At the top of the list for people wanting to Age in Place is to prepare for the future – a future that may include difficulty climbing a flight of steps, negotiating home entries with several steps of the same color, or possibly even needing to use a wheel chair.
Seniors fear Nursing Homes more than they fear death (Lori Orlov’s Blog 9/09). Wow. So it’s time for some creative thinking. Moving into a br new home built around Universal Design
features may be feasible for people who are young now, but if you are over 60 are wanting to stay in the home you have, it’s time to get serious make decisions in advance, maybe even do some preparation.
If you MUST keep a stairway up to your front door, try adding accessible hrails on both sides. Most importantly, make sure the stairs are tiled with slip proof tile, with visible color at the edge of the step, that has a ridged nosing. Alternatively, you may either purchase or have a professional install non-slip coating on your stairs.
There are many excellent, self-installable, Slip Resistant Treatments (indoors outdoors) for Porcelain, Ceramic tile, Travertine, Granite or Quarry tile. Delta Chemicals is one company that supplies ‘Grip It’ non slip treatment for use on concrete, ceramic quarry flooring. It is NOT a coating, it is a clear solution mopped onto the surface that takes about 30 minutes to set, then you remove it. 
What is left is a microscopic tread pattern that gives a gripping effect. The treatment lasts 2-3 years or longer, depending on the amount of traffic.
Another product, Grip ‘n Seal is a unique micron zed polymer which, when mixed with a coating type sealer or paint, creates a textured, slip resistant surface without a sharp abrasive finish. Use on driveways, patios, garage floors, walkways, steps pool areas.
Finding the right product guarantees your stairs flooring meet ADA OSHA stards for walking surfaces. You can feel safe about all your residents visitors walking on wet flooring, steps or ramps.
