(NAPSA_—Evenin this uncer- tain economy and housing market, the dooris still open for seniors to hold on to their home by modifying it so it is safer during their golden years. According to a recent bill passed by the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, an older American is treated in the emergency room for a fall once every 18 seconds, Falls by older adults are a serious health problem that can tax the health care system. That’s why seniors who want to remain safely at home should consider accident-prevention strategies. Homes Suited To Aging Lifestyles So how can seniors and their caregivers, many of whom are aging baby boomersfacing their own golden years, get help keeping their home sweet home? The AARP and the National Association of Home Builders came together in 2002 to define “aging in place.”It’s the ability to remain in one’s home, safely, independently and comfortably. Together, they have brought focus to the needs of seniors by defining qualifications for home builders and remodelers to help identify ways to make homes suited for aging lifestyles. Stairwaylighting, creating wider spaces around a kitchen island, grips on stairway rails, wider doorway entrances, stairlifts and no-step entrances are common items iden- tified as effective updates. Children of seniors and those preparing their own homes for aging conditions can nowfind costconscious, easy-to-install and space-saving modifications that can protect their health and the emotional well-being that remaining in one’s home brings. Take stairlifts and no-step entrances. They can help prevent the common — & ees A stairlift can add years to the time spent comfortably in your home. falls cited in CDC data over the past 20 years as a top 10 source of serious injuries to seniors. According to the top-selling stairlift provider, Acorn Stairlifts USA, its seated devices move people securely up and downstairs along a track that can be easily mounted within hours along most stairways without any structural changes or electrical wiring work. With needs to access bedrooms, baths, laundries on secondfloors or even basements, a stairlift can add years to the time spent comfortably in your home at minimal cost. Later in life, homes are frequently fully paid and are a senior’s most important financial asset. There are resources, products and people that can help Americans age in them gracefully. Such options can prevent the frightening financial and emotional prospect of having to make major renovations or having to sell one’s home in this difficult housing market. All these resources can help to extend the American Dream well into the golden years. To learn more, visit www.acornstairlifts.com/us.
