Skip to content
LoclisBeta
Sign up
UpkeepAging in Place & Accessibility

What home changes help someone age in place?

Start with falls, the biggest risk: clear floors and cords, good lighting, sturdy handrails on both sides of stairs, and a bathroom with grab bars and a non-slip tub. Then widen the plan: a step-free way in, doors at least 32 inches clear, and a main-floor bathroom. Virginia's Livable Home Tax Credit can cover 50 percent of the cost, up to $6,500.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Walk through the home together

    Go room by room with the person who lives there and note where they hesitate, reach for support, or avoid a space.

  2. Step 2: Clear the floors

    Remove loose rugs, cords and boxes from walking routes; the CPSC links falls to more than half of product-related emergency room visits among adults aged 65 to 74.[1]

  3. Step 3: Light every route

    Make sure there is good lighting inside and outside the home to help prevent falls,[1] and add plug-in night lights between bedroom and bathroom.

  4. Step 4: Check the steps

    Look for steps in good condition with flat, even surfaces and slip-resistant treads, and handrails that are solidly mounted along both sides.[1]

  5. Step 5: Make the bathroom safer

    Add non-slip surfaces and a hand-held shower, and read the bathroom guide before planning grab bars, which some localities require a permit for.

  6. Step 6: Test the alarms

    Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are installed throughout the home,[1] and test them.

  7. Step 7: Bring daily items within reach

    Move everyday dishes, food and clothes to a comfortable reaching height, and keep a stable step stool with a handrail for anything higher.[1]

  8. Step 8: Measure the doorways

    Measure the clear opening of the doors a wheelchair or walker would use against 32 inches.[2]

  9. Step 9: Call the local Area Agency on Aging

    Ask about home modification counseling and mobility devices to borrow or try.[3]

  10. Step 10: Get written quotes for bigger changes

    For a step-free entrance, wider doors or a main-floor bathroom, ask licensed contractors for itemized written quotes and check your locality for permits.[4]

Start with falls

The best first changes are the cheap ones that stop falls. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's checklist for older consumers links falls to more than half of all product-related emergency room visits among adults aged 65 to 74, and to more than three-quarters of visits among adults 75 and older.[1] It also names a common scenario: tripping over loose carpets, cords or other obstacles on the floor.[1]

So walk the home with the person who lives there. Watch where they slow down, grab a counter, or avoid a room. Those spots, not a catalogue of products, tell you what to change.

A white walk-in bathtub with a hinged door and a chrome grab bar inside, set against a tiled wall in a carpeted bathroom
Photo: gemteck1, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fixes that need no contractor

  • Floors. Take up loose rugs and run cords along walls. The CPSC stresses slip-resistant surfaces in wet places such as bathrooms, kitchens and entryways.[1]
  • Light. The CPSC advises good lighting inside and outside the home to help prevent falls.[1] Plug-in night lights on the route from bed to bathroom cost little. Its checklist also asks for light switches at both the top and bottom of the stairs;[1] if they are missing, adding a switch is an electrician's job.
  • Alarms. The CPSC advises smoke and carbon monoxide alarms throughout the home;[1] set a calendar reminder to test them.
  • Reach. Move daily items to between waist and shoulder height. For anything higher, the checklist asks for a stable step stool with a handrail,[1] and a chair is not a substitute.

Stairs, bathroom and doors

The CPSC checklist asks for solidly mounted handrails running the full length of the stairs on both sides.[1] Grab each rail and push; one that moves needs fixing into framing, not drywall.

The bathroom is the highest-risk room. Grab bars, a hand-held shower, non-slip surfaces and water temperature are covered in how to make a bathroom safer for an elderly parent, and how to install a grab bar in a shower shows the fitting; check with your building office first, since Prince William County, for one, lists grab bars among upgrades that always need a permit.[4]

For doors, measure the clear opening with the door open at 90 degrees. Virginia's Livable Home Tax Credit guidelines describe a visitable home as having doors with at least 32 inches of clear width and hallways of at least 36 inches of clear width.[2] If a walker or wheelchair will not pass, that is a widening job for a contractor.

The bigger plan

If the person wants to stay for years, think about a layout that still works if mobility declines. The Livable Home Tax Credit program describes universal visitability as at least one zero-step entrance, an accessible bathroom on the same floor, doors with at least 32 inches of clear width and hallways of at least 36 inches of clear width.[2] Its list of accessibility features also includes accessible light switches, electrical outlets and environmental controls.[2]

A zero-step entrance often means a ramp or regrading. Read why a wheelchair ramp turns out too steep before you commit to a length, and the cost of making a home wheelchair accessible for what drives the price.

Help paying and planning in Virginia

For a retrofit, the credit is 50 percent of the cost, not to exceed $6,500.[2] Rental units are not eligible, and the work must conform to the applicable provisions of the Uniform Statewide Building Code.[2] Keep itemized invoices.

Your local Area Agency on Aging is the first call: Virginia's Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services calls it the front door to aging services for older Virginians.[3] Its assistive technology program lets you obtain, borrow or demo mobility devices and offers counseling on home modifications.[3]

Permits depend on the locality. Prince William County lists temporary ramps, permanent ramps, grab bars, widened doorways and wheelchair lifts among accessibility upgrades that always need a permit.[4] Ask your own building office.

Stop and call a pro if

  • A handrail or stair is loose, rotted or uneven. Structural stair and rail repair belongs to a licensed contractor.
  • You need a switch, outlet or light fixture added or moved. That is an electrician's work.
  • A doorway must be widened, or a step-free entrance built. Both involve framing and usually a permit.
  • A gas water heater or other gas appliance needs adjusting. Call a licensed plumber or HVAC contractor.
  • A tub or shower wall is soft or stained. Find the leak before anything is bolted to it.

Getting help in Virginia

Browse more remodeling answers or accessibility remodeling businesses. When you have your list, describe the job on Loclis and licensed local contractors will quote it.

Common questions

What is the single most useful change for aging in place?
Preventing falls. The Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that falls are associated with more than half of product-related emergency room visits among adults aged 65 to 74 and more than three-quarters among those 75 and older. Clear floors, good lighting, solid handrails and a safer bathroom address most of the risk at low cost.
How wide do doorways need to be?
Virginia's Livable Home Tax Credit guidelines use doors with at least 32 inches of clear width and hallways of at least 36 inches. Measure the clear opening with the door open, not the door slab. Narrower doors often need a wider frame, which is contractor work and may need a permit.
Is there a tax credit for accessibility changes in Virginia?
Yes. The Livable Home Tax Credit covers 50 percent of the cost of retrofitting activities, not to exceed $6,500, for features such as a zero-step entrance, wider doors or an accessible bathroom. Rental units are not eligible, and the work must meet the Uniform Statewide Building Code. Read the current DHCD guidelines before you start.
Where can I get help deciding what to change?
Start with your local Area Agency on Aging, which Virginia's Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services calls the front door to aging services for older Virginians. DARS also says its assistive technology program lets you obtain, borrow or demo devices that would improve mobility and counsel on home modifications.
Do I need a permit for accessibility changes?
Often yes for structural work. Prince William County lists ramps, grab bars, widened doorways and wheelchair lifts among upgrades that always need a permit. Rules differ by locality, so call your own building office before work starts.
How often should I revisit the plan?
At least once a year, and after any fall, hospital stay or change in eyesight. Needs shift, and a quick walk-through with the person who lives there catches new problems early.

Sources

  1. [1] Safety for Older Consumers: Home Safety Checklist (Publication 701), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] Livable Home Tax Credit Program Guidelines and Application, Tax Year 2026, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] Aging Services, Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] Do I Need a Permit?, Prince William County Building Development Division. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.