Aging-in-place checklist, room by room
64 checks across eight areas, drawn from CDC, NIA, ADA and AARP guidance. Read them here, or run them for a real home on the home check.
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Entrance and steps
10 checks. The front door is where a lot of falls happen: carrying bags, fumbling keys, a wet step at dusk. It is also the route out in an emergency and the route in for paramedics, so a good entrance does two jobs.
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Hallways and stairs
9 checks. Stairs are the single riskiest part of most homes. CDC and NIA guidance both start here: rails on both sides, light switches at both ends, nothing left on the steps. Hallways matter for walkers and wheelchairs, which need about 32 in of clear width at every door.
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Living room
8 checks. The living room is where people spend the most waking hours, and its hazards are the quiet ones: a throw rug, a phone charger cord, a low coffee table, a sofa that is hard to get out of. Most fixes here cost nothing.
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Kitchen
7 checks. In the kitchen the risks are reaching and climbing (for the platter on the top shelf), slips on a wet floor, and the stove. For anyone with memory changes, an automatic stove shut-off is often the highest-value fix in the house.
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Bathroom
11 checks. Wet, hard surfaces, getting up and down, and night-time trips make the bathroom the room most aging-in-place remodels start with. Grab bars, non-slip surfaces and a way to bathe without stepping over a tub wall do most of the work.
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Bedroom
7 checks. The bedroom risk is the night: getting up half-asleep, in the dark, often in a hurry for the bathroom. Light you can reach from the bed and a lit path are the core fixes.
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Lighting, electrical and alarms
7 checks. Older eyes need far more light and adapt more slowly between bright and dark rooms. This area also covers smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, switches and outlets that can be reached and worked without strain.
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Outdoor and garage
5 checks. Walks, driveways, decks and the garage step get the least attention and the most weather. Cracked slabs, wet leaves and an unlit path from the car are the usual culprits.