DiscoverHome Designs For Life: Remodeling Ideas To Increase Safety, Function, And Accessibility In The Home.
Home Designs For Life:  Remodeling Ideas To Increase Safety, Function, And Accessibility In The Home.
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Home Designs For Life: Remodeling Ideas To Increase Safety, Function, And Accessibility In The Home.

Author: Janet Engel, OT/L, CAPS, ECHM

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My podcasts offers solutions to help older adults stay in their homes for as long as possible. 

We explore creative home modification solutions and talk to experts in the building and healthcare industry to help older adults and their caregivers navigate how to create safer, more attractive, and comfortable spaces while simultaneously increasing their home value. 

Let us educate you on creating a home that changes with you, so you can live your best life at any age!

94 Episodes
Reverse
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.SummaryIn this conversation, Janet Engel interviews Michael Pankow, a retail mortgage executive and CEO of Veterans Mortgage of America with over 20 years of experience, focusing on the benefits and misconceptions surrounding reverse mortgages. Michael shares his personal journey in the mortgage industry, the importance of planning for aging in place, and how reverse mortgages can provide financial independence for seniors. He discusses the challe...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Chris Lalomia, CEO of The Trusted Toolbox, discusses his business and the challenges and benefits of home renovations for older adults and people with disabilities. He emphasizes the importance of prioritizing professionalism and trust in the handyman industry. Lalomia also talks about the growing trend of multi-generational homes in Atlanta and the need for home modifications to accommodate aging parents. He highlights the need for proactive modi...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.SummaryKatherine Ambrose, founder of America's Senior Home Coach, shares her journey in the senior real estate industry and how she started her own television show, Empowering Seniors on PBS. She emphasizes the importance of saying yes to opportunities and following your intuition. Katherine discusses the unique challenges that real estate agents and other professionals face when entering the senior niche and offers advice on how to approach this ...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.SummaryJoseph Erlbach, co-owner of Rapid Recess Systems, discusses the benefits and installation process of curbless shower systems. He explains that the idea for the system came about when his wife broke her leg and struggled with getting in and out of the shower. The Rapid Recess System uses steel brackets to recess the plywood floor between floor joists, allowing for the installation of thin shower trays or pans. Erlbach emphasizes that curbles...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Ali Sultani, owner of Handy Pro Services, and Melissa Bresler, outreach coordinator and occupational therapist, discuss their business and the services they provide for people with disabilities and those who want to age in place. They offer home modifications such as installing grab bars, ramps, stair lifts, and widening doorways. They also discuss grants and funding options for these modifications, as well as tax benefits. Melissa explains the ro...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Ryan Herd, CEO of Caregiver Smart Solutions, shares his journey from the tech industry to founding his company, and discusses the development and functionality of the Caregiver Smart Solutions Core Kit. The conversation also covers the use of data collected by the Core Kit, privacy issues, system setup, and the unique features of the monitoring system. The conversation covers the innovative technology of Caregiver Smart Solutions, focusing on in-h...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Scott Fulton, an expert in health and housing, discusses his book 'WealthSpan' and the key factors for aging well. He emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions and designing a framework for health and wealth based on individual values. The conversation covers topics such as diet, activity, cognitive health, and the impact of lifestyle on aging. Scott provides insights into preserving health, wealth, and independence as we age. The co...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.SummaryDeval Patel, CEO of Lotus, shares the story of developing the Lotus ring, a wearable device that controls home appliances. The ring eliminates the need for rewiring and internet, addressing privacy concerns. It is designed for ease of use and accessibility, benefiting individuals with disabilities, temporary limitations, and situational needs. The development process involved extensive user interviews and human-centered design. Challenges i...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Melissa Hladek, a hoarding remediation expert, shares her career journey and insights into hoarding disorder. She explains that hoarding is a result of one decision at a time and a lack of follow-through. Hoarding disorder is a specific medical diagnosis characterized by a lack of insight. Melissa emphasizes the importance of addressing safety hazards in hoarded homes, such as fall risks and poor air quality. She discusses the initial steps she ta...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.SummaryMaria Szeglowski the kitchen and bath sales designer for Richelieu, discusses the company's advanced lighting products that enhance home environments and promote aging in place. Richelieu is known for being ahead of the curve in lighting innovation, offering products such as silicone lighting and LED back in 2008. They have developed a plug and play system that eliminates the need for complex wiring and allows for easy installation. The com...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Jeff Kutas, founder of MB Sentinel, discusses his aging in place product, the Box Gobbler, which solves the problem of package delivery and returns. The product offers great ergonomics and ease of use, allowing packages to be delivered directly into the home. It is a universal solution for people of all ages and can be integrated with home technology systems. The Box Gobbler is affordable and made in the USA. Kutas also highlights the company's pa...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Christina and Cindy, co-founders of the Adaptive Equipment and Caregiving Corner, started their YouTube channel in 2015 and turned it into a business in 2020. Their inspiration for starting the channel was to address frequently asked questions they received as therapists in home health. They wanted to provide caregivers and patients with videos that could be used as educational tools. They started by housing the videos on YouTube and eventually de...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Janet and Esther discuss their new website, the Aging in Place Directory, which connects homeowners and caregivers with aging in place professionals. They explain how the idea for the directory came about and the benefits it offers to both homeowners and professionals. They also discuss the three subscription plans available for professionals and the features included in each plan. Janet and Esther highlight the importance of networking and collab...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Jared Chevraux, CEAC the executive vice president of Jtek Solutions Group and owner of Jared Chevraux Consulting, discusses his background and motivation for specializing in home access consulting. He shares his design philosophy and how he markets to clients without urgent needs. Jared emphasizes the importance of making accessible design beautiful and introduces the future of accessible design. He also discusses his collaboration with the VGM Ne...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Tom Jameson discusses the Federal Home Loan Bank Grant program and the specific program he created in West Lafayette, Indiana. The program provides grant dollars to qualified homeowners for home modifications and repairs. Tom explains the income requirements and how to find member banks in your community. He also highlights the benefits of CAP certification for performing home modification evaluations and accessing grant funds. Tom shares his back...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Ilan Tiagai, CEO and co-founder of the Smart Hygiene Company, discusses the inspiration behind creating the first AI bidet on the market. He explains how spectroscopy is used in the bidet to identify and clean soiled areas. The bidet's smart features, such as adjusting water temperature and thorough cleaning, set it apart from traditional bidets. Ilan also highlights the environmental impact of using bidets and the increased popularity of bidets d...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.In this conversation, Janet has a conversation with John O'Brien, the CEO of Healthcraft, and Sandy Alexander, OT. HealthCraft is a company that specializes in fall prevention products. They discuss the story behind the SuperPole, the importance of fall prevention, and the innovative solutions Healthcraft has developed for bathroom safety. They also talk about the evolution of Healthcraft products, blending functionality and aesthe...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Jill Bjerke, the founder and CEO of Silver Spaces, discusses the Silver Spaces Senior Home Safety Assessment that she created. The assessment is designed to help aging in place professionals and homeowners make homes safer for older adults. It allows users to pick specific rooms in the home and answer standardized questions about safety features. The assessment can be used by professionals and laypersons alike, and it provides detailed modificatio...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.In this conversation, Sue Wadden and Emily Kantz from Sherwin-Williams discuss the impact of color on health, safety and wellness. They explain how different colors influence mood and mental health, and recommend specific colors for creating calming environments. They also discuss Sherwin-Williams' annual color mix and color forecast, and how it reflects and influences public health and wellness trends. Additionally, they highlight Sherwin-William...
Send us a text. We love to hear from our fans.Viconic Health is a company that specializes in developing and manufacturing passive impact protection systems. Their goal is to bring the same level of passive impact protection to senior living that is currently enjoyed in industries like automotive and sports. They have developed an underlayment system that provides enhanced fall protection in long-term care facilities and aging in place environments. The system is compatible with flexible floo...
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