Home Modifications :: Sage Bathroom Safety Products

According to a survey of people aged 45 and over, more than 80 percent of respondents agreed with the statement: “What I’d really like to do is stay in my own home and never move.” Such strong attachment to place is understandable; in 1995, nearly half of all older homeowners had lived in the same home for more than 25 years (AARP data). For such residents, their current housing provides for a sense of security, proximity to friends, familiar services, and a homelike setting. Evidence suggests that a modified home environment provides several key benefits:

Home modifications makes it easier to carry out tasks such as getting in and out of a home or apartment, bathing, cooking and cleaning.
Modifying a home to improve convenience facilitates caregiving by others. For example, a bathroom with enough space can make it possible for a caregiver to help a person use a tub or shower.
The addition of grab bars and improved lighting can reduce accidents such as falls, a leading cause of injury for older people.
Home modifications can allow persons to participate in life activities. For example, increased lighting can make it possible for an older person to continue with liesure activities like sewing or reading. A modified kitchen can help to make cooking easier and more enjoyable.

Home modification is an integral component of community based home health care and a cost-effective strategy in helping to reduce health care costs. Want to learn more about home modifications? Get an online certificate in Home Modifications.

Home Modification FAQ's

Q. What is a Home Modification?

A. Broadly defined, a home modification is “a renovation to the home environment that makes it easier to carry out tasks of daily living and to maintain independence”.

Q. What’s the most common Home Modification?

A. By far and away it’s a bathroom renovation. Once a person’s mobility needs change, the bathroom becomes public enemy number one!. Bathtubs are almost always removed and replaced with ceramic or prefabricated low threshold showers. Counter tops can be lowered and sinks can be removed and replaced with accessible wall hung models. Toilets that are too low are replaced with higher toilets that can be easier to lift off from. Additional improvements are usually made to lighting, grab bar supports and ventilation.

Ceramic Showers

Accessible or barrier free ceramic showers can be designed to fit most spaces and can be finished in a variety of textures and colors. The rolling surface is excellent but ensuring the proper slope to the drain can be quite a challenge. The drawbacks include added maintenance (all of those grout lines to keep clean) possible leakage, and a more comprehensive installation. Remember, you will need to create two slopes to manage the water. One slope to keep the water in and on the shower floor and the other slope to direct the water from the shower floor to the drain. Creating a slope to keep the water in and on the shower floor can be achieved by lowering the shower floor (which may involve modifying floor joists) or raising the bathroom floor (which will create a raised transition from the hallway to the bathroom). Raising a bathroom floor will also mean modifying the plumbing for the toilet and sink. Either way, a ceramic shower floor installation should be managed by a professional.

When it comes time to sell the house, a ceramic shower installation may be a drawback to the prospective buyer considering the work and expense needed to remove the ceramic tile shower floor, repair any modifications to joists and sub floor and re-install a bathtub.

Pre Fabricated Showers

Pre fabricated showers are usually made from fiberglass or acrylic and are available in one piece or multi-piece designs. Multiple piece designs (or modular) are usually installed for the renovation market where each section of the shower can easily be ported through the existing doorways and hallways of a home. Multi-piece showers are available in a variety of sizes and will fit in most bath and shower enclosures. One-piece designs are usually installed in new home construction or in new additions where open space (free of obstructive walls or framing) prevails.

A major concern of many people who are considering the installation of an accessible or barrier free shower is the fear of having the product look institutional or medical looking. Most of the accessible and barrier free shower systems that we sell and install (manufactured by Best-Bath Systems®) are designed with a “faux ceramic” look that’s quite beautiful. In fact we've had many people comment on just how nice these "ceramic" showers are. You can also customize and enhance the look of your new shower by adding colors or color patterns of your choice .

Installing a multi-piece shower in sections (where the walls and shower pan are individual components and are fitted together on site) also means that it can be easily removed, an important consideration should you want to return the bathroom back to its original configuration in preparation for resale. Need more information on curbless shower design? Check out this great PDF from NC State University.

Q. What’s the Second Most Popular Home Modification?

A. Second to bathrooms is access to the house and within the house. Access to the house usually involves constructing ramps, landscaping walkways or installing mechanical lifts. Access within the house involves widening doorways, replacing doors and door hardware, installing stair lifts and improvements to lighting.

Q. How Much Do Home Modifications Cost?

A. The most common home modification (bathrooms) can cost between $7,500.00 - $18,000.00 and even more should the resident require more room, needs to relocate plumbing, or has a desire for many upgrades. Most renovations usually involves the complete gutting of the entire bathroom and the re-installation of new fixtures, flooring, lighting and ventilation. The complete removal of fixtures, walls, flooring and ceiling also provides the opportunity to address mold issues that may (probably) have developed over a number of years. To do it right your general contractor may employ a variety of trades including plumbers, electricians, carpenters, drywallers and general labour.

If you are looking for a bathroom that will meet your needs for today and tomorrow consider speaking with an interior designer who has experience with the concepts of Universal Design. Occupational therapists are great resources to contact as well.

B.Wood ramps, that extend from the house to the walk or driveway can cost between $3,500.00 and $6,500.00 depending on the required length of the ramp.

Tips on Ramps

For a ramp to be of value, it needs to be easy to use. A ramp that is too steep can be tiring when using a walker or a manual wheelchair and potentially hazardous if snow covered or wet. A ramp that is too long dominates the aesthetic of the house and is needlessly expensive. Height determines the proper length and slope of a ramp. Most building codes indicate that the maximum ramp slope should be a ratio of 1:12, meaning that for every inch of rise, you should have 12" extending. So, for a rise of 30" (from ground to door threshold) you will minimally need a ramp that’s 30 feet in length. This is an accepted minimum only. Many people find a slope ratio of 1:16 is easier to use, which for a 30" rise, would result in a 40-foot long ramp. This may or may not be feasible considering cost and space limitations. Speaking of 30", professionals in accessibility design seem to agree that a 30" rise is about the maximum height that you’d want to consider building a ramp for. Anything above 30" will probably be better suited for a mechanical lifting device or alternate access considerations.

Need more information on ramp design? Check out this great PDF from NC State University.

Tax Credit on Home Modifications

Healthy Home Renovation Tax Credit Helps Seniors Remain Healthy, Independent

TORONTO, Sept. 4, 2011 /CNW/ - Ontario Liberals are creating a Healthy Home Renovation Tax Credit to help seniors make the renovations they need to meet their changing needs so they can remain at home as they age. "Our parents and grandparents built the province we enjoy today and if they want to remain at home or close to family, we need to do everything we can to make that possible," said Premier Dalton McGuinty. "Not only does this ensure seniors remain healthy and active, but it's a better way to deliver care and that means public health care works even better for those who need it." The credit — which is worth 15 per cent of up to $10,000 in renovations per year — can be claimed by seniors for their own home or by a family member who is providing a home for an elderly relative. The credit covers changes that allow seniors to continue living independently, such as a chair lift to upper floors or a walk-in shower to prevent falls. The PCs have no plan for improving home care, focusing instead on pushing more seniors into institutions. The $14 billion hole in their platform would also mean unspecified cuts to health care, transit and other services seniors rely on. The NDP have no practical plan to improve home care, pledging only to conduct a "comprehensive review" — not take action. Only Ontario Liberals have a plan for ensuring that today's seniors — and the coming generation of baby-boomer seniors — will be the healthiest and most-engaged seniors in Ontario's history. "People have been talking about Ontario's aging population for years, but we're the only party willing to face our demographic challenge," said McGuinty. "With the right supports, our parents and grandparents will continue to make a positive difference for our families, communities and our economy for a long time to come."