Upgrade Your Home to Live in it Longer

By Peggy Werner

About 30 years ago, Michael Sullivan’s mom was living in a two-story apartment and needed more and more help as she got older.

Working in construction at the time, he was able to help design and build a new home for her with a walk-in shower, first floor laundry, and other changes that allowed her to live at home independently much longer.

Today, Sullivan is the owner of Sullivan’s Home Improvement Solutions. He prides himself in being the first general contracting business in Rockford to obtain a Certified Age in Place Specialist (CAPS) certification through the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), a specialty that focuses on “fall prevention home modifications” by making spaces more accessible. Such changes are also helpful to those with a mental or physical disability, progressive disease, or common aging limitations.

“I saw the need in my own family, with the aging population, and others with mobility problems,” Sullivan says. “As we age, our ability to get around our own house becomes more difficult and the family discussions of moving into a facility becomes more and more frequent. Moving can be difficult emotionally for the senior and family members. By making a few changes in the home, a person can reduce the chances of falling and stay at home much longer.”

Sullivan’s services provide full bathroom upgrades, tub to shower and tub to walk-in tub conversions, improved lighting, flooring, and vanities, grab bars, first floor laundry, chair lifts, ramps, wider doorways, threshold alterations and American with Disabilities Act-rated stools. Sullivan works with occupational and physical therapists to make sure changes are in line with their recommendations.

The business follows the CAPS code of ethics and complies with local building codes. Installers are licensed and certified. Because of the company’s thoroughness, most jobs take three days to complete, and all work has a satisfaction guarantee.

For more information or to schedule a free home assessment with a detailed estimate, call Sullivan at (815) 234-0688.❚

Eyewitness to Majesty

It’s sad but inevitable that eyewitnesses to history fade away from the earth. Only about 160,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are still alive to share their memories with us, for example. Thankfully, many have recorded their memories for posterity. This enables us to compare truth against falsehoods that arise.

Likewise, Christians can evaluate theories about God by comparing them to the only eyewitness testimony available – scripture – just as Jesus did. Jesus quoted scripture to his followers, detractors, and even Satan. “It is written that man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” Jesus told Satan, after 40 days of fasting in a Judean desert.

(Matthew 4:4 NIV)

Simon Peter personally knew Jesus, both before and after Jesus’ resurrection, making him “an eyewitness to majesty.” As he neared death, Peter wrote his second and final letter to faithful believers in Asia, knowing that all eyewitnesses to Jesus would soon be gone from earth and disinformation would flourish. Imagine the bittersweet emotions he experienced as he shared his final advice – advice still perfectly relevant to us today.

Peter warns us not to be deceived or discouraged by false teachers – God will deal with them. He says to mimic the goodness of Jesus Christ; to root ourselves in scripture and to trust its power and integrity; to build up our self-control and perseverance; and to anticipate our glorious future with God, counting any suffering on His behalf as an honor.

“…For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty …. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the holy spirit.” – 2 Peter 1:12-16, 20 (NIV)

Peter’s letters are brief, practical, encouraging and relevant. It’s hard to imagine a better use of our time than to internalize the wisdom of this “eyewitness to majesty.” ❚

-- Janine Pumilia