HOME MODIFICATIONS

The Tech-Enabled Home

Solving America’s aging-in-place challenge

By Janet Engel

Every day, 10,000 Americans turn 65. Most want to stay in the homes they love, but those homes weren’t built for aging. Add in a shrinking caregiver workforce and rising housing costs, and what was once a personal decision has become a national design challenge. Within this dynamic, technology is no longer a convenience—it’s becoming the foundation for independence.

Home technology is rapidly becoming essential to helping older adults remain in their homes, and its role in home modifications is set to expand dramatically in the coming decade. Demographic shifts, a difficult housing market, caregiver shortages and outdated housing all mean that leveraging home technology will be central to addressing the needs of America’s aging population.

Aging Population Will Reshape Housing Demands

By 2030, at least 20% of the U.S. population will be 65 or older, with states such as Florida and Arizona expected to exceed 24%. Some states, like Maine, will see seniors comprising more than a quarter of their residents. This demographic shift, fueled by the aging baby boomer generation and lower birth rates among younger populations, will reshape how and where we live.

Shrinking Caregiver Supply & Immigration Challenges

The dramatic rise in aging adults comes alongside a looming shortage of caregivers. Not only is the overall U.S. population aging, but the number of people of working age (those most likely to provide both paid and unpaid care) is shrinking. Immigration, which once supplied much of the caregiving workforce, is no longer keeping pace with increased demand. Projections reveal a widening gap between the number of older adults and available caregivers, creating pressure to supplement human support with technology.

Behind the numbers are families stretched thin—adult children balancing work, childcare and elder care with fewer hands to help. What was once a private, family challenge has become a national one, underscoring the need for solutions that extend care beyond human capacity.

Overwhelming Preference for Aging in Place

Most older adults prefer to remain independent and age in their own homes. According to recent AARP surveys, 75% of adults aged 50 and older wish to age in place. Doing so often requires modifications that improve mobility, accessibility and safety to allow them to avoid moving to assisted living or senior communities. Home updates such as motion sensor lighting, smart locks and thermostats—and even smart appliances like the Samsung Bespoke refrigerator or Sharp Microwave Drawer—can make daily living safer and more convenient.

Just last year, I worked with a couple in their 70s who wanted to stay in the home they had purchased 15 years earlier. Their bedrooms were all upstairs, and the primary bathroom had a small shower with a step that made them both uneasy. Their kitchen appliances also needed updating. Rather than sell their home and move, they chose to remodel.

By adding a stair lift, installing an induction range, replacing doorknobs with lever handles and renovating their bathroom for zero-step access, they gained independence, comfort and peace of mind. Today, their daughter, who lives across the country, checks in through an Alexa Echo Show, proof that thoughtful home modifications and the right technology can truly transform daily life for older adults.

Economic Advantages to Staying at Home

Aging in place is not just desirable; it is also more affordable. Monthly costs for senior living communities, including rent, food and services, often exceed the expenses associated with remaining at home, particularly for those who already own their home.

Home modifications or home technology investment typically cost less in the long term than years of rent at a retirement community. Installing a stair lift can cost as little as $3,500. More costly modifications include installing an elevator, which can range between $75,000 to $125,000, but this cost still pales in comparison to moving expenses, realtor fees and senior living communities, which are typically between $3,000 and $15,000 per month. Moreover, high housing prices and high interest rates provide little incentive for seniors to sell and relocate, pushing more to stay where they are and remodel instead.

The Challenge of an Aging Housing Stock

Nearly 40% of homes in the U.S. were built before 1980, making them unsuitable for aging in place. Older homes often have narrow hallways (less than 36 inches wide), narrow doorways (less than 24 inches), small bathrooms or only a half-bath on the ground floor. A person using a wheelchair or a walker will not be able to access certain areas of their home. Critical features such as zero-step entrances or ground-floor bedrooms are rare. According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard, fewer than 5% of homes nationwide have any basic accessibility features, leaving the vast majority of households to retrofit or remodel as needs arise.

Role of Technology in Addressing Gaps

Home technology is an essential bridge for older adults looking to stay safe and independent in outdated homes. Innovations such as voice-activated controls, fall detection sensors and security systems can minimize accident risks and provide reassurance for both older adults and their families. Smart home platforms such as Wisdom allow for remote monitoring, medication reminders and telehealth connections, making it possible for people to thrive at home even as the pool of caregivers shrinks.

Home modifications such as automated door openers and smart doorbells can be retrofitted into almost any home, making incremental improvements possible as budget and needs dictate.

Where Home Meets the Future

Solving the aging-in-place challenge isn’t just about technology, it’s about collaboration. Clinicians, remodelers, designers, families and innovators must work together to make every home safer, smarter and more responsive to the people who live there.

When health professionals can identify risks early, remodelers can build with accessibility in mind, and families can adopt intuitive technologies that support independence, we create something powerful: homes that care.

That’s the vision driving a new generation of solutions. Tools like DwellSafe bring clinical precision into everyday spaces, translating data and design into confidence and dignity. When paired with smart lighting, motion sensors and connected devices, the home becomes more than shelter; it becomes a partner in well-being.

America’s housing stock may be aging, but our ideas don’t have to. The future of aging isn’t about leaving home— it’s about making home ready for the future.

Janet Engel is the vice president of clinical strategy and engagement at DwellSafe, where she leverages AI and clinical expertise to democratize home safety modifications for aging in place. An expert in aging-in-place and universal design, Engel leads initiatives to revolutionize home safety assessments and foster strategic partnerships in the industry. At DwellSafe, she leverages her extensive background as an occupational therapist, specializing in home health care for older adults, to ensure that everyone can age safely and comfortably in their own homes.

Engel is the creator and host of the podcast "Home Designs for Life," which ranks in the top 10% globally. Through this platform, she offers valuable insights and discusses current trends related to aging in place, effective consumer communication and innovative home safety solutions. Visit dwellsafe.ai.