People are living longer now, thanks to medical advancements and increased awareness of how to maintain good health. The WHO reports that the average life expectancy crossed 73 years in 2024. This was an increase of more than 8 years since 1995.
Longer lives allow us to enjoy many more experiences. They also subject people to higher risks of age-related illnesses and challenges.
When asked where they would like to spend their later years, many express a strong wish to stay at home. The WSJ highlights that 75% of Americans want to age in their present house. Although assisted living facilities have improved, they struggle to match the familiarity and comfort of home.
For aging in place, the home environment requires upgrades for convenience. Replacing the staircase with a lift is an option worth considering. An alternative is making living arrangements on the ground floor through remodeling.
Let us compare the viability and effectiveness of these options.
When Installing a Lift May Be Best
This solution has strong long-term potential for accessibility. A lift allows people to use higher floors or go down for a walk in the garden without the effort of treading up and down the stairs.
At the same time, if your mobility challenges become severe, a lift can easily accommodate a wheelchair. This ensures you won’t need to be trapped in your living quarters, shut off from outside air and light.
The best bit is that this approach requires no floor remodeling. You don’t need to make any groundbreaking changes to the existing home layout. This can be a reassuring advantage for aging members of the household, some of whom may be unwilling to let go of the way things have always been.
In countries where multigenerational living is common, such as the Philippines, a lift can be a more viable solution for aging in place. Younger members may not be keen on drastic layout changes to their home. But their interests needn’t affect care and convenience for older members.
Various types of home lifts in the Philippines are designed according to these preferences, such as vacuum elevators for small homes and traction systems for multi-story houses. While perusing your options, you will consider your finances and the available space.
Cibes Lift Philippines notes that some options, such as hydraulic home elevators, may be preferred by older people due to their slow and smooth process (as opposed to fast movements). Again, your final choice should be from a long-term perspective, especially if your family members are dealing with chronic conditions that may get progressively worse.
When a Floor Remodeling is Worth Considering
Setting up a functional living space on the first floor (or ground floor) is another option for aging in place. For this strategy, you will need to set up a bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom as a minimum. The goal is to help your elderly house members live comfortably without having to access the upper floors. Many people consider remodeling if they expect the mobility challenges to remain mild.
One advantage of remodeling is that the involved budget may be less than you’d incur with an elevator. Also, if your home has space constraints that make elevator installation difficult, this is your best solution.
Of course, the floor will need to be appropriate for the remodeling. It should have adequate space to host the required living arrangements. Without this, a remodeling budget may also escalate rapidly.
For perspective, the NAHB reported that homeowners spent $670 billion on remodeling projects in 2024. Homeowners aged 55 to 64 were among the highest spenders, which shows a clear connection to preparing for aging in place.
Other Ideas to Support Aging in Place
As a homeowner, you should be open to combining the two solutions we discussed and also implementing additional steps to help aging family members. Small accessibility improvements can make a stunning difference to the daily life of someone with mobility challenges.
For instance, you can set up grab bars and brighter lighting in the bathroom to prevent falls. The CDC states that falls are a primary reason for injury among seniors. Many occur at home. Preventive modifications will be helpful regardless of which floor you set up living arrangements.
Minor home remodeling steps also help minimize accidents and enhance everyday happiness. For instance, a wider doorway can help wheelchairs or other mobility support equipment pass. Or non-slip floors in high-traffic areas, such as the kitchen. You can look for materials like rubber and matte porcelain tile.
The National Council on Aging has even launched a fall prevention action plan, highlighting the need for home interventions, such as removing clutter (a potential hazard). It notes that family members must be aware that mobility risks can also stem from medications that cause dizziness or conditions like diabetes that can cause neuropathy.
In light of this, a combined approach tailored to the specific needs and prognosis of aging family members will be ideal. As technology advances, things may seem very different in the coming decades.
As urban planning experts observe in an interview with The Harvard Gazette, many older people are adapting to newer, safer alternatives for daily activities. These could be a rice cooker over a gas stove or a robotic vacuum. With robotic shorts, caregivers may feel more comfortable transferring the elderly from a bed to a wheelchair and vice versa.
“One way to think about it is when your home gets too challenging, you move, but at that moment, you’re facing a lot of challenges, and the thought of actually having to move and deal with all your stuff and emotions may be very difficult.” – Ann Forsyth, Ruth and Frank Stanton Professor of Urban Planning, Graduate School of Design.
FAQs
How long does it take to install a lift in a home?
The exact timeline for installation will vary with the lift type and the layout of your home. Usually, compact models can be installed in a few days. More traditional residential elevators can take up to a few weeks.
Will remodeling be less disruptive than installing a lift?
Not necessarily. If you undertake a major remodel, you may need fresh plumbing and electrical work. Even room reconfiguration can be disruptive. It depends on the amount of work, space constraints, and the skill of the team you have hired.
Which option will need more maintenance?
Home lifts will require periodic inspections and maintenance. This will ensure its safe operation. Floor remodeling does not demand additional maintenance. However, regular home upkeep needs may increase if you set up an entire living space.
Which Option is Ideal for You?
| Choose a Home Lift If… | Choose Floor Remodeling If… |
| You want to use every floor of your home. | You can live on the ground floor conveniently. |
| You want a long-term accessibility solution. | You’re looking for a simpler way to eliminate daily stair use. |
| Multiple generations share the home. | Installing a lift isn’t practical due to budget or space constraints. |
| Your mobility needs may increase over time. | Your mobility challenges are expected to remain mild. |
| You want to preserve your home’s current layout. | Your home has enough space for a first-floor bedroom and bathroom. |
Your Forever Home
As we witness our family members getting older, we want to make things easier. We see how difficult it is for someone with arthritis to move around freely, especially during a seasonal flare-up or another ongoing health problem. We fret about how their ability to live unencumbered will likely be reduced further as time passes.
Making the necessary home upgrades well in time can allow your loved ones to spend their old age in their forever homes. It’s reassuring and calming, both of which are crucial at a transitory time in life.
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