Home Renovation for the Golden Years

Home renovations often center on upgrading the kitchen cabinets or selecting a new paint color for the bedroom, but as long as you are at it, a well-thought-out redesign might also include modifications to help you stay in your home as you grow older.

These alterations can start with simple things, like installing a grab bar in the bathroom or replacing doorknobs with lever handles. But if your budget allows for an entire kitchen or bathroom overhaul, it’s best to think about how you physically may change in the years to come and plan accordingly, said Heather Brin, the principal architect of Aging in Place Architecture in Port Jefferson, N.Y.

“These renovations are all about maintaining independence,” Ms. Brin said. “So if you have back pain now, then it’s smart to think about getting pullout shelves to minimize bending.”

Take Chandrakant Sheth of Woodside, Queens, a retired engineer and television repairman. At age 81, he has kept healthy with daily walks and is proud that he moves along at a faster clip than his 50-year-old son. He suddenly found himself less mobile, however, after he fell and fractured his right arm in September when a hurried passenger knocked into him as he stepped off a subway escalator.

Read more at the New York Times.