WEBVTT - Aging In Place | Hour 1 0:00:00.510 --> 0:00:04.309 KFI AM 640, you're listening to Dean Sharp, the house 0:00:04.370 --> 0:00:09.820 whisperer on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Today on the show, 0:00:10.220 --> 0:00:13.340 we're going to be talking about aging in place. It's 0:00:13.400 --> 0:00:16.419 a huge, huge topic, and we're just going to scratch 0:00:16.460 --> 0:00:19.320 the surface, but hopefully we're going to scratch some itches 0:00:19.480 --> 0:00:22.480 along the way and help point the way towards things 0:00:22.500 --> 0:00:24.500 that you can do and things that you can think 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:27.900 about in those regards. And by the way, Regardless of 0:00:27.960 --> 0:00:30.960 your age, I want you to understand the very, very 0:00:31.060 --> 0:00:36.000 first thing that we need to establish today on this topic, 0:00:36.140 --> 0:00:41.340 and that is this. Aging in place is about your life, 0:00:41.990 --> 0:00:45.710 whether you are old or young. Aging in place is 0:00:45.830 --> 0:00:51.450 now a sexy part of all home design. I say 0:00:51.490 --> 0:00:55.830 that because it is the new norm, and so I 0:00:55.870 --> 0:00:57.950 don't care if you're in your late 30s or early 0:00:58.430 --> 0:01:01.080 40s thinking about doing a major remodel in a bathroom 0:01:01.140 --> 0:01:04.760 or a kitchen or in your home or building a 0:01:04.860 --> 0:01:08.179 new home from the ground up. If you're not thinking 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:11.580 about aging in place features, then you're missing the boat. 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:14.850 You're missing the boat on the potential ROI of resale 0:01:14.890 --> 0:01:17.310 of that house. You're missing the boat in your own 0:01:17.410 --> 0:01:21.800 life if this is your forever home. And so Simply put, 0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:24.760 aging in place is a topic for everyone. It is 0:01:24.880 --> 0:01:30.140 now simply another checkbox in the overall design process of 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:34.400 any home. And why is that? Well, it's because we're 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:40.820 living longer. And houses in this present economy and any 0:01:41.020 --> 0:01:46.860 economy that we can foresee, houses are an incredible asset, 0:01:46.920 --> 0:01:50.870 an incredible value. And the vast majority of homeowners want 0:01:50.890 --> 0:01:54.070 to stay right where they are in the home that 0:01:54.150 --> 0:01:57.130 they have raised the family in or that they have 0:01:57.170 --> 0:02:00.620 chosen for themselves ultimately. And so aging in place is 0:02:00.700 --> 0:02:05.300 a super uber relevant topic for us. And we want 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:07.720 to dive in. First, though, I just want to say 0:02:07.840 --> 0:02:09.760 for those of you who are wondering, yes, we took 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:13.870 last week off. Tina and I were in Montana. We 0:02:13.889 --> 0:02:16.480 just got back a couple of days ago. And so 0:02:16.620 --> 0:02:19.440 if I sound a little too relaxed today, that's why. 0:02:19.700 --> 0:02:22.700 Because we spent the week in one of our favorite 0:02:22.780 --> 0:02:28.770 places just outside of Bozeman, Montana, in a beautiful log 0:02:28.830 --> 0:02:35.329 cabin sitting on 20 acres of just wilderness open space 0:02:35.669 --> 0:02:38.450 in actually the Bozeman Pass, for those of you who 0:02:38.510 --> 0:02:42.960 are familiar. So about halfway between Bozeman and Livingston, which 0:02:43.020 --> 0:02:47.500 are two great towns. Uh, and, uh, and so secluded 0:02:47.600 --> 0:02:52.339 feeling we felt like, uh, we were hours away from 0:02:52.419 --> 0:02:55.639 civilization when in reality we were literally like 15 minutes 0:02:55.700 --> 0:02:57.870 out of town. And so it was like the best 0:02:57.930 --> 0:03:02.750 of both worlds kind of scenario, but just gorgeous. Uh, 0:03:02.810 --> 0:03:07.610 the cabin sitting up in all of this untouched nature, uh, 0:03:08.150 --> 0:03:12.530 up on a hillside and, uh, so good. So quiet. 0:03:13.270 --> 0:03:16.269 you know, too cold there right now for insects. So 0:03:16.330 --> 0:03:19.950 no crickets chirping at night. So when the sun went down, 0:03:20.470 --> 0:03:23.250 we're just talking, if the wind isn't blowing, it's silence. 0:03:23.290 --> 0:03:24.780 Tina and I were laying in bed. We could hear 0:03:24.840 --> 0:03:29.460 our hearts beating. That's how quiet the quiet was. And, uh, 0:03:29.580 --> 0:03:32.860 the night sky shots that I got just on my iPhone, 0:03:33.260 --> 0:03:38.040 stunning Milky way stars everywhere. You have to work really, 0:03:38.100 --> 0:03:40.450 really hard. I'm, I'm kind of a, you know, uh, 0:03:41.500 --> 0:03:46.080 You know, a very, very amateur, you know, astronomy enthusiast. 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:48.380 I'm not going to say amateur astronomer because that doesn't 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:51.140 even come close. I'm not anywhere near that. But I 0:03:51.380 --> 0:03:56.910 love the night sky. And it's hard. It's hard work 0:03:57.380 --> 0:03:59.490 when you're out in the middle of nowhere looking up 0:03:59.750 --> 0:04:06.020 at a moonless sky. non-light pollution sky because the constellations 0:04:06.080 --> 0:04:08.780 that I'm so familiar with here at home, you have 0:04:08.800 --> 0:04:11.620 to work extra hard to find them because there's so 0:04:11.720 --> 0:04:15.510 many stars around them. And that's a good problem to have. 0:04:15.630 --> 0:04:20.789 So amazing stuff. Deer everywhere. Elk are in the rut 0:04:21.070 --> 0:04:25.130 right now. They're in their fall, their autumn rut, meaning 0:04:25.170 --> 0:04:28.850 that their, you know, male bull elk are are looking 0:04:28.870 --> 0:04:33.730 for girlfriends and also challenging other male bulls. And they 0:04:33.770 --> 0:04:37.049 do this by bugling. It is kind of an eerie, 0:04:37.170 --> 0:04:41.650 weird sound for such a large animal to make. But, man, 0:04:41.850 --> 0:04:44.049 when you're lying in bed at night and you hear 0:04:44.890 --> 0:04:50.060 in the mid-evening and early morning hours these elk all 0:04:50.140 --> 0:04:54.540 around you bugling back, it's just, I can't even tell 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:57.710 you how great a time we had. We took a 0:04:57.750 --> 0:05:03.090 drive down to Northern Yellowstone and drove through. We got 0:05:03.150 --> 0:05:05.450 up at four o'clock in the morning, the only morning 0:05:05.490 --> 0:05:08.190 that we got up early. Otherwise, you know, we just 0:05:08.230 --> 0:05:10.309 slept in. But we got up at four in the morning. 0:05:10.350 --> 0:05:13.730 We got down to the Lamar Valley, just a little 0:05:13.750 --> 0:05:21.520 bit south of the Mammoth Hot Springs in Northern Yellowstone. 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:24.279 And only took like an hour and 20 minutes to 0:05:24.300 --> 0:05:26.690 get there from where we were staying. And then we 0:05:26.730 --> 0:05:30.490 drove through the Lamar Valley, which is considered kind of 0:05:30.550 --> 0:05:35.500 the Serengeti of North America. You're driving along and you're 0:05:35.510 --> 0:05:40.440 looking for wildlife and it doesn't disappoint. Herds of bison, 0:05:41.500 --> 0:05:48.580 herds of pronghorn antelope, mountain goats, sheep, rams, you name it. 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:50.840 We didn't see any wolves on that trip, but hey. 0:05:51.860 --> 0:05:54.820 It was just glorious. Anyway, just letting you know that 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:58.359 we had a great 30th anniversary and I'm back and 0:05:58.380 --> 0:06:00.820 I'm live. And now we're talking about aging in place. 0:06:01.250 --> 0:06:04.730 And that's where we're going to go today. So when 0:06:04.830 --> 0:06:09.050 we return, let's talk about the stats that surround this 0:06:09.089 --> 0:06:14.589 whole topic. why this has grown from almost an unspoken 0:06:14.730 --> 0:06:19.500 subject about 15 years ago to something now that, like 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:24.760 I said, is an integral part of all home design, 0:06:24.820 --> 0:06:29.310 especially custom home design, especially your home design. We'll cover 0:06:29.330 --> 0:06:31.849 it all when we return. You're home with Dean Sharp, 0:06:31.870 --> 0:06:32.609 the House Whisperer. 0:06:33.550 --> 0:06:36.830 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp, on demand from 0:06:36.910 --> 0:06:38.390 KFI AM640. 0:06:38.570 --> 0:06:41.799 Back from Montana. Ready to talk about aging in place. 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:45.540 By the way, just a little side note for those 0:06:45.600 --> 0:06:51.500 of you who are skeptical of solar and backup batteries. 0:06:52.140 --> 0:06:55.989 Today's show brought to you by solar power and backup 0:06:56.029 --> 0:06:59.270 batteries because I am not in our main studio today. 0:06:59.570 --> 0:07:03.550 I am in our home studio today as we normally 0:07:03.650 --> 0:07:08.310 are these days. And, you know, Edison sent us a 0:07:08.370 --> 0:07:11.210 notice last week saying, oh, by the way, this Sunday 0:07:11.610 --> 0:07:14.910 from 9 until 2, we will be turning off the 0:07:14.950 --> 0:07:18.700 power in the neighborhood for, you know, planned maintenance. So 0:07:18.820 --> 0:07:22.280 we are right in the middle of a power outage 0:07:22.380 --> 0:07:27.540 here at home. And guess what? Can't tell. Didn't even 0:07:27.580 --> 0:07:31.060 know when it happened because we've got solar and we've 0:07:31.100 --> 0:07:34.080 got backup batteries that were fully charged. And I looked 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:36.340 at my little app here and it's like, oh, yeah, 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:40.300 everything's running off the backup battery silently and beautifully and 0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:44.680 nothing will interrupt the show. All of the equipment, everything's 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:47.510 up and running, including the air conditioner. So, you know, 0:07:47.790 --> 0:07:49.570 not that it's running right now, but I'm just saying 0:07:49.730 --> 0:07:53.250 we've got hours and hours of it in reserve. And 0:07:53.350 --> 0:07:56.650 the sun has already, even in this early morning, started 0:07:56.970 --> 0:08:02.830 recharging the batteries again. So, hey. Just food for thought. 0:08:02.940 --> 0:08:08.580 All right, let's get to aging in place. This is 0:08:08.660 --> 0:08:12.500 really all about two things. One, either getting the most 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:15.940 return on investment if you're planning to sell your home, 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:19.930 but more importantly for most people. It's really having the 0:08:19.970 --> 0:08:24.950 home that you never have to leave, okay? 75% of adults, 0:08:24.950 --> 0:08:28.950 50 plus, say that they want to stay in their 0:08:29.060 --> 0:08:34.900 current home for good. That's according to the latest official poll. 0:08:35.100 --> 0:08:38.640 It's about two years old from AARP, from 2024. Life 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:46.089 expectancy at 65 has climbed roughly... six to seven years 0:08:46.429 --> 0:08:52.170 since the 1940s, okay? Life expectancy from 65 forward has 0:08:52.230 --> 0:08:55.270 climbed six to seven years. So what does that mean? Well, 0:08:55.510 --> 0:08:57.630 it means this. It means that homes now have to 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:01.510 work two to three decades longer than they used to, right? 0:09:02.540 --> 0:09:07.840 Homes are essentially back in the, you know, 40s through 0:09:07.980 --> 0:09:14.280 the 90s, designed for, you know, 30-year-olds, 40-year-olds. And yet, 0:09:14.750 --> 0:09:20.850 Homes are now having to work and function two to 0:09:20.890 --> 0:09:27.140 three decades longer than that. And so aging in place, 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:30.080 I want to frame it this way. It's a design 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:35.860 and planning problem. It's not a decline narrative, okay? It's 0:09:35.980 --> 0:09:40.080 simply a design and a planning problem. So let's talk 0:09:40.120 --> 0:09:42.970 a little bit about the money conversation and why this 0:09:43.670 --> 0:09:46.780 work of getting a home ready to age in place 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:51.150 pays for itself. Aging in place bathroom remodels have historically 0:09:51.390 --> 0:09:57.809 recouped roughly two-thirds of their cost at resale. Historically, Now, 0:09:58.270 --> 0:10:04.449 aging-in-place bathroom remodels are recouping essentially 100% of their cost 0:10:04.590 --> 0:10:09.369 versus value because of this shift that's happening. 15% of 0:10:09.390 --> 0:10:15.189 first-time buyers, 14% of repeat buyers purchased a multi-generational home 0:10:15.390 --> 0:10:18.650 last year, okay? Now, that may not sound like a 0:10:18.690 --> 0:10:20.510 lot to you, but let me tell you, in terms 0:10:20.570 --> 0:10:25.360 of the real estate market, that is a massive, massive number, okay? 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:29.579 Fewer than 25% of homeowners 55 plus currently have a 0:10:29.700 --> 0:10:34.460 main floor bedroom and bath or other universal design features. 0:10:34.500 --> 0:10:37.440 That's according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. 0:10:38.300 --> 0:10:41.010 That means it's a real edge for homes in the 0:10:41.030 --> 0:10:44.609 real estate market, for homes that do have a main 0:10:44.650 --> 0:10:51.220 floor bedroom and bath or other universal design features. Typical costs. 0:10:52.300 --> 0:10:57.580 Here's the thing. These days, grab bars installation, about in 0:10:57.600 --> 0:11:01.110 the $ 600 to $ 700 range. You're like, whoa, grab bars 0:11:01.150 --> 0:11:01.990 are that expensive? 0:11:02.010 --> 0:11:02.650 No, no, no. 0:11:02.850 --> 0:11:06.189 I'm just talking about if we're incorporating them into a 0:11:06.270 --> 0:11:09.030 bathroom remodel properly, and I will tell you how to 0:11:09.170 --> 0:11:19.849 properly do that. Curbless shower conversions running at about $ 2, 000. 0:11:17.730 --> 0:11:23.880 Widening doorways, easier than widening hallways. Widening doorways can happen 0:11:23.960 --> 0:11:27.520 for a few hundred dollars. You compare that to the alternative, 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:31.880 all right? You might have just thought, as I'm reading 0:11:31.910 --> 0:11:34.720 off these numbers, wow, Dean, those weren't inexpensive numbers. Well, 0:11:34.740 --> 0:11:38.100 I'm not saying that they were. I'm simply saying this. 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:41.179 Compare it to the alternative. The median cost of assisted 0:11:41.260 --> 0:11:50.750 living now, the median cost, $ 74, 400 a year, okay? So 0:11:50.910 --> 0:11:53.809 a bathroom remodel can pay for itself in well under 0:11:53.850 --> 0:11:58.720 a year of avoided costs. assisted living facility costs. And 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:03.239 that is the magic formula right there. So this isn't 0:12:03.300 --> 0:12:07.959 just safety spending. It's an investment that protects independence and 0:12:08.380 --> 0:12:11.829 equity in a home. It really, really is. All right. 0:12:11.929 --> 0:12:15.490 So with that, what does aging in place actually mean? 0:12:16.620 --> 0:12:19.339 We're going to clear up this fuzzy terminology. Aging in 0:12:19.380 --> 0:12:27.740 place versus downsizing versus assisted living versus ADUs for multi-generational living. 40% 0:12:27.740 --> 0:12:31.590 of adults 75 plus have lived in the same house 0:12:31.730 --> 0:12:36.070 for 30 plus years. That's according to the Urban Institute. 0:12:36.390 --> 0:12:40.270 The average senior homeowner has been in place for about 0:12:40.270 --> 0:12:42.990 24 years now. And here is the myth to kill. 0:12:43.700 --> 0:12:46.339 It's not just grab bars and ramps. It's a whole 0:12:46.420 --> 0:12:50.860 house mindset shift. And that's where I want to get 0:12:50.980 --> 0:12:54.160 into it with you. When we talk about aging in place, 0:12:55.450 --> 0:12:57.730 we're not talking about downsizing. So I just want to 0:12:57.750 --> 0:13:03.150 be clear. Downsizing is a totally legitimate thing to do, 0:13:03.210 --> 0:13:06.770 but that's not the aging in place discussion. Assisted living 0:13:06.970 --> 0:13:12.959 is not the aging in place discussion. ADUs for multi-generational 0:13:13.020 --> 0:13:16.420 living is not the aging in place discussion per se. 0:13:16.940 --> 0:13:20.160 Aging in place is simply taking the house that you 0:13:20.220 --> 0:13:25.949 have and making it ready for those people. latter years 0:13:26.370 --> 0:13:29.089 so that it becomes a stage in which that you 0:13:29.130 --> 0:13:32.270 continue to not just live, but thrive. And that's really 0:13:32.450 --> 0:13:34.460 the essence of it. We're living longer. Now we got 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:37.819 to get more life back into those years. And that's 0:13:37.860 --> 0:13:42.000 how we do it. So starting with step one, let's 0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:45.120 walk through your home and talk about those features that 0:13:45.230 --> 0:13:47.530 need to change. We'll do that right after this. 0:13:48.190 --> 0:13:51.489 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 0:13:51.550 --> 0:13:52.480 KFI AM640. 0:13:53.490 --> 0:13:59.069 Here's how it becomes extraordinary today when it seamlessly, invisibly 0:13:59.230 --> 0:14:04.929 becomes a house ready by means of universal design to 0:14:05.190 --> 0:14:09.089 age in place. And I want you to understand, you know, 0:14:09.809 --> 0:14:11.709 those of you who are fans of the show, you 0:14:11.770 --> 0:14:16.050 know that both a builder and a home designer live 0:14:16.090 --> 0:14:19.670 inside my head. And you're going to hear from both today. 0:14:19.730 --> 0:14:22.520 But But the designer wants to simply tell you this. 0:14:22.660 --> 0:14:27.300 It is unacceptable to rig out a house full of 0:14:27.980 --> 0:14:31.040 aging in place stuff that makes it look like some 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:35.850 kind of institution or hospital setup. That's just, we're not 0:14:35.900 --> 0:14:38.610 talking about that. We're not talking about turning a house 0:14:39.110 --> 0:14:44.250 into a nursing home. We're talking about doing this seamlessly 0:14:44.490 --> 0:14:49.450 so that the 41-year-old home buyer and their young family 0:14:50.460 --> 0:14:55.820 didn't even really realize how important it was, the design features, until, 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:59.080 you know, 30 some years later when they're like, oh, yeah, 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:01.980 everything's fine in the house. That's the kind of stuff 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:04.620 we're talking about. I often say that, you know, when 0:15:04.660 --> 0:15:07.780 we do remodels or room additions or anything like that, 0:15:08.220 --> 0:15:11.360 that the first bar that I hold them all to 0:15:11.660 --> 0:15:14.280 is if somebody who's never been in your house before 0:15:14.340 --> 0:15:17.120 walks in and they say, oh, I see you've remodeled 0:15:17.180 --> 0:15:19.820 this area. I'm like, well, that's a fail. That's a fail. 0:15:19.980 --> 0:15:23.340 I want the house to feel after the remodel. I 0:15:23.380 --> 0:15:27.680 want it so well designed that no one knows the 0:15:27.700 --> 0:15:31.040 house was remodeled. They just assume that it was great 0:15:31.350 --> 0:15:34.530 and it looks like that's the way this house was built, right? 0:15:34.610 --> 0:15:39.150 Because it's built right. Same with aging in place issues. 0:15:39.350 --> 0:15:41.390 That's what we want. And I know what you're thinking. 0:15:41.530 --> 0:15:44.850 You're thinking, well, some of that stuff's got to show, Dean. 0:15:44.890 --> 0:15:47.840 Let's talk about grab bars. All right. So this has 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:51.660 got to be the I think grab bars are officially 0:15:52.260 --> 0:15:56.000 the if we had to pick a aging in place mascot, 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:59.000 it would be a grab bar because that's what everybody 0:15:59.780 --> 0:16:04.380 asks first about. Well, here's a couple of really important things. 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:06.950 First of all, the good news on grab bars. The 0:16:07.010 --> 0:16:10.110 good news on grab bars is that, as I said earlier, 0:16:10.580 --> 0:16:15.200 aging in place is such a universally accepted mandate now 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:20.280 for home design. Mandate that every major, hear me now, 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:27.460 every major plumbing fixture and faucet and showerhead manufacturer has 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:33.920 introduced into their designer lines of, you know, you get 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:36.200 the You're like, oh, I love this look for the 0:16:36.260 --> 0:16:38.780 shower head and then the mixer valve. And then that's 0:16:38.820 --> 0:16:41.360 going to match my faucets at my sinks. And it's 0:16:41.460 --> 0:16:44.840 all this great look in the towel bars. Well, every 0:16:44.920 --> 0:16:50.820 one of those manufacturers now have grab bars that match 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:56.610 the finish design aesthetic of the rest of the pieces 0:16:56.870 --> 0:17:00.110 in that set. Okay. So what are we saying? We're saying, 0:17:00.550 --> 0:17:04.390 Grab bars that essentially look like towel bars, okay, but aren't. 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:08.960 They're full ADA compliant, full safety, and so on. So 0:17:09.420 --> 0:17:12.350 first of all, first major step in this direction is 0:17:12.430 --> 0:17:15.890 you don't have to settle for the, you know, inch 0:17:15.930 --> 0:17:20.200 and a half wide, curled at the end, brushed stainless steel, 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:23.820 institutional bar that, you know, you will see at the 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:28.080 hospital bathroom, uh, in your hospital room. Uh, we don't 0:17:28.140 --> 0:17:29.960 have to put up with it. Now, if you want 0:17:30.020 --> 0:17:31.959 one of those, great. They're there. They're out there. You 0:17:31.980 --> 0:17:34.250 can get those off the shelf at Home Depot or 0:17:34.310 --> 0:17:36.650 Lowe's or the big box stores. But I just want 0:17:36.670 --> 0:17:38.990 you to know, if you're doing a major bathroom remodel 0:17:39.050 --> 0:17:43.290 or any kind of remodel, uh, These are available from 0:17:43.350 --> 0:17:45.949 the same people who are making your faucet sets and 0:17:45.970 --> 0:17:51.990 your shower heads and your shower accessories. Now, the question is, OK, 0:17:52.060 --> 0:17:53.780 so we should go. Should we go ahead and get 0:17:53.820 --> 0:17:58.179 them and install them? Well, yes and no. Here is 0:17:58.280 --> 0:18:01.350 my advice as a designer. And I'm going to let 0:18:01.369 --> 0:18:05.620 the builder speak first when we're remodeling the shower. while 0:18:05.640 --> 0:18:08.840 the walls are stripped and bare, okay, or the tub area, 0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:12.100 whatever the case may be, this is where a lot 0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:16.139 of falls happen. In and out of a tub, stepping 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:19.370 across the shower, wet spaces, you know, you're wet, you're 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:22.630 getting wet, you're trying to dry off, you're stepping over 0:18:22.670 --> 0:18:24.950 an obstacle, all of this, a lot of falls happen 0:18:24.970 --> 0:18:29.080 in the bathroom as a result of that. So, What 0:18:29.100 --> 0:18:30.500 are we going to do? What we're going to do 0:18:30.619 --> 0:18:33.020 is we're going to go ahead and buy all of 0:18:33.060 --> 0:18:36.840 the grab bars that we need matching with our new 0:18:36.940 --> 0:18:40.780 faucets and our shower heads and so on. And then 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:44.460 you're going to simply keep them in their boxes and 0:18:44.580 --> 0:18:47.360 store them in the garage or wherever on your property 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:52.320 for a rainy day. But while you are remodeling the bathroom, 0:18:52.770 --> 0:18:55.170 we're going to do is before we cover up those 0:18:55.230 --> 0:18:58.109 walls again with a tile board and start to do 0:18:58.130 --> 0:19:00.830 the tile or the stonework in that bathroom, we're going 0:19:00.850 --> 0:19:03.889 to take nice solid blocking and we're going to block 0:19:04.170 --> 0:19:07.869 all over the walls, all over, up and down and 0:19:08.109 --> 0:19:13.390 all around. Solid blocking, solid blocking everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. Okay. 0:19:13.510 --> 0:19:17.230 Everywhere reasonable in the grab bar zone. And then we're 0:19:17.280 --> 0:19:18.919 just going to tile up the walls and go it. 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:22.790 And this is why, because Number one, there's no need 0:19:22.830 --> 0:19:25.649 to install those grab bars right now for most people. 0:19:25.990 --> 0:19:28.670 If it's time, it's time, okay? I'm not saying don't 0:19:28.730 --> 0:19:31.129 do it if it's time, but there's no need to 0:19:31.170 --> 0:19:33.150 do it right away. You want to buy them now 0:19:33.230 --> 0:19:35.830 because there's no guarantee that, you know, 15 years from 0:19:35.850 --> 0:19:38.050 now or 10 years from now or five years from now, 0:19:38.109 --> 0:19:41.389 that same set and aesthetic and finish is still available. 0:19:41.410 --> 0:19:45.610 So you want to buy your set complete. But the blocking, 0:19:45.930 --> 0:19:49.210 the solid wood blocking that is so critical for the 0:19:49.310 --> 0:19:54.639 grab bar to dig into, to bite into, so we 0:19:54.660 --> 0:19:57.940 don't have to go searching for studs And we don't 0:19:58.080 --> 0:20:00.180 miss them. And we definitely don't want to put these 0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:03.320 grab bars on just with, like, toggle bolts through an 0:20:03.460 --> 0:20:07.260 empty wall space. It's just not the best thing. It's 0:20:07.300 --> 0:20:09.920 not the best, most secure thing. We want these things secure. 0:20:09.980 --> 0:20:14.190 We want them screwed into solid wood blocking, tied into 0:20:14.210 --> 0:20:16.650 the solidness of the wall so that they can take 0:20:17.010 --> 0:20:19.790 all the weight, all the pressure, and never get loose 0:20:19.850 --> 0:20:23.330 and never tweak. All of that is done ahead of time. 0:20:24.140 --> 0:20:26.400 and then you're storing the grab bars. Now, the other 0:20:26.460 --> 0:20:30.119 reason for doing this is so that they are most effective, 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:33.750 because here's something we've learned. You know, your need for 0:20:33.790 --> 0:20:41.430 the grab bar depends specifically on your particular condition when 0:20:41.590 --> 0:20:44.929 a grab bar is necessary. So, when we first started 0:20:44.990 --> 0:20:49.250 doing this, you know, a couple decades ago, everybody just 0:20:49.780 --> 0:20:53.740 kind of followed the ADA standard, like, oh, we'll put 0:20:53.780 --> 0:20:55.940 it at this height, that is slightly at this angle 0:20:56.020 --> 0:20:59.500 and so on, because that's standard. Well, standard doesn't get 0:20:59.540 --> 0:21:02.760 it done for you. If you've got an upper back 0:21:02.840 --> 0:21:07.300 injury versus a lower back injury, you know, I mean, 0:21:07.320 --> 0:21:09.500 those injuries are only a couple of feet away from 0:21:09.540 --> 0:21:12.179 each other. But let me tell you, it means the 0:21:12.320 --> 0:21:15.770 world of difference as to where you want those grab 0:21:15.810 --> 0:21:19.630 bars to be. Maybe the grab bars for your particular 0:21:19.670 --> 0:21:24.490 situation need to be set lower so you can kind 0:21:24.530 --> 0:21:27.310 of get up and lean your weight on them. Maybe 0:21:27.350 --> 0:21:29.150 they need to be set up higher so you can 0:21:29.210 --> 0:21:31.889 stabilize yourself while you're standing. The point is, and I 0:21:31.930 --> 0:21:34.750 think you're picking it up on what I'm laying down here. 0:21:35.270 --> 0:21:38.970 The point is, solid block the walls, have the grab 0:21:39.010 --> 0:21:43.580 bars on standby in storage, and if you that rainy 0:21:43.619 --> 0:21:47.380 day comes when you actually need them. Or when you 0:21:47.420 --> 0:21:50.480 sell the house, you can simply say, listen, the grab 0:21:50.500 --> 0:21:54.900 bars are here and where do I specifically need them 0:21:54.940 --> 0:21:57.960 to be set at my level for my comfort and 0:21:58.000 --> 0:22:01.100 my condition? And then zip, zip, zip, they're in and 0:22:01.160 --> 0:22:05.660 done in just an hour. And now we have completed 0:22:05.680 --> 0:22:08.800 the aging in place process for the grab bar. This 0:22:09.160 --> 0:22:12.410 is the way the new grab bar should work. be 0:22:12.430 --> 0:22:17.530 dealt with. Buy it, designer, with your new attractive faucets 0:22:17.710 --> 0:22:22.100 and shower heads. Store it away. Pre-block the walls of 0:22:22.130 --> 0:22:25.100 the bathroom for wherever, whether it's next to the toilet, 0:22:25.520 --> 0:22:28.080 next to the sink, or in the shower tub area. 0:22:28.180 --> 0:22:32.240 Pre-block the walls for any kind of grab bar configuration, 0:22:32.580 --> 0:22:36.070 and then simply go about living your life until the 0:22:36.109 --> 0:22:39.330 day comes, if and when you need them, and then boom, 0:22:39.430 --> 0:22:42.659 they're installed in just an hour. And you're ready to go. 0:22:43.140 --> 0:22:45.389 There you go. That's the grab bar. Now we're going 0:22:45.410 --> 0:22:48.370 to move beyond grab bars to things that are even 0:22:48.450 --> 0:22:51.270 more significant when it comes to your overall life in 0:22:51.290 --> 0:22:54.590 the house. Aging in place today. I'm Dean Sharp. The 0:22:54.609 --> 0:22:56.910 House Whisperer will be right back. 0:22:57.060 --> 0:23:00.380 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 0:23:00.440 --> 0:23:01.860 KFI AM 640. 0:23:01.859 --> 0:23:06.600 I should say this. Coming up next segment, it's already 0:23:06.820 --> 0:23:08.859 moving to the middle hour of the show, which means 0:23:08.960 --> 0:23:11.540 time to go to the phones. So I'm going to 0:23:11.580 --> 0:23:17.520 give out the number. The number to reach me, 833-2-ASK-DEAN. 833, 0:23:17.520 --> 0:23:22.830 the numeral 2, and then you just spell out ASK-DEAN. 833-2-ASK-DEAN. 0:23:23.310 --> 0:23:26.070 And as it is always the case with going to 0:23:26.090 --> 0:23:28.530 the phones, regardless of the topic that I'm working on 0:23:28.690 --> 0:23:31.600 in the main show, When it comes to calls, you 0:23:31.640 --> 0:23:35.800 set the agenda. There's no, oh, sorry, this is off topic. No, no, 0:23:35.840 --> 0:23:38.959 it's not. Not when it comes to calls. Anything at all. 0:23:39.020 --> 0:23:43.359 Whatever's got you scratching your head about your home. Design, construction, 0:23:43.740 --> 0:23:48.699 DIY questions, inside stuff, outside stuff, hardscape, landscape, whatever. I 0:23:48.720 --> 0:23:50.740 got you. We'll put our heads together. We will get 0:23:50.790 --> 0:23:54.670 it figured out. Our phone lines are open. We've already 0:23:54.690 --> 0:23:57.250 got a couple calls on the board, but there is 0:23:57.350 --> 0:24:01.960 room for you, my friend. 833- Two, ask Dean. That's 0:24:02.000 --> 0:24:07.740 coming up after the next break. Okay. All right. Grab bars. 0:24:07.780 --> 0:24:11.619 We've talked about that. We've talked about the right way 0:24:12.119 --> 0:24:16.340 in prepping a bathroom remodel for future aging in place 0:24:16.840 --> 0:24:20.700 and the official mascot of aging in place, the grab bar. 0:24:21.369 --> 0:24:24.490 Let me talk about one that is far more pervasive, 0:24:24.570 --> 0:24:30.710 far more active on a daily hour-to-hour basis. And perhaps, perhaps, 0:24:31.390 --> 0:24:34.930 I haven't really thought this through scientifically, but I'm guessing 0:24:35.770 --> 0:24:41.369 perhaps the easiest and least expensive way to create a 0:24:41.490 --> 0:24:44.510 significant facet of aging in place inside a home. 0:24:44.830 --> 0:24:45.070 Okay. 0:24:45.109 --> 0:24:47.770 What do you think is the simplest change out that 0:24:47.830 --> 0:24:50.410 you could do? Is it the grab bar? No, because 0:24:50.450 --> 0:24:53.149 that involves a lot. There's a lot going on with 0:24:53.190 --> 0:24:57.570 the grab bar. Okay. Is it widening a hallway? Certainly not. 0:24:58.570 --> 0:25:00.669 Is it getting rid of the front step coming up 0:25:00.730 --> 0:25:01.290 into your home? 0:25:01.570 --> 0:25:01.950 Nope. 0:25:03.710 --> 0:25:09.859 Here it is. Lever doorknobs versus regular round or egg 0:25:10.140 --> 0:25:12.960 shaped knobs. Lever doorknobs. 0:25:13.260 --> 0:25:13.480 Yeah. 0:25:13.859 --> 0:25:16.660 Oh, and then that should automatically fire in your mind. 0:25:17.010 --> 0:25:23.450 Oh yeah. So the thing is this levers cut, you know, 0:25:23.510 --> 0:25:28.889 lever levers are levers. Okay. You know, like in, Geometry 0:25:28.910 --> 0:25:33.180 and physics, levers, like was it Euclid who said, give 0:25:33.220 --> 0:25:36.780 me a fulcrum and a lever long enough and I'll 0:25:36.820 --> 0:25:41.620 move the world? Well, he was right. Levers make life easier. 0:25:42.040 --> 0:25:45.240