Senior access while investing in a new home
Senior access while investing in a new home
Keep ADA compliance and elderly family in mind before renting or owning your next home
When you’re in your 20s, American Disabilities Act checklists are rarely if ever on your mind. You rent your first apartment and are more focused on how big the bedrooms and bathrooms are than you are thinking of whether the building is ADA compliant. Unless you were raised by or grew up around your grandparents, you may not even notice some of the obstacles that make it harder for both seniors and those with disabilities to get around.
A cracked sidewalk to you just means hop over it, not that a wheelchair can get caught on it. A building with no elevator means you can get your 10,000 Fitbit steps in, not that you’re going to have to hobble up and down these steps and pray that you don’t forget something downstairs. No nearby parking available could mean you’ll take advantage of ride-sharing apps, or invest in a bicycle or motorcycle. You may complain, but it’s not nearly as strenuous for you to bring groceries or laundry inside if you have to park a block or two away.
Recommended Read: “When the building dumpster is in everyone’s way ~ Understanding ADA needs, parking needs and sanitation needs”
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Even something as simple as steps going to the laundry room or parking lot are no big deal to you. Run up. Run down. And be on your way. But for seniors, it’s easier to just skip paying for a parking spot altogether and try to find a space in front with less steps to climb. (If they’re not on a lobby floor, that means climbing those mountain of steps in the back area plus the steps to get to the living space.)