Mobility Plus Alpharetta
01/15/2026
According to a recent AARP study, approximately 31.9 percent of the adult population, lives in a shared household. A growing percentage of those adults are parents choosing to move in with their adult children. This trend is known as the "reverse boomerang effect" and is the perfect solution for many families! Kelly Vandever with Keller Williams Realty shares some insight into why moving closer to family (if not necessarily sharing the same household) might be right for you: When To Consider Moving Closer to Family
Read on for tips on how to prep your home for mom and dad if you all have decided that transitioning to your home is the best choice:
Accessibility – Change light bulbs, and add lighting to hallways, staircases and outdoor walkways. Our vision diminishes as we age. Brightening spaces is an easy step to creating a more accessible environment.
Stair lifts, vertical platform lifts and elevators are great tools for allowing everyone to enter and exit the home safely, and be together in common areas. A straight stair lift from a terrace-level apartment and a vertical platform lift in the garage are perfect solutions with relatively low investment. Stair lifts can be easily removed once no longer needed and golf tees can plug the holes on the stair treads! Vertical platform lifts come in several styles ranging from utilitarian to a designer aesthetic and allow for a wheelchair user to roll onto a platform and then right up and into the home.
Bathroom Safety – Consider renovating a bathroom to create a “roll-in” environment, or limit the size of the threshold in a shower to reduce fall risk. Installing grab bars is important, but equally important is their placement and the quality of installation. Consult with an expert to ensure that the bars are securely mounted and that they follow the movement patterns of the user. Additionally, bathroom doors must be at least 32” wide for most manual and powered wheelchairs to pass through.
Care and Supervision- If cognitive impairment is present, think about the level of supervision your mom or dad may need. Physical limitations can also impair their ability to complete activities of daily living (ADL’s) such as dressing and bathing. Hiring a licensed home care agency to provide companionship, help with meals and assistance with ADL’s can provide peace of mind while adult children and grandchildren are working and at school.
Mobility Limitations – If you have noticed “furniture surfing” while moving through the rooms of their current home, you might open the conversation about mobility aids as they transition to their new living situation. A cane, walker, rollator (a walker with four wheels and often a seat) lift recliner or hospital bed could improve comfort and increase independence.
Manufacturers have moved away from the traditional clinical aesthetic of the past with modern color and fabric choices that can enhance your current decor!
Prepping for this next chapter and a shared household? Visit us Monday-Friday 10am-5pm or Saturdays 9am-1pm. We look forward to helping you create a beautiful, safe space for your parents to call home!