Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-26-2021, 10:34 PM   #141
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Al in Ohio's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Columbus
Posts: 1,118
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeWras View Post
Thanks for dismissing my concern. Every home in my neighborhood of 272 homes has at least 3 steps. Your 5" step is not common here.

Thanks for nothing.


Sorry but that is uncommon and off topic imo. Most areas of the country have a single step up to the ground floor. I would assume that’s what the OP has unless he mentioned that issue also. Inner city older homes in some parts have top half basements above grade. Not common.
__________________
Ohio REFI PE ENG and Investor as of 2016
Al in Ohio is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 01-26-2021, 11:05 PM   #142
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posts: 1,979
OP said: "Any thoughts? Do you think the Stair Steady system would buy me some extra time to age in place? Is anyone aware of similar "simple" solutions to make stairs easier to handle?

Am I worrying over nothing? Maybe stairs will never become an issue for me".

OP, can you give us more information about whether moving to another house would be a viable option? Is it your immediate neighborhood you do not wish to leave because of long-standing friendships and ties? Or financial reasons for needing to stay in your current house? More information could help readers narrow on their range of possible solutions and thoughts for your situation with "stairs". I myself being recently widowed am now thinking of downsizing and leaving our dream country home we designed together and had custom-built and which we landscaped ourselves---and which I love. If you could share some thoughts and more info on your living situation and background history, maybe people could be quite helpful. And maybe frame some relevant questions.
__________________
Dreams Worth Dreaming are Dreams Worth Planning For. I Spent a Career Planning for Early Retirement.
RetireeRobert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2021, 11:26 PM   #143
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Alameda
Posts: 341
Incident #1:
At age 56 I fell in the garden. Compound fracture near the ankle, which also dislocated it. A LOT of nerve damage around the joint. Our home has 4 stoop steps to the front door, which is at a right angle to the stairs.

A friend built a temp ramp over the front stairs. Those ramps take a lot of length, more than one would think. It was 2 mos. before we could take it down.

Our master bedroom is downstairs, since our home is built on a downsloping lot. Even with a soft cast, I could not manage stairs. I was lucky; we had done a bit of remodeling on the main floor bathroom a decade before. The doorway and revised layout just fit a walker, so I could close the door and use the sink and toilet.

Forget the bathtub, it was a full month before I could get my leg (wrapped in a garbage bag) over the high edge of the tub. I've decided my personal h**l is being forced to take sink baths the rest of my life, LOL. When I finally got to take a shower, it was really hard to force myself to finally turn the water off. BLISS!!!!

===

Incident #2
Actually, still ongoing. I developed BPPV in August 2020:
" Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common causes of vertigo — the sudden sensation that you're spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning. BPPV causes brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness. "

Really delightful....NOT. No pain, which is good. Nausea and 'seasickness' - except that you're on solid level ground and not even moving - not so wonderful.

No cure, either. Epley maneuver helps but I've found it more preventive (keeps it down to once or twice a day) than curative (doesn't seem to help during an attack).

Happily, one's body slowly adjusts and the attacks ease up in intensity and frequency. However, forget the blase Net definition of "duration 6-8 weeks on average" - mine didn't start to ease up until just a few weeks ago (mid-January 2021).

So again, I'm grateful there's a bathroom and bedroom on each floor. My office is on the main floor (LR/kitchen/DR open plan, a full bathroom and spare bedroom). If I get an attack of BPPV, no way can I manage stairs. Any handrail, cane, lift chair - all useless.

When you need to throw up.....you need to do it NOW.

===

Our home is not universal access. It is manageable with a walker, although tiring. You never realize how many steps it takes to accomplish simple tasks, until the day arrives when your mobility is limited. When carrying anything from one place to another requires some planning in logistics.

We had been looking into senior living possibilities before the pandemic/lockdown. We're glad to be going through lockdown in our own home, which is certainly roomier and more comfortable than any place we saw.

But we have a number of older friends. Even the active healthy ones eventually get felled by the frailties of old age. Sorry, but you don't get to choose how you're going to spend the last few years of your life. All of us can plan all we want to, but sometimes.....life just happens.

Best to think ahead, as the OP is proposing, and do something to be prepared.
zippy2020 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 04:46 AM   #144
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Posts: 5,296
Zippy I totally agree with you--best to prepare. I can tell you from personal experience that there is a lot of difference between age 55 and 70. I am sure there will be even more difference between 70 and 85. As my mother says--getting old is not for sissies (or the unprepared).
harllee is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 06:45 AM   #145
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Nemo2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,368
Just as a reminder of how things can change, and how rapidly:
https://www.early-retirement.org/for...eft-82072.html Post #18

At the present time I'm trying to recuperate from a THR. What you did 'then', even if 'then' wasn't too long ago, is meaningless.
__________________
"Exit, pursued by a bear."

The Winter's Tale, William Shakespeare
Nemo2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Consider a Self-Sufficient Single Floor Within Your Home
Old 01-27-2021, 07:27 AM   #146
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Binghamton
Posts: 54
Consider a Self-Sufficient Single Floor Within Your Home

I have been thinking about aging in place also. Although we have completely re-done our basement and it is a lovely place to be, our primary living space is upstairs and I just love how I have everything I need on our 1st floor: master bedroom, guest bedroom, 1 1/2 baths, living room, kitchen, study & a washer/dryer tucked away in a hallway.

There is no need to go downstairs whatsoever. At some point we may consider leasing the downstairs for extra income as it has a totally separate walk out exterior stairway.

But I am relieved to know that I have the option of being able to live completely on our first floor.

Perhaps there is a way to tweak / renovate your home to allow for single story living if needed?
ddoorn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 08:06 AM   #147
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Boho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,844
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemo2 View Post
Early 60's, (because I couldn't run any more), I was cycling 50 miles a day, every day.

Not too long ago, (and hopefully again soon), I was stair climbing......we have a flight of wooden stairs nearby...59 steps....most I've done in one session was 115 repeats, (the equivalent of over three times up to the CN Tower pod in Toronto)
This is from 2015 but I don't know of anything newer:

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/...-should-i-run/

Quote:
Some evidence, he said, suggested that running strenuously for more than about an hour every day could slightly increase someone’s risks for heart problems, as well as for running-related injuries and disabilities.

Over all, Dr. Lavie says, the best advice based on the latest science is that for most of us, "running for 20 to 30 minutes, or about a mile-and-a-half to three miles, twice per week would appear to be perfect."
Joint replacements are amazing but not so amazing that I'd want to go through one. Can you imagine if there was no such thing and joggers, overweight aerobics fanatics, etc, had to just live the rest of their lives with bad joints? Not enough people are exercising safely. It can break you down. It's not purely age.
Boho is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 08:21 AM   #148
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Nemo2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,368
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boho View Post
Ah yes, but I quit running in 1998 after having arthroscopy.

Stair climbing, Nemo style, is/was low impact - I did it at a pretty good rate, ("For my age"), but there wasn't the pounding that running generates.
__________________
"Exit, pursued by a bear."

The Winter's Tale, William Shakespeare
Nemo2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 09:16 AM   #149
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: West Plains
Posts: 151
We've lived in bi-levels, tri-levels, even a quad-level, a raised ranch with a finished walk out basement, and a couple of condos in high rises. When we were 49, we bought our "forever home," the home we now live in, even though we knew it would be a while before we could move into it fulltime. Because my DH had 2 older siblings who'd had both knees replaced in their early 60's, I insisted on one level/no basement. Now at 66, his knees are just fine.

My lungs however are not. (At 55, and as a lifelong NON-SMOKER, I was diagnosed with NSIP, the least virulent of the fibrotic lung diseases) So supplemental O2 is part of my life and being on one level turns out to be a fantastic blessing for me because I don't have to haul my portable O2 concentrator up and down stairs.

We cannot see all ends. All the exercise and care of our bodies we can muster cannot protect us from everything. If the OP is concerned about her stairs now, I think she'll be well-served by either moving to a one level home, or giving up her dining room to add a main level bathroom. As a former realtor, let me assure her an extra bathroom is always a plus for eventual resale, while a dining room has become less important. (Unless she's the sort who entertains regularly and wants to continue to do so.)

So if we're taking a poll, that's my vote--move to one level living, either "in situ" or in a new place. However, dear OP, you are the only one who can answer your question. Just please don't try that product you shared. I can see someone who's grip strength isn't what it used to be going tail over teakettle by relying on that thing.
Maidensong is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 09:25 AM   #150
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Boho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,844
This thread makes me want to start a non-profit that buys one-levels and resells only to 55+ people. Maybe I'd rent for a low price while I'm trying to sell, with the provision that the tenant has to move within x months when I have a 55+ buyer.
Boho is offline   Reply With Quote
Our homes often become our enemy
Old 01-27-2021, 12:20 PM   #151
Dryer sheet wannabe
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Tyler
Posts: 18
Our homes often become our enemy

Great thought must be given to the future situations we live in. From experience with an elderly father who needed a lot of consideration with mobility I feel I can add a couple of pennies to the conversation. We have a large ranch style and we set up our wing and also his wing with two master suites. Doors to bedrooms and bathrooms were widened and remodeled to accommodate the possibility of walkers and wheelchairs which did come into play towards the last three years of his life.

We gutted his bathroom to accomplish the task first with a walk-in tub and then after a time realized it was a danger in many ways. He opened the door with a full tub that flooded his bathroom and bedroom and then he would slip off the seat and go under the water. We started over with just a walk in or roll up shower with a large bench with two shower heads and two controls. The latter worked well.

Stairs would have never worked with his need for a walker then rollater and finally a wheelchair. There are four entrances to the house and two of those have inclines and stairs and the other two flat no incline no steps or obstacles.

We recently remodeled our master bath with a roll in shower because we want to be ready now if we should need that feature later. I’m 64 and she’s 61 and we have a hard time with stairs and have for years with back, hip and knee troubles.

The kitchen is next and we need to consider a plan with pull down shelving or do away with wall cabinets all together because shoulder problems prevent reaching overhead easily. This won’t ever get any better.

It’s interesting to find yourself in the situation of not being able to easily do the things you once could do without any problem. It’s a different situation for each of us and you won’t necessarily be able to think of or afford the personal accommodation. Give it serious thought towards the future.
alicebillis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 01:13 PM   #152
Recycles dryer sheets
Speculator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Very Small Town in Vermont
Posts: 84
"Music Lover, Don't you know anyone that took care of themselves and still had an accident/illness that took them out."

"Accidents still happen to very fit and strong people."


Yes, accidents do happen and your life can change in the "blink of an eye!" I have been a gym rat for over fifty years and exercised regularly with free weights, resistance machines, long hikes in the mountains and skiing regularly. I was even a PSIA ski instructor, albeit the lowest certification. I will turn seventy this May and thought I was in great shape and that being "in shape" would prevent any injuries. Well, five weeks ago doing an exercise routine I have probably performed 10,000 times, I felt a pain in my back and the next day I could hardly move! I won't get into the medical stuff but I learned, first hand, how quickly life changes. I am still healing but it is at a glacial pace and I am so happy I live in a small ranch-style house with almost everything on the first floor. But this incident has given me pause for thought and after experiencing what I did, I am now including considerations about homes with stairs versus those without, something I have never even thought about before. So, to answer the question of "can you age in place with stairs?" Maybe.
Speculator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 01:30 PM   #153
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett
Posts: 1,592
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speculator View Post
"Music Lover, Don't you know anyone that took care of themselves and still had an accident/illness that took them out."

"Accidents still happen to very fit and strong people."


Yes, accidents do happen and your life can change in the "blink of an eye!" I have been a gym rat for over fifty years and exercised regularly with free weights, resistance machines, long hikes in the mountains and skiing regularly. I was even a PSIA ski instructor, albeit the lowest certification. I will turn seventy this May and thought I was in great shape and that being "in shape" would prevent any injuries. Well, five weeks ago doing an exercise routine I have probably performed 10,000 times, I felt a pain in my back and the next day I could hardly move! I won't get into the medical stuff but I learned, first hand, how quickly life changes. I am still healing but it is at a glacial pace and I am so happy I live in a small ranch-style house with almost everything on the first floor. But this incident has given me pause for thought and after experiencing what I did, I am now including considerations about homes with stairs versus those without, something I have never even thought about before. So, to answer the question of "can you age in place with stairs?" Maybe.
It pains me to say this, but us active types have likely been wearing out our joints for years. Of course some folks may have especially durable cartilage or other genetic blessings that will protect them. Or maybe they decrease their activity level enough later in life to avoid serious problems.

I think having an orthopedic surgeon analyze our joints when we're, say, in our mid-50s would be a good idea. Of course insurance would never pay for that, and maybe we wouldn't want to know anyway!
O2Bfree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 02:07 PM   #154
Full time employment: Posting here.
MrsHaloFIRE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 929
The solution ia evident driving through older neighborhoids. Really ugly ramps. And if ita more than a couple steps its either steep ramps not to code or elaborate ramps that double back on themselves or stretch forever
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeWras View Post
What about stoop stairs?

In these parts, most houses are on crawl spaces and there is a stoop of 3 to 5 stairs. Some newer homes are on slab or have grading such that there is no major step into the first floor, maybe just one to keep the water out. So even to get to the first level involves stairs.

What's the solution? Move to Dell-Webb or newer 55+ where they avoid this design? Bid high on the rare slab home? Move to Florida where everything is on a slab?

Typical stoop:
MrsHaloFIRE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 02:35 PM   #155
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boho View Post
This thread makes me want to start a non-profit that buys one-levels and resells only to 55+ people. Maybe I'd rent for a low price while I'm trying to sell, with the provision that the tenant has to move within x months when I have a 55+ buyer.
How would this benefit anyone?

To buy them up, you'd have to out-bid the wider market. So those houses would then be more expensive for the 55+ group.

The 55+ group can do this now w/o intervention and increased overhead - just outbid the others.

I don't see how a middleman/person improves any of this.

-ERD50
ERD50 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 02:52 PM   #156
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Boho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,844
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
How would this benefit anyone?

To buy them up, you'd have to out-bid the wider market. So those houses would then be more expensive for the 55+ group.

The 55+ group can do this now w/o intervention and increased overhead - just outbid the others.

I don't see how a middleman/person improves any of this.

-ERD50
When I buy it wouldn't be in control of someone who won't leave for a 55+ person, so more would be available at SOME price. It would be a condition of renting that a tenant leave for a 55+ buyer. I'd try to get enough funding to do this so the selling price can be low enough to be worth it.
Boho is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 02:55 PM   #157
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Koolau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 17,794
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
How would this benefit anyone?

To buy them up, you'd have to out-bid the wider market. So those houses would then be more expensive for the 55+ group.

The 55+ group can do this now w/o intervention and increased overhead - just outbid the others.

I don't see how a middleman/person improves any of this.

-ERD50
There you go again. Ruining someone's dream. You're just too darn practical!
__________________
Ko'olau's Law -

Anything which can be used can be misused. Anything which can be misused will be.
Koolau is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 05:24 PM   #158
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posts: 1,979
Maidensong above hit the nail on the head with her reply to OP: "If the OP is concerned about her stairs now, I think she'll be well-served by either moving to a one level home, or giving up her dining room to add a main level bathroom. As a former realtor, let me assure her an extra bathroom is always a plus for eventual resale, while a dining room has become less important."

If OP is worrying right now about stairs to the point of researching stair assist devices, she would be best advised to get herself into a one-level home with no stairs to worry about.

I do hope OP will weigh in here again with more background on her situation to enlighten folks to enable us to comment more helpfully. But for now, Maidensong's advice seems best I've heard.
__________________
Dreams Worth Dreaming are Dreams Worth Planning For. I Spent a Career Planning for Early Retirement.
RetireeRobert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 05:37 PM   #159
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Sunset's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spending the Kids Inheritance and living in Chicago
Posts: 17,010
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boho View Post
This thread makes me want to start a non-profit that buys one-levels and resells only to 55+ people. Maybe I'd rent for a low price while I'm trying to sell, with the provision that the tenant has to move within x months when I have a 55+ buyer.

Isn't this what high-rises are: One level living with elevators available to rent or buy.
Beyond the available one level houses/townhomes.
__________________
Fortune favors the prepared mind. ... Louis Pasteur
Sunset is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2021, 06:21 PM   #160
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Boho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,844
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunset View Post
Isn't this what high-rises are: One level living with elevators available to rent or buy.
Beyond the available one level houses/townhomes.
People usually want to be near their family so it depends whether there are high rises close enough. And a 55-65 year old would want to be near his job. I'm not sure what a good area for my idea would be. Too rural and single level homes may be common. Too urban and there are apartments.
Boho is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
aging, housing, safety


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Attic Access w/o stairs/ladder? ERD50 Other topics 90 10-06-2020 03:34 PM
How do I child-proof these stairs? soupcxan Other topics 22 07-03-2015 07:50 PM
Best lightweight steam cleaner for stairs and stuff..... FinanceDude Other topics 1 10-20-2010 04:15 PM
New Place Vs Return To Wonderful Old Place yakers Travel Information 22 09-26-2008 06:00 PM
Split Level Houses - Climbing Stairs cube_rat Other topics 5 05-26-2006 03:08 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:50 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.