I spent 10 days cat-sitting for a friend of a friend who lives alone in a small old house on a hillside. She’s over 50 and it got me thinking about how her living situation may have to change in the future.
There are steep steps to get to her front door and the backyard garden has a series of terraced steps. I was put in charge of watering her plants, so I had to drag a hose up and down the steps to water the pots and plants that her soaker hose didn’t cover. Her garden steps are ancient and falling apart so it’s easy to trip if you aren’t careful.
I went to the grocery store to buy a few things to eat, but can’t imagine hauling multiple bags or anything heavy up the front steps. Getting my suitcase up there almost wore me out and I’m in pretty good shape, health-wise.
The furniture in her house is minimal and I can see why. It’s way too much work to haul furniture up to the house without help.
This ladder goes to a loft space where she stores things as her house is a 1909-era small cottage.
She fashions a pulley to lift things up and down. When I first saw it, all I could think of was “disaster waiting to happen.”
This got me thinking about aging in place
In my friend’s case, there isn’t much she can do to adapt her home for aging in place other than fixing the old garden steps and hoping she never twists an ankle. She’s healthy and active now, but if that ever changes, she would have to move.
A few years ago, I was living in a community high on a hillside and often walked up and down it for exercise. An 87-year-old woman would sometimes join me and was in amazing shape. One day, she told me her family was packing her off to live in Minnesota with family members. I remember thinking she was leaving sunny California for what Californians think of as the Arctic and hoped she would be okay.
Do you need to “older adult” proof your house?
A few years ago, a guest author wrote a post on this blog about Universal Design. It’s a method of adapting so that you remain safe as you age by making rooms accessible in the event you become or are disabled.
An example would be to install a no-threshold shower in your bathroom so you can walk straight in without having to maneuver yourself over any obstacle. In my friend’s case, she has an antique clawfoot bathtub in her home. You have to lift your leg up high to step inside it, which isn’t easy for many seniors.
It works for her because she only takes baths and washes her hair with a showerhead on a hose. I tried using the hose but ended up squirting the entire bathroom. Instead, I took a shower in an outdoor bathroom she installed in her garden.
My current home is a small ADU that I share with a roommate and rent from a girlfriend. It’s brand new with modern fixtures.
Our living situation is comfortable. I have a regular bathtub/shower and my roommate, who is less mobile has a no-threshold shower.
Hillside homes with steps are challenging for seniors
The old neighborhood where I cat sat is inhabited mostly by 30-somethings. It was established at the turn of the 20th century as a conclave for artists, free thinkers, and a few hunters. The Victorian and Craftsman-designed homes there are charming and I love them but not very practical for older people in this day and age.
These photos are of a few of those homes. As you can see, they all have steep steps.
Do you think your living situation will need an adjustment or two to make it possible to age in place in the future? Where do you see yourself living in the next 10-20 years? Please leave a comment below.
Yes, this is why hubby and I downsized from a big McMansion in Middletown to a small ranch in Smyrna. We didn’t want to live our golden years with all the responsibilities that came with having a large house – 2 sets of steps, long driveway, a pool , 4 bedrooms, etc.
Great post thanks for sharing it will definitely help others who may be in the same boat.
This is a timely post … we talk about it all the time. I think everyone would prefer to age in place if at all possible.
Yes, being able to stay at home is so much better, especially if there are others around in case of an emergency Carol.
As I look at possible places in Florida I definitely want a master bedroom and bath on the first floor if I were ever to buy a property. I agree it’s important to check out how many steps are in a home as we are.
Or, at least an elevator, Judy!
When we moved to the shore the prerequisite for a home or apartment was master bedroom on the first floor. Although we have two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, our home is great for one floor living, with only two steps to the front door. Guests must maneuver stairs, however!
I hope your guests are all young, Meryl. LOL
With arthritis in my knee, I ruled out stairs in the home a long time ago. I prefer ranch-style homes, condos, or apartments. Maybe one stair or two isn’t bad to get into or out of your home, but that’s about it for me. Love the idea of using a claw foot tub as a planter!
I know how you feel, Jennifer. Stairs can make life difficult as we age.
Yes, we have to think of these things as we get older. Thankfully, our home is mostly one story, so that helps. Still, will have to keep my eyes open.
Good that you won’t have to make many adjustments to your home, Laurie.