Home Modifications

While Rebuilding Together assists all kinds of people, the majority of those we assist are elderly and/or disabled.  As we enter the home to repair roofs and fix plumbing and electrical concerns, it has become increasingly clear that these homeowners have other needs.  In 2000, Rebuilding Together received a grant from the Administration on Aging (AoA) to assist us in expanding our role to include a structured Home Modifications Program, part of the Safe & Healthy Homes Initiative.  By emphasizing home safety and falls prevention in the form of home modifications, we are helping homeowners remain safe in their homes.  By adapting their home to meet present and future needs, homeowners have the option to age in place.

Many elderly homeowners are isolated in their homes, by nature of a disability or mobility impairment.  Home-bound homeowners are frequently unaware of the services available in their communities.  Service providers often cannot get access to these home-bound homeowners. Rebuilding Together fills the gap between the homeowner and the service provider, by providing information to the homeowner and referrals to the social service organizations.  By filling this gap, we are taking a holistic approach to aging in place.

Rebuilding Together often builds wheelchair ramps and widens doorways for those that have difficulty maneuvering in and out of their homes.  Rebuilding Together also emphasizes the need for grab bars in the bathrooms and handrails on both sides of stairways, to allow for support in places where balance can be compromised. Other modifications include appropriate lighting, chair risers, lever door handles, proper security locks, hand-held shower heads, lowered cabinetry and various assistive technology designed to make the activities of daily living easier, both for the homeowner and potential caregivers.

Through the Home Modifications Program, Rebuilding Together works to:
• Raise public awareness of the danger of falls in the home and growing need for home modifications
• Provide training and technical assistance to home modifications practitioners
• Expand and broaden our affiliate network’s service delivery and capacity
• Provide home modifications information and referrals to the general public
• Champion the needs and rights of low-income elderly homeowners