Aging in Place in Westfield, NJ: Home Modifications

Homes in Westfield

The median Westfield house went up in 1953, and most homes here predate 1960. Most are single-family detached, so most households have their own front steps, their own stairs and their own bathroom to change, with no condo board to ask first.

Source: Census Bureau, median year built and age

Houses from that era tend to share a few traits. Bathrooms are compact, with a tub as the only bathing option and narrow doors. Bedrooms often sit up a full flight, and the entry is usually a few steps above the walk. Those details point to five jobs: a walk-in shower, a stairlift, a ramp or step change, wider doorways, and grab bars with sturdy rails.

Most occupied homes are owner-occupied, which means the person living with the problem usually also decides on the fix. Just under 15 percent of residents are 65 or older, a smaller share than in many NJ towns, so some of these projects are planned ahead of a need.

Aging in place in Westfield, NJ: what the housing numbers tell you

Nearly four in five Westfield homes went up before 1980, and about two thirds before 1960. That is the main reason this town needs a plan for each house, not a one-size package.

Homes from those decades were built for a younger, steadier household. They have steps at the door, a tub as the only bath, doors cut narrow and a bedroom up a full flight. None of it is a flaw. It just means the house and the person have drifted apart.

The good news is the ownership pattern. With roughly 81 percent of occupied homes owner-occupied, most households can decide on a change and schedule it without asking a landlord. The senior share is just under 15 percent, below the statewide figure, so many Westfield families are planning early rather than in a crisis. Early is the cheaper, calmer way to do it.

Source: Census Bureau, age and owners and renters

Starting from a hospital discharge, a diagnosis or a worried family

Most Westfield calls begin with an event, not a plan. A parent comes home from the hospital and the bedroom is upstairs. A doctor mentions a walker. An adult child visiting from out of state notices the handrail is loose.

Each starting point changes the order of work.

• Coming home soon: do the entry and the bathroom first. A modular ramp can go in faster than a built one, and a handheld shower and a seat can help before any rebuild.
• A progressive condition: plan for the chair you may need later, not the cane you use now. Wider doors cost less to open once than twice.
• Someone else is coordinating: send photos of the stairs, the tub and the front steps with the form. A contractor can say a lot from those before anyone drives over.

A smaller change may be enough. Sometimes a second stair rail, a seat in the tub and better light solve the problem for now. Say so if budget is tight, and the plan can be staged.

How a Westfield project goes from first call to finished work

1. You call or fill in the form and describe the trouble spot. "I am not sure yet" is a fine answer.
2. Aging in Place NJ connects you with a local contractor for that job. We are not the contractor, a dealer or a medical provider.
3. The contractor looks at the house, tells you what the work involves and puts the price in writing.
4. Permits, if the job needs one, are filed before work starts.

New Jersey law requires a home improvement contract over $500 to be in writing and signed, and you can cancel for any reason before midnight of the third business day. Our page on the three-day right to cancel explains how to do it. You can also look up a contractor's state record in the Division of Consumer Affairs portal before you sign.

Sources: NJ Legislature, NJ Consumer Affairs

Your first project comes with $100 off.