Helping Families Age in Place with Confidence
Thoughtful guidance for homeowners who want to remain safely and comfortably in the homes they love.
Why Many Families Choose to Age in Place
Most people prefer to remain in their own homes as they age. Familiar surroundings support independence, comfort, and emotional well-being in ways that other options often cannot.
Planning ahead makes all the difference. When families evaluate their home early and make thoughtful modifications, they can often extend the safety and usability of their home for years to come — and avoid stressful, last-minute decisions.
Questions Families Often Ask
Can we safely stay in our home long term?
Many homes can be adapted with the right modifications. A professional evaluation can help determine what is needed.
Should we modify the home or consider moving?
The answer depends on your home, your health, and your long-term goals. We help families weigh both options clearly.
What improvements make a home safer?
Simple changes like grab bars, better lighting, and walk-in showers can significantly reduce fall risk and improve daily comfort.
How do we plan for future mobility needs?
Thinking ahead about accessibility now can prevent costly emergency modifications later and help maintain independence.
Is our home suitable for aging in place?
Not every home is an ideal fit, but many can be improved. A readiness assessment helps identify strengths and gaps.
How do we help aging parents make these decisions?
Starting the conversation early and involving a trusted advisor can ease the process for everyone in the family.
Home Features That Make Aging in Place Easier
Is Your Home Aging-in-Place Ready?
Home Entry
Main Floor Living
Bathroom Safety
Many homes can be modified to support aging in place. Evaluating these features early helps families plan ahead.
5 Simple Changes That Can Improve Safety
Safer Bathrooms
Walk-in showers, grab bars, and slip-resistant flooring reduce fall risk and improve daily comfort.
Better Lighting
Improved lighting in hallways, stairs, and entryways prevents accidents and adds comfort throughout the home.
Main Floor Living
A bedroom, bathroom, and laundry on the main level makes daily living more manageable long term.
Accessible Entryways
Handrails, ramps, and fewer steps at entrances make coming and going safer and more convenient.
Clearer Pathways
Removing obstacles and widening key spaces supports mobility needs and improves room flow.
Guidance You Can Trust
With over two decades of experience helping families navigate housing decisions, the Richert Family team brings trusted insight to every conversation. Whether you are exploring modifications, evaluating your current home, or considering a move, we are here to guide you with care and expertise.
Starting the Conversation with Family
Aging-in-place decisions rarely involve just one person. Adult children, caregivers, and other family members often play an important role in evaluating options and providing support.
The best time to start these conversations is before a crisis occurs. Talking early gives families time to plan, explore options, and make thoughtful decisions together — rather than reacting under pressure.
We are here to help facilitate those conversations in a supportive, knowledgeable way.
Let's Talk About What's Best for Your Family
Every family's situation is unique. A short conversation can help you explore the best path forward.
Schedule a ConversationYour parent wants to stay home. You want them to be safe.
The Stay Home Package brings together licensed occupational therapy expertise and 20 years of real estate experience to help Chicago-area families make that happen — with a personalized safety plan, the right modifications, and the reassurance that someone knowledgeable is in your corner.
What Is the Stay Home Package?
No two families are in the same situation. A 65-year-old managing a serious illness has different needs than a 90-year-old couple who’ve lived in the same home for decades. The Stay Home Package isn’t a generic checklist — it’s a thorough, personalized evaluation of how your loved one actually moves through their home each day, and a clear plan to help them do it safely and comfortably for as long as possible.
Laura Richert has been a licensed Occupational Therapist since 1995, spending more than 30 years working directly with patients every day at leading Chicago-area medical centers. Nobody understands the real challenges people face at home after illness, injury, or the changes of aging better than Laura — and nobody brings more warmth and genuine care to helping them through it.
She will conduct your home evaluation, identify risks and opportunities, recommend and help coordinate modifications, determine appropriate levels of ongoing assistance, and follow up with your family to make sure everything is working.
What’s Included in The Stay Home Package
Professional In-Home OT Evaluation
Laura conducts a comprehensive room-by-room evaluation, assessing your parent’s specific abilities, routines, and the physical environment they live in. After more than 30 years working directly with patients, she has seen virtually every challenge people face at home — and she knows exactly what to look for.
The evaluation covers: getting in and out of the home safely, bathroom safety (the highest-risk room), bedroom and sleep safety, kitchen and daily meal preparation, living areas and fall prevention, and medications and daily living routines.
Levels of Assistance Recommendations
One of the most valuable things Laura provides is a clear-eyed assessment of what level of ongoing support your parent actually needs — and what that looks like in practical terms. This spans everything from minor modifications and adaptive equipment to in-home caregiver support, adult day programs, home health nursing, and safety monitoring systems.
Laura makes specific, practical recommendations based on what she observes — not a one-size-fits-all approach. And because we have established relationships throughout the Chicago suburbs, we connect your family with vetted, trusted providers.
Home Modification Coordination
When physical changes to the home are needed, we don’t just tell you what to do and leave. We connect you with our established contractor and vendor network to get the work done right — grab bars, raised fixtures, ramp installation, doorway widening, and more. We help coordinate the process so families aren’t left managing it alone.
Written Stay Home Plan
Your family receives a clear written plan that everyone can reference — including family members who weren’t present for the visit. It includes prioritized modification recommendations with estimated costs, contractor and service provider referrals, a family checklist for daily, weekly, and monthly monitoring, and care recommendations by level of need.
Two Follow-Up Calls with the Family
The evaluation is just the beginning. Laura follows up with two scheduled calls to check in with the family — ensuring modifications have been made, that the recommended support is in place, and that your parent is doing well. If something isn’t working, we adjust. These calls are included in the package and are often where families say they get the most peace of mind.
Ongoing OT Assistance (When Needed)
For progressive conditions, significant health changes, or families who simply want a consistent, knowledgeable advocate involved — Laura is available for ongoing consultation and support, arranged based on your family’s specific situation.
Who This Is For
The Stay Home Package is designed for adult children — typically in their 40s to 60s — whose parents want to remain at home but where safety, independence, or health changes have made that a real concern.
You may be responding to a recent fall, a new diagnosis, a hospitalization, or simply the slow accumulation of changes that make you worry when you’re not there. You’re managing your own family and career while trying to make sure your parent is okay. We’re here to help carry that.
5 Simple Changes That Can Make a Home Safer Over Time
In many cases, aging in place does not require a major renovation.
A few thoughtful updates can often improve safety, comfort, and independence for years to come.
Safer Bathroom Access
Walk-in showers, grab bars, and slip-resistant flooring can reduce fall risk and make daily routines much easier.
Better Lighting
Improved lighting in hallways, stairs, entryways, and bathrooms helps prevent accidents and makes the home more comfortable.
Main Floor Living
Having a bedroom, bathroom, and laundry on the main level can make long-term living much more manageable.
Easier Entry and Exit
Handrails, ramps, and fewer steps at the entrance can make coming and going safer and more convenient.
Wider, Clearer Pathways
Removing obstacles, widening key spaces, and improving room flow can help support mobility needs over time.
The right solution depends on the home, the homeowner, and the long-term plan.
Some families make a few smart updates and stay comfortably for years. Others decide a different home is the better fit.
We help families evaluate whether modifying a current home or moving to a better-fit property makes the most sense.
Talk Through Your OptionsStart with a Conversation
We call it the “Stay or Go” conversation — a no-pressure discussion where we listen to your family’s situation and help you understand your options. Many families find real clarity just from that first call.
There is no obligation, and no sales pitch. Just two people who have helped a lot of families through exactly what you’re facing.
Laura Richert | Richert Family Services — Aging in Place
Serving the Chicago Suburbs | 630.689.6192 | laura@richertfamily.com