FARGO – Change is hard, and it gets even harder with age. But sometimes it’s necessary.
As seniors’ health declines, their homes may no longer meet their needs, forcing them to make in-home adaptations, remodel or move to a single-level, which can take some convincing by family, friends and health care providers.
It’s a process Carol Bradley Bursack, longtime caregiver and “Minding Our Elders” columnist for The Forum, is all too familiar with.
She says emotional ties to a house, decades’ worth of belongings, limited finances and stubbornness can complicate the matter, so the sooner you start talking about options, the better.
“But realistically, most people aren’t going to do a lot until something forces them to really think about it,” like a mobility-limiting joint replacement, she says.
Jason Eid, president of Eid-Co Homes and a nationally certified aging-in-place specialist, hopes people start thinking about it before it becomes a necessity.
His Fargo business doesn’t do remodels, but it does build eight to 10 single-level “patio homes” a year with features that make independent living easier. They range from 1,000 to 1,800 square feet and $170,000 to just under $300,000, depending on selected features.
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