Funds Available To Improve Homes Of Older Adults

By Rita Harden, Senior Center Director

Area I Agency on Aging housed in Action for Eastern Montana would like to announce a new program that we are going to be offering for our residents of Eastern Montana: the Home Modification Program.

The goal of the home modification program is to enable elderly persons to remain in their homes through home modifications to reduce older adults’ risk of falling, improve general safety, increase accessibility, and to improve their functional abilities in their home. This will enable older adults to remain in their homes, that is, to “age in place,” rather than move to nursing homes or other assisted care facilities.

Most older adults want to live at home and remain members of the community for as long as possible, making home modifications and repairs increasingly important as the older population rises to historic levels. By making changes that adapt or convert features of a home to meet the needs of the older adults who live in them, home modifications help support independent living, caregiving and the prevention of falls.

Examples of home modifications include changes that increase accessibility, such as widening doorways, or changes that reduce falls and related injuries, such as securing rugs to the floor, improving lighting or installing grab bars, and walk-in showers in the bathroom. More complex changes include renovations to make everyday tasks easier, such as lowering kitchen counters and adjusting cabinets to heights accessible for individuals who use wheelchairs. Some homes may need repairs before they can be modified to meet the needs of the older adults who live in them (e.g., fixing a leaky pipe before making a bathtub or shower accessible).

There is a lifetime limit of $1,500 per person in the State of Montana.

If you would like more information on this program or how it could help you, please contact Rita at the Powder River Senior Center. ~ 406.436.2635 ~ [email protected] or Heather Handran, Aging Services Director ~ 406.345.2120 ~ [email protected].