Are having stairs in your home good for your health?

[Kamban]

I came to this thread late, but it struck a cord because this issue actually is a source of occasional debate around the kitchen table. Our place is a traditional colonial. No bedrooms, and only a half bath on the main floor. Have seen plenty of friends and family get injured or age into situations where a main floor bedroom/bath would be helpful. The debate at our place is about whether or not it makes sense to do something about it proactively. I think our bottom line is no, not in the current place and yes if we buy another one, but this will not be the issue that drives us to move. (And if you suspect my better half disagrees with me, you are correct!)

I agree with your spouse 100%. Most of us think that things like car accidents, injuries, cancer with mobility affecting therapy and so on occur only to other people but unfortunately we sometimes become one of those other people. It has happened to our in-laws and once to my wife and soon it will happen to her or me. Like insurance it is better to address it and have it handy and not use it rather than not have it when the need arises suddenly.

We all talk about climate change and how every new build in CA should have solar by 2030 ( or whenever) but the more pressing issue in this country is ageing of the population and what should be done to help then live safely in their homes till they can do no more. I think a legislation of a room downstairs that can be used as a bedroom with a full bath attached to it and have entry and the house ADA friendly is more pressing need for this aging population. But the trend is still to have all bedrooms upstairs, disability be dam*ed.

[Anne]

One thing to remember is that it is a lot easier to move at age 60 and then it is to move at age 80 (especially if you have been living in the house for many years and have accumulated a lot of stuff). 80 year olds just don’t have the same energy level as a 60 year old, and it is not just physical flexibility which declines with aging. Many older people who do have the means to move to a safer setting refuse to do so for reasons that are purely psychological/emotional, and sometimes they pay a terrible price for their stubbornness.

Edited to add: I have a friend who is currently dealing with this issue with her own aging parents, who are in their late 70s. Her mother has fallen down the stairs at least four times over the past year, and they live in a split level where stairs are completely unavoidable. But her parents do not want to move. The problem, of course, is that if her mother is seriously injured in one of these falls and develops a mobility issue as a result, they will HAVE to move, as the house is completely unworkable for someone in a wheelchair or using a walker. Realistically, her parents’ choice is to move to a more suitable house now, or be forced to move on very short notice in the future. But her mother refuses to see that. It is not a good situation, and it is causing my friend a great deal of stress.

This is my take on that situation, being in a similar situation with my own parents (who have no interest in moving, although also are probably in better condition than your friend’s parents): sure, an acute medical event or injury may force them to move at an inopportune time or to a suboptimal location compared to what they might choose right now. It will be stressful at that moment in time figuring it out (no need to get stressed prior to that as stress when nobody wants to take action is a waste), and they probably won’t be happy with it. Good chance at that point they will also be looking at AL or even a higher level of care. But they wanted to stay in their home for as long as possible, and they achieved that goal, rather than doing something they didn’t want to do for x number of years d/t a possibility that they might have to move under unpleasant circumstances at some point. It’s their choice. And while I agree that people get way too attached to their houses, the attachment reminds me of doctors getting way too attached to an inflated lifestyle and then continuing in a work environment they aren’t happy with in order to maintain that lifestyle. The best decision is often to make a change but change is hard for people, and you have to let people make their own choices, even when they are close to you and it’s painful to watch them suffer.

[Larry Ragman]

I agree with your spouse 100%. Most of us think that things like car accidents, injuries, cancer with mobility affecting therapy and so on occur only to other people but unfortunately we sometimes become one of those other people. It has happened to our in-laws and once to my wife and soon it will happen to her or me. Like insurance it is better to address it and have it handy and not use it rather than not have it when the need arises suddenly.

We all talk about climate change and how every new build in CA should have solar by 2030 ( or whenever) but the more pressing issue in this country is ageing of the population and what should be done to help then live safely in their homes till they can do no more. I think a legislation of a room downstairs that can be used as a bedroom with a full bath attached to it and have entry and the house ADA friendly is more pressing need for this aging population. But the trend is still to have all bedrooms upstairs, disability be dam*ed.

My wife is usually right about the big things. And as artemis said earlier, making the move at 60 is better than 80. But here is the deal. We already have a house with all the bedrooms upstairs. It is not worth it to me to build an addition or undertake the transaction costs to buy a new house just to get a downstairs MBR. If there is a crisis we will install a rail chair. Otherwise, we’ll buy a house with a downstairs MBR as part of the planned retirement move.

[Tim]

I agree with your spouse 100%. Most of us think that things like car accidents, injuries, cancer with mobility affecting therapy and so on occur only to other people but unfortunately we sometimes become one of those other people. It has happened to our in-laws and once to my wife and soon it will happen to her or me. Like insurance it is better to address it and have it handy and not use it rather than not have it when the need arises suddenly.

We all talk about climate change and how every new build in CA should have solar by 2030 ( or whenever) but the more pressing issue in this country is ageing of the population and what should be done to help then live safely in their homes till they can do no more. I think a legislation of a room downstairs that can be used as a bedroom with a full bath attached to it and have entry and the house ADA friendly is more pressing need for this aging population. But the trend is still to have all bedrooms upstairs, disability be dam*ed.

I have yet to meet a person that needs to change living conditions that "wants to change". No one wants to have independent living or privileges taken away.
Resistance can be minimal or huge. In the case of the latter, the legal means are painful.

[Lordosis]

My wife is usually right about the big things. And as artemis said earlier, making the move at 60 is better than 80. But here is the deal. We already have a house with all the bedrooms upstairs. It is not worth it to me to build an addition or undertake the transaction costs to buy a new house just to get a downstairs MBR. If there is a crisis we will install a rail chair. Otherwise, we’ll buy a house with a downstairs MBR as part of the planned retirement move.

Exactly. Deal with it when you need to.

Don't be stubborn and make your family worry but trying to plan for every eventuality is going to cost you something. Either money or location or quality.

[StateOfMyHead]

The problem with waiting until you need to make a change, particularly when older and it is a matter of when not if, is that it often happens acutely. We have no interest in preserving generational wealth and plan to head to a continuing care community in our mid 70s. The few I am familiar with are like resorts and will allow us to transition to a higher level of care if necessary. Guaranteed at least one of us will be raising heck on the locked memory care unit eventually. If anyone has data showing there is a decent chance of living into 90s at home and dying peacefully during a nap I'd consider not making plans but I don't think that happens very often.

[burritos]

If you're in such a situation where you can't get up to the master bedroom, why not just stick a bed in the family room/living room/or some other big unused room downstairs room and convert it into a de facto bedroom. If you can't go up stairs, likely you won't be hosting any galas requiring these arbitrarily labeled social gathering rooms. And if there happens to be a gathering, let the able bodied people hang out up stairs.

[Tim]

The problem with waiting until you need to make a change, particularly when older and it is a matter of when not if, is that it often happens acutely. We have no interest in preserving generational wealth and plan to head to a continuing care community in our mid 70s. The few I am familiar with are like resorts and will allow us to transition to a higher level of care if necessary. Guaranteed at least one of us will be raising heck on the locked memory care unit eventually. If anyone has data showing there is a decent chance of living into 90s at home and dying peacefully during a nap I'd consider not making plans but I don't think that happens very often.

3 out of 4 seems to be an ominous sign.
My grand parents, my parents and spouses parents.
As far as peacefully, no clue. Wasn’t there, it was fast though. The last has memory loss and needs a lot of assistance. At 95 we are planning a big birthday party. All of them were crazy anyway.

[AR]

I think a legislation of a room downstairs that can be used as a bedroom with a full bath attached to it and have entry and the house ADA friendly is more pressing need for this aging population. But the trend is still to have all bedrooms upstairs, disability be dam*ed.

I think a downstairs bedroom is a good idea, but not enough that I'd want a law mandating it.

[Kamban]

I think a downstairs bedroom is a good idea, but not enough that I'd want a law mandating it.

I agree. My thought was that instead of the solar panel law in CA this might be more useful for the citizens of USA. And I am somewhat pro climate.

It was just a musing.

[artemis]

This is my take on that situation, being in a similar situation with my own parents (who have no interest in moving, although also are probably in better condition than your friend’s parents): sure, an acute medical event or injury may force them to move at an inopportune time or to a suboptimal location compared to what they might choose right now. It will be stressful at that moment in time figuring it out (no need to get stressed prior to that as stress when nobody wants to take action is a waste), and they probably won’t be happy with it. Good chance at that point they will also be looking at AL or even a higher level of care. But they wanted to stay in their home for as long as possible, and they achieved that goal, rather than doing something they didn’t want to do for x number of years d/t a possibility that they might have to move under unpleasant circumstances at some point. It’s their choice. And while I agree that people get way too attached to their houses, the attachment reminds me of doctors getting way too attached to an inflated lifestyle and then continuing in a work environment they aren’t happy with in order to maintain that lifestyle. The best decision is often to make a change but change is hard for people, and you have to let people make their own choices, even when they are close to you and it’s painful to watch them suffer.

What’s frustrating about my friend’s situation is that apart from this one issue her parents are doing extremely well. They aren’t even close to needing assisted living, as they are both mentally sharp, can still drive, and can manage all ADLs including the housework and yard work. But her mother can no longer safely manage stairs, and unfortunately lives in a house that is inherently Stair City. If they relocated to a house where going up and down stairs wasn’t necessary, they could probably live independently for many years to come. But they don’t want to move, and of course my friend can’t force the issue. All she can do is watch and keep her fingers crossed.

[artemis]

If you're in such a situation where you can't get up to the master bedroom, why not just stick a bed in the family room/living room/or some other big unused room downstairs room and convert it into a de facto bedroom.

That’s a good solution if there is a bathroom on the first floor. Some houses, though (like the one I grew up in), don’t have a first floor bathroom. Fortunately, most newer houses do seem to have at least a half bath on the first floor.

[AR]

If you're in such a situation where you can't get up to the master bedroom, why not just stick a bed in the family room/living room/or some other big unused room downstairs room and convert it into a de facto bedroom. If you can't go up stairs, likely you won't be hosting any galas requiring these arbitrarily labeled social gathering rooms. And if there happens to be a gathering, let the able bodied people hang out up stairs.

One issue is a lack of doors. Our living room and dining room have large, open entry ways, so they really can't be converted unless someone actually built a wall and put in a door (which is possible).

Having said that, we actually did this. We converted the downstairs office to a bedroom (it's the guest bedroom now, the guests are mostly our parents). For some reason there was a nice 3/4 bath adjacent to it, but not a single bedroom on the entire first floor. So this was a very easy and logical conversion. We knew we were going to do it even before purchasing the house.

[burritos]

One issue is a lack of doors. Our living room and dining room have large, open entry ways, so they really can't be converted unless someone actually built a wall and put in a door (which is possible).

Having said that, we actually did this. We converted the downstairs office to a bedroom (it's the guest bedroom now, the guests are mostly our parents). For some reason there was a nice 3/4 bath adjacent to it, but not a single bedroom on the entire first floor. So this was a very easy and logical conversion. We knew we were going to do it even before purchasing the house.

Just consider the downstairs as a studio. If you need caretakers to bath and wipe you I think privacy is kinda secondary.

[AR]

Just consider the downstairs as a studio. If you need caretakers to bath and wipe you I think privacy is kinda secondary.

Well, there is a wide range of ability between needing caregivers to take care of personal hygiene and just not wanting to climb stairs because your knees hurt.