ready for aging in place:

1. Outdoor and indoor ramps

2. Efficient lighting system

3. Non-slip flooring

4. Smart home technology

5. Handrails

6. Lower sink, kitchen counter, and cabinets

7. Stairlift

8. Smoke alarm system

9. Cooling and heating system

10. Levers

Guest Post - Different Degrees of Clutter vs. Hoarding

It’s not uncommon to have some clutter lingering in different areas of your house. It might be a small collection of things taking up space, like a cluttered attic. Or, it could be a room that looks untidy, filled with items that aren’t in their place or don’t need to be there. 

A little clutter isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Maybe you just haven’t had time to clean, or maybe you’re comfortable with leaving things alone in an attic or basement. 

But, there may also be an underlying psychological effect causing your clutter. If it gets out of hand, that might even lead to hoarding. 

With that in mind, let’s look at why you might be okay with too much clutter, and what to do when it becomes a problem. 

What’s Really Causing Your Clutter? 

Sometimes, clutter comes from indecision. Bringing things into your home and leaving them in a certain place could be the result of not knowing what to do with them. Other times, clutter builds up because you’re not ready to let things go. Maybe they have a sentimental value, or you’re putting too much emotional weight on them. 

If you dig deeper into those causes, you can probably see that there is a psychological attachment. For some, it’s indecision. For others, it might be a fear of letting go of something familiar. Other underlying emotions that can contribute to clutter include: 

• Uncontrolled impulse purchases

• Memories

• Fear of needing something in the future

• Guilt

• Obligation

• Hoping for a change

Unfortunately, too much clutter can also contribute to psychological issues. It can cause stress, make you feel inadequate, and can even distract you from things you’re supposed to focus on.

How to Know When Clutter Becomes Hoarding

If the beginnings of clutter can quickly become a problem, what happens when it gets worse? 

Most people have heard of hoarding, but where is that line crossed between a cluttered home and one that is overflowing with “stuff?”

Hoarding simply takes the psychological effects of clutter to another level. The American Psychiatric Association recognizes Hoarding Disorder as a real problem when someone excessively saves items that would have no value to others. Some of the most common behaviors and signs of this disorder include the inability to get rid of things (even things like food containers or what others might consider trash), and extreme stress or anxiety about throwing anything away. If someone has a buildup of clutter that causes rooms of their home to become unusable/unliveable, it has gone into hoarding territory. 

Everything from stress to OCD, and the factors listed above, can cause someone to become a hoarder. Whatever the case, hoarding can cause a lot of damage to your home. You might start to experience:

• Vermin infestation

• Mold growth

• Plumbing damage

• Pet damage

• Structural damage

Hoarding can cause you to feel anxious about your possessions. You may even realize that you have a problem but aren’t willing to let things go. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for those who hoard their belongings to avoid getting help or the treatment they need. Recognizing the signs, even understanding that your living conditions are unstable because of the extreme clutter, is the first step in getting help for a hoarding problem. 

Clear the Chaos and Build Organized Habits

If you have mild clutter in your home, consider why you might be avoiding it. Cleaning up and creating more space can give you a sense of freedom and take away some of the weight that clutter is causing. Choose to put some things in storage if you can’t let go. Additionally, utilize corners, buy organizers for your items, and use elevation to your advantage by putting things on shelves or tables. 

If your cluttering problem has gotten worse, you may be dealing with Hoarding Disorder. Self-help starts with recognizing you need to make a change, but that isn’t always easy. If necessary, seek support. 

Hoarding is often the result of underlying psychological issues, and a therapist, counselor, or support group can help you to work through those issues. It will be easier for you to manage your thoughts when they do and to start to get rid of the things you don’t need once and for all.

Author Bio: Noah Rue is a freelance writer.

People to Contact When You Want to Remodel Your Home

If you are about to undergo a major remodeling project, your first objective is to assemble your “dream team.” Remodeling is rarely the work of just one person or even just one team of people. From the general contractor to the landscaper, there are several people to contact when you want to remodel your home. Read along to learn who they are and what attributes they should possess.

General Contractor

The general contractor is the person who will turn your vision into a reality. They manage and execute the fine details of the project so that you don’t have to fret so much. For any project that requires several thousand dollars and a few subcontractors, it’s in your best interests to hire a reliable leader. You do not want someone who will rip you off. When you interview for a general contractor, you are looking for someone well-established who has a reputation for completing jobs on time and within the budget.

Interior Designer

Of all the people to contact when you want to remodel your home, interior designers are the most artistically inclined. They balance space, furniture, and wall colors to create a cohesive look in your home that matches your aesthetic sensibilities. When you hire an interior designer, you are looking for a creative professional with an eye for detail and exceptional communication skills. An interior designer should have a portfolio and references. Do not be afraid to ask for these, and be sure to review their portfolio for projects that are comparable to your goals.

Landscaper

The outside of your home is still a factor in your appraisal, and it should not be an afterthought during the remodeling process. A landscaper designs and executes an attractive exterior for your house. When you look for a landscaper and their team, you want to make sure they are certified by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) and have a portfolio of similar projects to show you.

Carpenter

The carpenter is the person who takes on the building projects that go into a renovation. Whether it be stairs, cabinets, railings, or house frameworks, the carpenter is the one to manage it. When you hire a carpenter, you want someone experienced in critical thinking, mechanical equipment, and communication. More than anything, you want a carpenter who can pay attention to the very fine details. When it comes to building codes, miscalculations by only a few inches could create problems in the future.

Guest Post - Compelling Advantages of Having a Smart Home

We live in a technologically advanced era, which means that innovations are everywhere. Even if there are still traditional ways of living, these advancements in technologies have made our lives easier. One of these said innovations is a smart home, a home system that controls your appliances and equipment. 

A smart home makes your life easier because instead of manually controlling appliances like home security or air-conditioning, the smart home system does it for you. In the following, we'll list down the several advantages and disadvantages of owning a smart home. 

Advantages of a Smart Home

1. Tighter Security

Whether it's video monitoring or motion detection, a smart home guarantees better security. It can also help you keep tabs on your kids to ensure that they're safe at home. If there are unusual changes that need alerting, an alarm can be set off so you can take immediate action when there is a security breach. 

Whether as a homeowner, parent, or someone who genuinely cares about the overall safety and security of the place they call home, a smart home will give you real-time alerts and updates if anything suspicious is going on. 

2. Energy Management

One of the remarkable benefits is that a smart home helps you save energy and costs. It manages your utilities, appliances, lighting, and other energy-consuming factors that can potentially add more expenses to your monthly bills. 

When you program aspects like your thermostat to a specific temperature for a specific period of the day, you're saving yourself both time and expenses. It really is a smart way to save money and energy in the long run. Smart homes can save between 30–40% of your home's energy consumption. 

3. Convenience

The most obvious advantage behind smart home technologies is the convenience they provide. Think of how much time you're going to potentially save by using a smart home system to get things done for you. This is especially true if you're busy with work tasks and barely have the time to think about responsibilities like changing the thermostat or managing security cameras. 

Having a smart home will make your life so much easier, and it would also ease your mind from potential threats and harms that could happen in your home if you're away.

4. Accessibility

Individuals of all ages are finding the accessibility of smart homes to be very enjoyable. Based on a survey, one in seven adults aged 50 and above have home assistance devices like Google Home. For the elderly who need more assistance, smart homes can help them do labor-extensive tasks. 

The elderly need the most support, and if they're living alone, nobody else can cater to their needs, such as lowering the air-conditioning or turning off lights. Smart home technologies also provide real-time, two-way communication through audio and video, so you're free to check up on your elderly loved ones, even from your office or elsewhere. 

Disadvantages of a Smart Home

1. Expense

While a smart home can save your energy costs in the long run, it's generally not a cheap investment. Since it's a modern technological innovation, expect that this investment will entail a large portion of your savings if you lack the resources. 

Based on a source, you may spend approximately $1,000 on lighting alone by turning each regular light bulb into a smart alternative. While turning your standard home into a smart one is the most ideal and attractive option, it won't be exactly cheap to get to this point.

2. Power Surges

Before you completely turn your home into a smart home, you need to ensure that it's safe from power surges for your own safety. According to the Insurance Information Institute, this is to avoid disasters from occurring when lightning strikes or a storm occurs. 

3. Compatibility

As perfect as a smart home may sound, it's not compatible with all smart home technology manufacturers, so the effectiveness of turning your home into a smart home depends on the appliances and technologies you're using. This is where you need the perspective of a professional to help guide you on which devices are compatible with your smart home system.

Highlights to Conclude

The innovation behind smart homes will help you save energy costs and make things easier for you in managing and looking after your home, even from miles away. Smart home technologies are also one of the modern technological innovations today that can assist your elderly family members or watch over your kids.

Incorporating home automation systems has several benefits, but it's not all perfect as there are still downsides. Even if having a smart home is energy-efficient in the long run, it's initially an expensive investment to make. Therefore, you must look into all the factors before deciding if a smart home is something you need and can afford to have.

About the Author

Serene Yu is the Vice President of New Manila San Juan, the premiere real estate marketplace for luxury properties in the Philippines. Serene is a well-versed writer and marketer that enjoys keeping up with the latest trends in real estate, interior design, and technology. Outside work she enjoys travelling, cooking, and baking.