"What is Age-In-Place?"

Age-in-Place means not having to move from one's present residence in order to remain independent. Choosing to remain independent promotes a positive effect for seniors by providing them a choice in their care and living arrangements.

Patricia Nunan, CKBR, CKD, CAPS, is a A Certified Age-in-Place Specialist trained specifically to understand the unique needs of older people. As a CAPS professional, she has studied the strategies and techniques for designing and building aesthetically pleasing, barrier-free living environments. The Lifestyles Design team has the experience to be creative in finding solutions to common barriers and can provide home modifications that can help people continue living independently in their homes longer. With the help of the Lifestyles Design extended resource network people can secure necessary support services in response to changing needs.

"How can I know my Mom will be safe and comfortable in her home, without spending thousands on putting her in a nursing home?"

Lifestyles Design touches the lives of many people of all ages and abilities. We take great satisfaction in not only creating new living spaces, but also in creating greater independence and dignity for the people we serve. They include:

Older homeowners and people with disabilities who can no longer enjoy their home as they once did.
Young homeowners planning for immediate and future needs such as in-law suites or walkways and entries that make it easier to push a stroller through.
Contractors, advocacy agencies, and rehabilitation centers with clients in need of our specialized remodeling and consulting services.

Comparing the Costs

Choosing to renovate can save thousands in a very short time. A recent renovation of a one story addition - with a bedroom, storage, laundry closets, and a full bath (including a roll in shower) - cost just a little more than one year's stay in an assisted living community for an elderly couple. It’s worth the time to compare options.

"No one should be forced to move because a home does not meet their current needs."

- Patricia Nunan, Lifestyles Design

Restoring Dignity Through Age-In-Place Design

 “One of my very first design projects was for a woman who had many strokes that left her partially paralyzed. She had been sleeping on a cot for years in the converted dining room of her home and was very removed in every sense, emotionally and physically. Though she had good care from her family they didn’t think it made any difference to her if she was sponged bathed in the dining room. By listening to her nurses I learned that she desperately wanted the ability to bathe herself. So, in addition to wheelchair ramps and a real bedroom, we built a new bath with a roll-in-shower that she could use. We made it easy for her to get outside by providing a wider doorway to a deck that would let her enjoy the sunshine again. No more being carried like a child.

“I went back four months later just to see how things were going and she was a different person. She came out of her room fully dressed in her wheelchair, pushing herself. And with a great big grin on her face, the first thing she said was ‘I take a shower every day.’ We had given her back her dignity. I knew at that moment this is what I wanted to do with my career. It’s very rewarding to make such a big impact on another person’s life. It is a feeling that never goes away.”

— Patricia Nunan CEO, Lifestyles Design

Resources

American Association of Retired Persons
www.AARP.com

Area Office on Aging
Contact your local state office

Boomer Living
www.boomer-living.com

Good Morning America Elderly Series
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Aging/

National Association of Home Builders
www.nahb.org/caps
Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS)

Non Medical Home Care
Bux-Mont Home Care
www.BuxMontHomecare.com

Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation
www.patf.us

612 Erb Road | Perkiomenville, PA 18074 | ph: 610.754.1444