For those of us basking in the luxury of pre-half-century ages, the inevitable is lurking just around the corner. Heck, for lots of us, it is right on the proverbial doorstop. It's the scourge of old age. I need to be careful how I choose my words today; at 47 I'm no longer a spring chicken. I start my days with 20 minutes of yoga and stretching (honestly, I don't know how anyone over 40 starts their day without it!). I need that time to "wake up" my body, loosen everything up and prepare for the day. For what it's worth, I strongly encourage you to try it!

A couple weeks ago I lamented my lack of cross training and the penalty (in sore quads and calves) I paid for 2 days after the hike. Another thing this highlighted for me was the inevitable desire to live on one floor. Two flights of stairs are just torture when your legs are aching. Fast forward a decade or two and those stairs become more than "ouchy". They become downright dangerous. If you throw in the mix any sort of assist device for walking (cane, walker, wheelchair, etc.) the stairs quickly become obsolete. Beyond the stairway, there are a handful of other considerations for those making the decision to age at home. I'm a huge proponent of aging-in-place so let's see what modifications could be made around the house to make this more feasible.

Logically it makes sense to ensure that you can actually get IN the house in the first place. I think we've all seen those "Tim the Tool Man" style ramps that folks throw together at the front door. These are (hopefully) most likely just temporary structures for one of the resident's temporary injuries. If you are going to add a ramp to the entryway of the home, be sure it looks professionally done. The higher-level objective here is to make these modifications to the home so that you can enjoy, utilize and appreciate them while you are aging. If they are done right, the buyers will view them as an asset and not something they will have to remove as soon as they close.

If you have taken a shower after a long day on the slopes (or late on New Year's Eve!), you know how quickly you can lose your balance and grab for anything to stop your fall. This includes useless items like the shower curtain itself or the towel hanging on the wall. Grab bars are one of the more simple and effective solutions for unsteady feet in the shower and throughout the home. You can also convert a tub to a shower without a threshold. This makes getting in and out a breeze and eliminates another spot for trips and falls.

Grab bars are great for getting into and out of a seated position and, as noted above, preventing slips and falls on slippery floors. Another great place for these bars are between rooms. Many ranch-style and split-level homes make use of multi-level flooring to give the feel of room separation and depth. While effective and attractive, these are also trouble spots. Since most of these transitions don't include a handrail, these bars can fit the bill nicely and save some future challenges. These also now come in countless styles and colors so it won't look like a hospital in your living room.

While we're on the subject of between-room transitions, consider eliminating or flattening thresholds as well. While typically only a half-inch high or lower, these are still ideal locations for folks to trip or slip and fall since they tend to be low profile and match the flooring of at least one side of the two rooms. "Unless there's a need for a door, removing transitions on the floor is a great step in making a home ADA friendly," notes Badger Peabody & Smith Realty (formerly Badger Realty) agent, Edward O'Halloran.

Lastly, when it comes to those thresholds, is the width of the doorway. Standard 32" doorways are simply too narrow when you introduce a walker or a wheelchair. Again, with the assumption that there is no need for an actual door in that space, widening the doorways out to a more roomy 36" is a great step towards making moving around the home (wheeled or not) much more comfortable and safe.

Over 40% of individuals plan to stay at home until the age of 81 or older. If you are considering a remodeling project and it involves the actual floor plan and layout of the home, some of these options might be worth considering. Keeping spaces and the flow of the home more open makes it easier for everyone to move around, but also shows you are planning for the future if you decide to stay put. Don't forget to add a first floor full bathroom as well. That's going to be more convenient for everyone.