Editor’s Note: Good Question is a recurring feature in which a local expert in a particular field answers a question related to families and aging. Have a question? Send it to mmclean@bendbulletin.com.

Q: My elderly parent is incapable of living alone and is thinking about moving into my home. What types of things should I do to my house to prepare for this transition?

A: Todd Sensenbach is a co-owner of Bend’s Home Instead Senior Care franchise, a business that supplies home health care aides to elderly Central Oregon residents. His business’s “Too Close for Comfort” program helps people make this transition with its website www.makewayformom.com.

He said one of the first things people should consider when preparing their home for an elderly relative is whether the housing preparations would be worth the cost or if it would be better for to try a different approach.

“Always look for things that are not changeable,” Sensenbach said.

He said it’s crucial to make sure an elderly parent can access his or her bathroom, bedroom and the home’s common areas without going up or down stairs in case he or she develops problems walking or has to use a wheelchair. It’s also important to make sure there are no steep slopes leading up to or away from the house so the parent can use the front and back doors without any problems.

“If you’re looking to move, build or consolidate, a single-level home is your best option,” Sensenbach said. If a person lives in a multilevel house and their parent doesn’t, he added, then it may be better to have the child move in with the parent instead.

Sensenbach said it’s important for both generations to have a place they can go for privacy besides their bedrooms. Studies have shown adult children spend significantly more time caring for their parents once they’ve moved in together, so its crucial to make sure everyone can get some time apart.

Once a person’s home has met these requirements, then Sensenbach said its time to start looking at things that can be changed. The first place is the bathroom, where it’s important to make sure the doorway is wide enough for a wheelchair and the barrier between the bathtub/shower is low enough so the parent can bathe without the risk of falling. It’s also important to make sure there is enough space to install handrails so the toilet or the bathtub/shower is easier to use.

For the other rooms, Sensenbach said its important to make sure there is a sharp difference in color between surfaces that are different heights — such as the kitchen floor and counters — so an elderly parent can still see them if he or she starts to lose their sight. Otherwise, he or she may bump into things or trip even when there is a slight change in elevation.

Sensenbach also recommends making sure there is enough lighting in the hallways leading to the parent’s bedroom or bathroom so they can get in and out of bed with both feet firmly planted on the floor, that the hallways be free of throw rugs somebody can slip on and that the doors have lever doorknobs so a person can use them without putting too much strain on the hands.

Sensenbach said some of these upgrades are relatively cheap — many hardware stores sell inexpensive lever doorknob adapters to be installed over round doorknobs — while others can cost a lot of money. That’s why it’s important to make sure a person’s home is suitable to house an elderly parent before taking any more steps.

— Reporter: 541-617-7816, mmclean@bendbulletin.com