Now that the kids are really grown on their own, it’s time to take care of you make the home improvement you will need for aging at home. You may already have your Master Bedroom on the same floor as the Kitchen Living Room, but if not, it’s a good idea to optimize the space on your ‘ground’ floor where you will continue to be most active. If you can afford it, turning two small bedrooms a bath into one room with a set of double doors as access is a terrific way to ‘enlarge’ your space for Aging in Place. Or, if you never use your dining room, consider including it into the available space your have to exp. Include entry into the Master Bath directly from the 
bedroom. New closets or shelving with versatile heights for clothing, shoes accessories are easily managed with the extra space, as is the ability to add a separate tub/shower, or a private commode room.
The sooner you can make this investment in your home, the sooner you will be able to start enjoying it! Remember to add a place to sit in the dressing room, you’ll appreciate it when putting on your shoes socks. If you worry about preventing falls, this design will give you plenty of opportunities to maximize you remodel. Get rid of any area rugs, whether on carpet or flooring. Unless they are stuck to the floor are immovable, they are one of the leading causes of accidents i
n the bedroom. Same with your nightsts, try to keep them clutter free make sure it is easy to turn the light on off from a sitting position.
When you arise each day, sit up in bed for several seconds with your feet on the floor before moving. Getting into the habit will help ensure that you are alert when you step out of bed, are not tangeled up in bedclothes or blankets, another leading cause of accidents in the bedroom!
Finally, consider all the new energy efficient measures you will be putting in place by renovating your living quarters. Perhaps your laundry facilities can be put into a closet using a stacked washer 
dryer so they are on the same floor as your bedroom closet. With a bath remodel, plumbing fixtures will all be converted to low flow, lighting will be energy efficient, you will have to heat less of your home. All are ways to save money long term while saving the environment immediately. While tax incentives have been lowered in 2011 available in some areas for making these changes to your home. For Californians, Rob McLenahan’s website, Right At Home, has a great blog on H.E.L.P., a comprehensive resource for seniors One thing to note – if you don’t already have smoke detectors in your home, they will have to be added as part of the remodel.
Whether you do a simple modification of an existing bedroom bath, or aim for something more livable by converting unused space to make it highly functional good looking, now is the time to start thinking about your options, or those of your parents.
