By Chris Caraveo
Twitter: @ChrisCaraveo31

Ted and Marietta Johns knew what they were looking for in a new home when the moved from Austin, Texas to Surprise in 2016.

Mr. Johns, who developed Parkinson’s disease about eight years ago, needed a home that would aid a man with some physical limitations due to his diagnosis and a reconstructed foot after 60 years of playing tennis.

Now living in a condo at the Colonnade in Sun City Grand, call buttons are around the home, Ted wears one around his neck, the couple’s bed was lowered and safety bars were added. They stripped the carpet in the home and replaced it with wood flooring.

But sometimes it doesn’t hurt to get an extra set of eyes on the home. A company in the Valley is providing free assessments of people’s residences, especially for those looking to age in place.

New research shows that while most seniors want to age at home, many of them don’t have plans in place to do so. According to research from Home Instead Inc., 94% of seniors want to stay at home as they age. But what it means to “age in place” is changing, the company says.

And today, one in four older adults plan to move to new a home to age in place. Much like what the Johns did when they returned to Arizona three years ago. So an assessment was in order.

The Daily News-Sun visited the Johns residence May 10 along with Brian Huebner from Home Instead to assess the couple’s third-floor condo at the Colonnade by Sun Health in Sun City Grand.

“We knew that at some point in our lives it’s possible that one of us would need assisted living,” Ms. Johns said. It made us more aware of it eight years ago when diagnosed with Parkinson’s, because we would like to be in a place that has the continuing stages. You can go to assisted living, skilled nursing and then memory care. We were raised thinking that way. We talked about it for years.”

Mr. Huebner walked with Marietta Johns and the DNS as he surveyed the residence using eight pages of Home Instead’s “Home Safety Checklist.” The packet includes checklists for the bedroom, kitchen, hallway, garage, foyer or front yard, the living room and bathrooms.

Mr. Huebner didn’t ding the Johns on any glaring hazards during the assessment.

“We’re looking largely for things that cause safety issues,” Mr. Huebner said during the walk-through. “With seniors falls can be one of the biggest things that happen. It’s a little unique here because we’re in one of the Sun Health properties. This is going to already be well-adapted for senior living because everyone here is a senior. I’ve never been in their home before but I know that when we go into the bathroom there’s going to be a call button.”

Sure enough, there was.

In the bathroom, having a shower with a seat, mat and long-hose shower head adds security in one of the most riskiest places for falls.

Bed height and the presence of rugs are also key factors in an assessment. Keeping a home as rug-free as possible lessens the chances of tripping and provides easier movement for walkers and wheelchairs, Mr. Huebner said. Multiple grabbing points when walking in the dark come in handy as well.

For Mr. Huebner, most of his clients in the Northwest Valley live in traditional homes, and rugs are everywhere.

“I think the most common thing that I see is rugs. Rugs that create a tripping hazard, that’s very common,” he said. “In Sun City West they tend to already have grab bars and stuff. You get into some of the other areas you start seeing more of a need for the grab bars. Lighting can be another one that is quite common, putting in bright lights. Most of what we have here is single-level homes. But in homes that do have the stairs and second level, its not very common for them to have two railings.”

Seniors want to age at home, but more are moving from their current abode to make it a reality, Home Instead states.

While that is an option, seniors can also use available resources to find out how to improve their homes so they don’t have to worry about the hassle of putting them up for sale.

Although the Johns took that route of moving from one place to the other, they did so with their previous experiences with the Valley in mind.

“We looked at 18 different places around the country,” Ms. Johns said. “We have all our parents... mothers, our brothers and sisters all live in continuing care facilities like this around the country. We’ve lived in Scottsdale when we lived here before and it’s twice as expensive to get in there. Which brought us to the West Valley. It’s just amazing what we got. We decided this was the biggest bang for the buck.”

After the assessment, the Johns can continue living knowing their home is as safe as possible as they age in place.

And now, other seniors and their families can use the tools the Johns used to help them choose where they want to age and whether the home is a good fit for them.

A 10-question quiz at http://bit.ly/homeinsteadquiz can help you learn if your or your parents home will allow someone to age in place.

“We know how important it is for older adults to feel a sense of independence as they age, and for many, that comes from being able to stay in the same home where they raised children and created a lifetime of memories,” Kelly Cornelius, owner of the Central Phoenix Home Instead Senior Care, stated. “But, we are also seeing a growing number of seniors who still seek a sense of independence by actively choosing a new home to live in as they age. Whatever their wishes, we want to help them feel empowered in that decision and provide the resources to help make a plan.”

The top desired features for seniors looking for new homes include single floor living (85%) and easy (84%) or low cost of maintenance (83%).

For those who want to continue to age in their current homes, nearly 64% have also given thought to age-friendly modifications, such as adding grab bars to bathrooms or other safety measures.

While many older adults have given thought to how they will age in place — and know they want to stay at home in some way — many still have work to do when it comes to finalizing plans. Just one in four seniors report having specific plans for where they will live as they become older.

That’s where Home Instead wants to help.

The company’s new “Home Your Own Way” program offers free resources for seniors and families to assess needs and options, and to determine what aging in place might look like for them.

“There are so many factors to consider when having conversations about not only where you may want to live as you age, but also what makes sense,” Ms. Cornelius stated. “Those topics include not only the physical space, such as safety precautions in the actual dwelling, but the emotional elements such as memories, companionship and sense of community. We want to help seniors think through both of those aspects and determine what fits their needs and how to make sure their choice fulfills each area.”

A professional caregiver can also assist with the physical demands of aging, like personal care or Alzheimer’s care, and emotional aspects, like companionship. Visit www.HomeYourOwnWay.com or www.homeinstead.com, or contact your local Home Instead Senior Care office for details on how seniors may navigate this important life decision. The main line is 888-331-1023.

“We have to as a society figure out ways to continue to make it easier for people to stay at home,” Mr. Huebner said. “Nine out of 10 people say they want to stay home as long as possible and you can do that in the home that you raised your family in. Or you can do like Ted and Marietta did, and you can buy a new home that you can age in.”