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Creating a safe environment is a vital component of caregiving, and is essential to helping your loved one stay in their home.
Some basic safety tips and home modifications can help create a better living environment, improve the quality of life and extend your loved one’s ability to stay in their own home.
Falls are one of the biggest dangers in the home, especially for older adults. But there are ways to reduce the risk of falls.
Here are some tips to limit the danger:
It may be necessary to make more significant modifications to the home to make it safe for your loved one.
Such modifications include adding safety rails to stairways, tubs and toilets; installing ramps and widening doorways for wheelchair access; leveling floors; installing doorknobs and faucets that are easier to use
When hiring a contractor to make home modifications, always be sure to get a background check and references on the contractor, get a written contract detailing all aspects of the project and agree on a payment schedule. Full payment should never be made upfront, and the final payment should not be made until all work is completed to satisfaction.
For more information on home modifications, check out the The Administration for Community Living‘s Home Modification Fact Sheet.
There is financial help for Massachusetts residents seeking to make home safety modifications for elders or persons with a disability. The state-funded Home Modification Loan Program offered by the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission provides loans to make such modifications to the primary, permanent residence of elders, adults with disabilities and families with children with disabilities to help allow them to remain in their homes and live more independently in their communities.
Loans can help finance projects to construct ramps, stair-lifts and wheelchair lifts, kitchen and bathroom adaptations, safety windows, fences and other home safety features.
Types/Terms of HMLP loans:
More information on the program can be found at the official Massachusetts state website or by calling 617-204-3739. You can also download their brochure: HMLP English Brochure, HMLP Spanish Brochure.
There are six regional Provider Agencies in the state to determine both income eligibility and eligibility of the proposed modification.
The agencies serving the MetroWest area are:
South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc. (SMOC)
Contact: Linda Hochen at lhochen@smoc.org
Phone: 508-620-2682
TTY/TDD: 508-872-4853
Website: www.smoc.org
MetroWest communities served: Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, Sherborn, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley
RCAP Solutions Financial Services, Inc (RCAP)
Contact: Lovette Chislom, Residential Loan Fund Manager, lchislom@rcapsolutions.org
Phone: 978-630-6725; 1-800-488-1969
TTY/TDD: 978-630-6754
Website: www.rcapsolutions.org
MetroWest communities served: Bellingham, Franklin, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Northborough, Southborough, Westborough