9 tips for creating a home that is safe for aging in place

By K ristin Luna The Washington Post

AFTER MY FATHER had a debilitating stroke when he was 64, my mom, sister and I found ourselves scrambling to adapt my parents’ home to his new needs.

We removed any obstructions in the main walking paths and added an adaptive seating device to reduce the fall potential when he’d get up and down from his perch in front of the TV.

It could have been worse, though. Thankfully, the house was built for my grandparents in 2007 with an eye toward aging in place. It already had handrails in the entryway and primary suite, as well as zero-threshold showers with a bench

Notes

CONTINUED FROM PAGE F3

Millennium Forest, who will introduce Tokachi, which has inspired a unique modern garden movement in Japan. Midori will share how she and her team have nurtured the native forests and cultivated garden areas through the seasons.

She will also explain how her gardening methods are rooted in the accumulated wisdom of the ancient Japanese belief of mother culture, and how she has built a solid partnership with garden designer Dan Pearson and her garden team. Cost is $30 members, $35 nonmembers.. For more information, or to register, visit www. berkshirebotanical.org; Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.