I work all over Chula Vista, so most jobs blur together. One I still think about started as a simple request: a family wanted a couple more grab bars put in. They hadn't been able to do it themselves, and for good reason. The spots they needed were on tile, right near an electrical outlet. That's not a wall you want to guess on.
While I was there, I checked the grab bars that were already up in the house. One of them was loose. A loose grab bar is worse than none at all, because the person trusts it with their full weight at the exact moment they need it to hold. I fixed it that day. Then I installed the new bars following ADA guidelines, and before anything went on the wall, I talked with the person who'd actually be using them about where they wanted them. They were extremely happy with how it turned out. I like helping people set up their family's home with safety upgrades, such as grab bars, because it can be a stressful situation. I like bringing them peace of mind.
That job is a good picture of what setting up a parent's home really involves. The risky spots are usually ordinary ones: the walk to the bathroom at night, a lifted threshold, a grab bar nobody has tugged on in years. If your mom or dad lives near Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center or Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista, or is coming home after a stay at one of them, a handful of minor installs can make the house a lot easier to live in. Here's how I'd walk the house.
Start in the bathroom: grab bars where hands actually go
A towel bar or a soap dish is not a grab bar. They're held up by small anchors and can pull right out of the wall if someone leans on them to catch their balance. A real grab bar has to be fastened into solid backing behind the wall, like a stud or wood blocking (Mayo Clinic; HUD Fair Housing Act Design Manual).
Tile is where a lot of DIY attempts go wrong. You have to drill through it without cracking it, still find something solid behind it, and seal the holes so water doesn't get in. Add an outlet nearby and there may be wiring in that part of the wall, so you need to know what's back there before you drill. If your spot is on tile or near an outlet, send me a photo first.
The usual spots are next to the toilet, where your parent pushes up to stand; on the tub or shower wall, where they step in and out; and inside the shower, at the height they'd reach while turning around. But the best guide is the person using them. Have your parent stand where they'd use the bar and show you where their hand naturally reaches. That's what I did on the job above, and it matters more than any catalog photo.
Check the bars that are already there. Grab each one and pull and push on it like you were catching your balance. If it moves, flexes or the wall around it gives, stop using it and get it fixed. More on this on my grab bar installation page.
While you're in there, look at the caulk
Caulking is my favorite job, and in a parent's bathroom it's about more than looks. When caulk fails, water gets in behind it and mold starts growing in and under the bead. That's a health concern, especially if your mom or dad has a sensitive or weakened immune system. The CDC notes that mold can cause a stuffy nose, coughing or wheezing in some people, that people with asthma or mold allergies may have severe reactions, and that immune-compromised people and people with chronic lung disease may get lung infections from mold (CDC: Mold).
Here's what to look for around the tub, the shower, the base of the toilet and the sink:
- Black or dark spots in the caulk that don't scrub off
- Gaps where the caulk has pulled away from the tile, tub or counter
- Caulk that's cracked, peeling or missing in spots
- A musty smell near any of those seams
When I recaulk, I take the old caulk out completely, clean and dry the seam, and put down new bathroom-grade sealant. I never caulk over old caulk. If there's mold in or under the old bead, a fresh layer on top just seals it in, and the new caulk won't stick well to the old stuff anyway, so it fails again. GE, the sealant maker, says the same: new sealant bonds to the old bead's cured skin instead of the tile or tub, the soap residue and mildew in that old bead leave weak spots where water gets through, and the new bead just follows the old one's cracked, uneven line. GE also says applying silicone over old silicone voids its warranty (GE Sealants; GE FAQ).
To be clear, this is recaulking, not mold remediation. If the mold has spread past the caulk, onto drywall or inside a wall, or the wall next to the tub feels soft, that's a job for a mold specialist, and I'll tell you if your photos point that way. See my shower recaulking, bathtub recaulking and sink and counter caulking pages, or everything on my caulking and resealing page.
Light the path to the bathroom
Night trips to the bathroom are where a dim hallway turns into a problem. If there's already a light fixture in the hallway, bedroom or bathroom, swapping it for a brighter one or one that's easier to switch on is a simple install. Plug-in night lights along the path help too.
If a spot has no fixture at all, adding one means new wiring, and that's a job for a licensed electrician. I stick to swapping a fixture where one already exists.
Check the smoke and CO alarms
In a lot of older homes, the smoke alarms haven't been looked at in a while, or there aren't any to begin with. Older parents may not hear a weak chirp, and they shouldn't be on a step stool replacing a battery on a ceiling unit. Walk the house and press the test button on every alarm. The NFPA says to do that once a month. Look at the date on the back if you can reach it. The NFPA says smoke alarms need replacing 10 years after the date they were made (NFPA). CO alarms wear out too. Kidde, for example, says its CO alarms last 7 to 10 years depending on the model, so check the maker's date and instructions (Kidde). Check that there's a carbon monoxide alarm if the home has gas appliances or an attached garage. The CPSC says to put CO alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas, not in the kitchen or above fuel-burning appliances (CPSC).
I can install battery-powered or plug-in alarms and replace an existing hardwired unit with a compatible one. Have the alarms on hand or tell me what's there now. Details are on my smoke and CO alarm page.
Clear the trip hazards
What I see most in older Chula Vista homes is loose transition strips on the flooring, where one floor meets another. They lift a little at the edge or wiggle underfoot, and that's a tripping hazard, especially for older people.
Walk the main path your parent uses every day: bed to bathroom, bedroom to kitchen, kitchen to the front door. Look down the whole way. Besides transition strips, watch for lifted thresholds, throw rugs that slide or curl at the edges, cords crossing a walkway, and a loose stair or step tread. Most of these are quick fixes: securing a threshold, tacking down a transition strip, or routing a cord along the wall.
Then check the handrails on any stairs or steps. A lot of the handrails I see in these homes weren't installed properly in the first place or haven't been maintained over the years. Grab the rail and lean on it the way your parent would going down. If it moves, it needs to be tightened or re-secured before anyone counts on it. The same goes for the grab bars I mentioned above.
Make doors easy to open, close and lock
A lot of the door locks and handles I see in older Chula Vista homes are past their prime. They stick, they don't latch all the way, or the lock doesn't catch, which means the door isn't always secure. That's both a safety and an ease-of-use problem.
Round doorknobs are hard on arthritic hands. Lever handles work with a simple push down instead of a tight grip and twist (Yale School of Medicine), and they're usually a straight swap on interior doors. While you're at it, check the doors themselves. Close each one and make sure it latches on its own without being shoved. A door that sticks is a balance problem waiting to happen, and many just need the hinges, strike or latch adjusted. For the front door, a deadbolt that turns smoothly and fully, or a keypad lock so nobody's fumbling with keys, can help. These are hardware and adjustment jobs on the existing door.
Check the window latches and locks
Windows have the same issue as doors. Older latches wear out, so a window can look closed without actually being locked. Go around and try each latch. If it's loose, won't catch, or takes more hand strength than your parent has, it's worth fixing.
Putting aftermarket window locks on the windows is a big one for older people. They're a small add-on to the existing window that gives extra security, and I can install them along with any worn latch repairs. Pick a style your parent can easily work themselves.
Putting it all together
My biggest advice for families hiring a service professional to help in a parent's home is to go with your gut feeling. Most service businesses have a slightly different intake process. I'd suggest going with the company or person that has a consistent intake process, not somebody who's just trying to get in your door quickly. That usually leads to upsells and pressure. If someone's asking for photos and details up front and asking additional questions, that's a good sign. Even though the process may take a little more on your part, it will always help you end up with a much better experience.
That's how I work too. If you're helping from out of town, or you're juggling work and hospital visits, you don't need to be at the house for the planning. Walk through it once with your phone. Take a wide photo of each room and close-ups of each spot: the wall by the toilet, any existing grab bars, the caulk lines around the tub, shower, toilet base and sink, the hallway fixture, every alarm, the transition strips and thresholds, stair rails, the doorknobs and locks, the window latches. Write a simple list next to the photos. I'll go through it and tell you what fits a single visit. And like on that grab-bar job, if I notice something else while I'm there, I'll text you a photo so you can decide what to do about it. My aging-in-place home safety page covers the rest of what I install, and my Chula Vista page covers the area. Spanish help is available by phone or text.
Call or text (619) 815-7588 with the photos and the list.
