Long Term Care & Long Term Care Insurance
homes to accommodate aging parents
By LORI JOHNSTON
For the Journal-Constitution
After Edith Wichser's mother-in-law died, she welcomed her 93-year-old father-in-law Bill last year into the home she shares with her husband, Karl, by turning part of the terrace level into a living area created specially for him.
Like the Wichsers, other grown children are creating spaces with aging parents in mind. Their homes now feature amenities like elevators and easy-to-use products like grab bars and no-slip flooring.
Home remodelers have noticed an upswing in requests for in-law suites, with homeowners carving the suites out of basements or additions. Some may be planning for the future; others already may have a parent living with them.
"We're seeing more of that with the aging population and people wanting to stay more independent, but also needing some secondary assistance," said Mark D. Buelow, president of Roswell-based Distinctive Remodeling Solutions. "Not only do the younger people want privacy, but also the parent wants privacy."
One addition he completed totaled about 1,000 square feet. In another, a 500-square-foot space in an existing home was located off a playroom where he created a stairwell to a second floor to give an aging father a bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom.
No matter the size, projects involve issues of accessibility, zoning and recognizing parents' needs. Some groups offer training to home builders, remodelers and others about creating "universal design" for older adults.
"They still want to be independent. They still want their own spaces," said Judy Mozen, president of Roswell-based Handcrafted Homes.
She created a terrace level suite in a home in South Atlanta that included a bedroom and full bath, kitchen, media room/sitting room, laundry room and powder room. The owners did it in anticipation of a parent eventually living there, and in the meantime, the suite is used during visits.
Homeowners need to consider how to create privacy for the child and parent, Mozen said.
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