Ridgewood, Bergen County
Aging in Place in Ridgewood, NJ: Older Houses Made Easier
Aging in place in Ridgewood, NJ often means an older house with steep stairs and a tub from another era. Adapt the parts that cause trouble and keep the rest as it is. We connect you with a local contractor for the job.
Home modifications in Ridgewood
Read the page for the change you have in mind. Each explains how that work sits in the older houses typical of Ridgewood.
Accessible bathrooms and walk-in showers
See detailsStairlifts and home lifts
See detailsWheelchair ramps
See detailsDoorway widening
See detailsGrab bars and handrails
See details
In Ridgewood, local help with aging services comes from Bergen County Division of Senior Services.
Questions people ask
Can the character of an older Ridgewood house be kept when I adapt it?
Usually, yes. Stained or painted wood rails, matching trim and a lift in a color close to the walls all help changes blend in. Tell the contractor what you most want to keep.
Is it too early to plan if I am in my fifties or sixties?
Not at all. Some Ridgewood households tackle the bathroom or the rails first, while they are well, since the work is calmer when there is no emergency behind it.
Where is the county office for older residents?
For services beyond home changes, such as in-home support or transport, start with the Bergen County Division of Senior Services, the state-listed agency on aging for the county.
How do I know which change to do first?
Pick the spot where you slow down, hold on or avoid. For most Ridgewood households that is the tub, the main staircase or the front steps. Start there, and do not try to fix the whole house at once.
Do you do the work yourselves?
No. Aging in Place NJ plans the change with you and introduces the local contractor who does the work. The contract is between you and that contractor.
What if the change is only needed for a few months?
Say so at the start. A modular ramp, a bench or a clamp-on rail can come out later, while a rebuilt shower or a widened door is built to stay.
Homes in Ridgewood
Few towns in this part of New Jersey are as old as Ridgewood in housing terms. The median home dates to 1950, and most units here were built before 1960. Those are houses with real age: front porches reached by steps, steep stairs to a second floor and a cellar, small bathrooms with a tub that was installed decades ago, and doors cut for a different era.
Most units are detached houses, and most occupied homes have owners living in them. Owners can change what they like, but older construction raises questions that newer houses do not, such as plaster walls, plumbing in tight chases and staircases that were never wide.
The share of residents aged 65 and over is 13.9%, below the state figure. That points to many households planning early, often with adult children involved, and to people aiming to stay in a house they have owned for many years. In an older house, each of the five jobs below calls for a closer look before work, and the right plan keeps the character of the building intact.
Source: Census Bureau, median year built and age
Where to start with aging in place in Ridgewood, NJ
Do not start with a list of products. Start with how your day goes. Where do you slow down, hold a wall or put a trip off? Those spots tell you what to change first.
In Ridgewood the answer is usually one of three. The tub is hard to step into. The staircase is steep, or the front steps are many. Or the only bathroom sits up a flight from the room where you spend the day. Each one has a matching page in this town:
- accessible bathroom work in Ridgewood for bathing and toileting
- stairlift installation in Ridgewood houses for the stairs inside
- wheelchair ramps for Ridgewood porches for the way in
Two smaller jobs, wider doorways and grab bars and rails, often come along with one of those. With 79.0% of homes detached and 82.5% of occupied homes owner-occupied, most households here can decide for themselves and work in the order that suits them.
Source: Census Bureau, home types and owners and renters
Our 100% Guarantee
- Asking is free. It never commits you to anything.
- We charge you no fee for planning or the introduction.
- You pay only the contractor you choose, at their written price.
- Your $100 credit is honored on your first booked project.
- Not happy with an introduction? Say so, and we will find you another at no charge.
Small print: This guarantee covers our planning and introduction service. The contractor's work is covered by your contract with them. Offer terms. Guarantee terms.
Aging in Place NJ · (315) 640-3590
A smaller change may be enough
Many people picture a full remodel when a smaller step would do. A second stair rail, a bar by the toilet, a handheld shower head or a bench in the tub can make a room safe without opening a wall.
Plan the bigger work when the small fix stops helping. A rebuilt shower makes sense when the tub edge is the problem and bars cannot solve it. A lift makes sense when stairs are the daily barrier and a rail no longer feels safe.
CDC reports that 1 in 4 older adults fall each year. A fall often brings a rushed hospital discharge and a short list of jobs that suddenly matter. Acting earlier lets you choose finishes and timing instead of taking what is quick. If you are in that rush now, tell us when you send the form and say what the doctor or therapist asked for.
Source: CDC
Who pays for home changes in Bergen County
Plan on paying most of it yourself, and check the programs that might help. Medicare's coverage rules list grab bars, stairway elevators and bathtub lifts as denied items. Other sources are narrower but real:
- NJ Medicaid managed care can fund ramps, grab bars, widened doorways and bathroom changes up to $15,000 for life, through a provider the plan approves.
- JACC pays for home modifications for New Jersey residents 60 and older who meet nursing home level of care and are not on Medicaid.
- VA benefits cover some changes for Veterans, such as roll-in showers and ramps.
- IRS Publication 502 lets you count ramps, widened doorways, rails and grab bars as medical expenses, deductible only above 7.5% of adjusted gross income.
Sources: NJ Medicaid, IRS Publication 502
Call the Bergen County Division of Senior Services to ask what fits your case. The county also lists a Community Development home improvement program for one- and two-family houses, with income limits, and a Modification Access Program through a Hackensack nonprofit that helps toward barrier-free work such as ramps. A county listing is not an endorsement, so ask each what it covers. Our overview of paying for home modifications in New Jersey walks through each option.
Hiring a contractor for an older Ridgewood house
An older house hides surprises, so the contract matters. New Jersey requires a home improvement contract over $500 to be in writing and signed, naming the contractor, address, state business number and total price. After you receive your copy, you may cancel for any reason up to midnight of the third business day.
Sources: NJ Legislature, NJ Consumer Affairs
Look the business up before you sign. The Division of Consumer Affairs runs a search portal, and some records are filed under the company name, not a person's. Ask who pulls the permit, since a seller may not start work until required permits are issued.
Our three-day right to cancel overview explains the notice step by step. We are not the contractor. We help you plan and connect you with a local one.
Ridgewood and the towns next to it
We also plan home changes in home changes in Fair Lawn, aging in place in Paramus and aging in place in Wayne. Houses there share much of Ridgewood's age, but rules differ. Elevator permits, for one, can run through the state, a local official or a third-party agency depending on the town. Ready to talk it over? Call or send the form, and take $100 off your first project.
Source: NJ Community Affairs
Ready to plan it?
$100 off your first project. Call or send a request.