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Aging in Place

house with landscaping in front

Remaining in the home is a high priority for many older people. Many older people are facing a disability that requires accessibility in the home. Unfortunately, most housing in South Dakota is not designed for people with disabilities. Most homes are missing one or more basic accessibility features (wide halls and doors, bathroom that is sized and spaced for a wheelchair user, bedroom on entry level, and a no-step entrance). Even when these features are present, home modifications may be necessary to make the home usable to people with disabilities.

All Aging in Place Content

Emergency medical technician walking near an emergency room entrance.

Emergency Medical Service Providers for Home Modification

Emergency medical service providers work in the home each day to help individuals with medical emergencies and falls. Learn the crucial role that accessible home design can play in making their work more efficient.

Exterior of an accessible home.

Caregivers for Home Modification

Home modification can improve the quality of life of for caregivers by making it easier to help with everyday tasks. Learn three unique caregiver stories about the challenges faced while caring for loved ones at home.

Rusty shed in a farmyard.

Home Is Where the Heart and History Are

When challenged with a degenerative nerve disorder, Gina and her husband worked with local contractors to modify their rural home to meet her accessibility needs. Learn how the project helped keep her in her family home for years to come.

Man pushing an older woman in wheel chair.

Home Care Providers for Home Modification

Many homes have features that make it difficult for home care providers to offer essential in-home services. Read some first-hand accounts of how home modifications made their jobs easier and more gratifying.

Man in wheelchair.

Home Is Where Your Life Is Stable

When a tragic accident put Nick Remund in a wheelchair at age 30, his family was tasked with building a new accessible home to accommodate his new life. Learn about the challenges and victories they had during their journey.

Off-road motorbike rider in the countryside.

What Do We Do When We Get Home?

Following an unfortunate dirt bike accident, Thore Jenshus faced a new life as a quadrapalegic. Learn how his challenges led him to becoming a advocate for accessible home design.

Rear, no-step entrance of a modern, adaptable home with a level walkway.

How Much Does an Adaptable Home Cost?

Cost is an important consideration when implementing the Adaptable Home Certification Program in your community. It will be important for you to identify strategies to offset these costs for developers and builders.

A a gently sloping ramp walkway leading to a home with a no-step entrance.

Why No-Step Entrances Matter

Adaptable homes ensure that at least one entrance could easily have a ramp added to gain access to all essential facilities within the home.

Modern, adaptable bathroom design. A wheelchair user has access to all key functions in the bathroom including the shower, commode and sink.

What You Need To Know About the Bathroom

The bathroom is arguably the most-important room in a residential setting when it comes to occupants or visitors who have disabilities.

Modern, adaptable kitchen with ample space around essential features, including stairs and appliances.

Why Accessible Routes Matter

By making sure that there are accessible routes to essential facilities in the home, you are ensuring that a person with a disability could live in that unit.