Toms River, Ocean County

Aging in Place in Toms River, NJ: Projects for Your Home

Aging in place in Toms River, NJ means different things on different streets: older bungalows near the water, 1970s colonials inland and a large number of households planning to stay put. Here is how to pick the first job.

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Residential New Jersey street in fall with a ranch house that has a wooden ramp and railing

Home modifications in Toms River

Pre-1960 bungalows tend to need doors and bathrooms first, while 1970s colonials start with stairs. Pick the job closest to your house.

In Toms River, local help with aging services comes from Ocean County Office of Senior Services.

Questions people ask

Is the county senior office in Toms River?

Yes. Ocean County Office of Senior Services is the state-listed Area Agency on Aging for the county and is based in Toms River. It is a useful stop for benefits questions before you plan a project.

Do older Toms River homes cost more to adapt?

Houses built before 1960 often have narrower doors and smaller baths, which adds framing work. Newer ones generally need less. A short description or a few photos gives a better sense than any rule of thumb.

Why does the share of seniors look lower than in nearby towns?

Toms River has 21.0% residents aged 65 or older, while the adult-community townships next door run far higher. A younger relative planning a project for a parent is welcome to ask.

Do you serve all of Toms River?

Yes. The request form takes your street address and postcode, and the contractor goes from there. Nearby Manchester, Berkeley and Brick are covered too.

Source: Census Bureau, age

Homes in Toms River

Toms River has about 98,000 residents and the housing to match: a median build year of 1978, with over half of homes predating 1980 and many predating 1960. That oldest group is where doorways are tightest and bathrooms smallest.

Source: Census Bureau, median year built and age

Detached homes make up most of the stock, so most projects have a yard to work with. That favors ramps and gives a stairlift installer a standard flight to measure. Split-levels and two-story colonials from the 1970s are plentiful, and those have the half-flights that add cost to a stairlift but are well understood.

The share of residents aged 65 or older is 21.0%, which is lower than the adult-community towns nearby. Adult children arranging work for a parent, and owners in their sixties planning ahead, are both welcome to ask. With most homes owner-occupied, the decision generally rests with the household.

White two-story colonial house with green shutters and a wooden entry ramp, surrounded by autumn leaves

1978Median year homes were built

21.0%Residents aged 65 and over

Aging in place in Toms River, NJ: three eras of houses, three first jobs

Toms River is big enough that the house tells you more than the zip code.

Built before 1960 (17.0% of homes). Bungalows and small capes. Doors are tight, bathrooms are small, and entries often have a stoop. Start with the doors and the bathroom.

Built 1960 to 1979. Ranches, split-levels and colonials make up most of the stock. Half-flights and straight stairs are common. Start with the stairs or the tub, depending on where you struggle.

Built since 1980. Wider halls and larger baths. The question here is usually the entry, a shower swap or bars.

About 53.7% of homes predate 1980, which is why doorway widening in Toms River comes up so often.

Source: Census Bureau, year built and median year built

Picking the first job when the list feels long

Ask two questions. Where did you last feel unsteady? Where would a fall be worst? The answers usually point to the job.

Unsteady getting into the tub: accessible bathrooms in Toms River.
Unsteady on the stairs: stairlift installation in Toms River.
Stuck at the door or in the hall: doorway widening.
Cannot get in or out of the house: a ramp.
Not sure yet: grab bars and rails, which give quick help while you decide.

With 78.0% of homes detached, most Toms River projects have a yard or a side path to work with. That is an advantage for ramps and for anyone who needs a clear route through the house.

Source: Census Bureau, home types

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Planning for a parent from a distance

Toms River has 98,143 residents, and 21.0% are 65 or older. That is a smaller share than the adult-community towns nearby, so many requests come from a son or daughter who lives in town or far away.

Source: Census Bureau, age and owners and renters

You can help by gathering a few things before the call:

Photos of the entry, the bathroom and the main stairs.
A rough sense of when the house was built.
A note about the daily routine that has become hard.
Whether the home is owned. With 82.1% of occupied homes owner-occupied, most are.

Include your parent in the conversation. People keep using changes they chose.

Hand-drawn room floor plan with measurements, a tape measure, reading glasses and a spiral notepad on a table

Ocean County help, in Toms River itself

Ocean County Office of Senior Services is the county Area Agency on Aging office listed by the state, at 1005 Hooper Avenue in Toms River. Start with the office's page on the county website and ask about its home repair and modification programs. It is a useful stop for benefits questions before or alongside a quote.

Sources: NJ aging offices, Ocean County

County programs can include ramp installation and home modifications for residents 60 and older who meet the rules of each program, and volunteer groups help with jobs such as grab bars and widened doorways. Ask which ones fit you.

Medicare lists grab bars and stairway elevators as denied items. The page on Medicare and home modifications explains what that means. Veterans may qualify for the VA's Home Improvements and Structural Alterations grant, and New Jersey has Medicaid and JACC supports that can include home modifications for people who qualify.

None of this comes from Aging in Place NJ. We help you plan the change and connect you with a local contractor.

Checking a contractor before work starts in Toms River

A few state rules protect you. A business may not offer home improvements in New Jersey without a current registration with Consumer Affairs, and you can look up records on the state's license verification site. A contract over $500 must be written and signed. You can cancel for any reason before midnight of the third business day after you get a copy.

Sources: NJ Legislature, NJ Consumer Affairs

Permits matter too. A home improvement seller may not start work until the required permits are issued. For the full rules, read your three-day right to cancel in New Jersey.

When you are ready, send the short form or call (315) 640-3590 for $100 off your first project.

A ten-minute walk-through before you ask for a quote

Most Toms River households can scope a first job with a tape measure and a phone. Walk the house in the order you use it, and write down what you see.

Entry: count the steps and measure the total rise from ground to door sill.
Doors: measure the clear opening of the bathroom and main bedroom doors with the door open.
Bathroom: note the tub height and whether a walker can turn.
Stairs: count the steps and note any turn, landing or door at the foot.
Outlets: find one near the top or bottom of the main stairs.

A short list like that lets a contractor tell you whether a job is simple or needs a closer look. It also keeps you from paying for work you did not need.

Toms River and its neighbors: Brick, Berkeley and Manchester

Many households live in one town and shop for help in the next. Brick, Berkeley Township and Manchester Township all border Toms River, and each has its own housing mix. See aging in place in Brick for the neighbor to the north.

One detail changes by town. Toms River, Berkeley and Manchester list the State as the elevator subcode authority, so lift plans go to the state Elevator Safety unit. Brick lists its own local elevator subcode official, so a lift permit there is handled at the town construction office. If you are comparing a stairlift quote across the line, ask who reviews the plans.

Source: NJ Community Affairs

Not sure which town you are in? The form takes your street address and postcode and sorts it out.

Also serving nearby

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