Evolving Homes Jax

07/16/2025

Imagine waiting until your child is 17 years old to start thinking about how you’re going to pay
for college. That would feel completely insane, right? Yet that’s exactly how most people approach aging in place.

They wait until their joints are bone on bone before they see a doctor.

They wait until their spouse is burned out from caregiving before looking at respite options.

They wait until they have fallen before agreeing to install grab bars.

Listen, aging is a given, like death and taxes, so any proactive planning you do now will pay off in both dollars saved and quality of life preserved!!

And just like planning for college, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to know how much to save if you don’t know how much it costs to make your home aging-in-place-friendly.”

This chapter is one of my favorite ones in my upcoming book “Age in Place or Find a New Space: How to create beautiful spaces that promote meaningful interactions.”

The True Cost of Aging in Place was inspired by the interactions with finance professionals since being invited by Dr Coughlin in 2023 to speak at the Planning for Longevity Aging Network (PLAN) Forum.

There, I had the chance to meet finance professionals from all across the country and have the opportunity to share how incredibly important their role is in the Aging in Place conversation.

In my talk, I distinctly remember saying, “I can have 100 ideas on how to solve a client’s problem but if they haven’t planned financially for aging, my options can easily become 5 not so good options!!”

The collaboration between healthcare professionals and financial planning professionals is a match made in heaven. I’m headed to Singapore today for my book launch next week and in the next week or so, it will be available an Amazon store near you!

If you want to be notified when the book drops, you can sign up at this link: https://mailchi.mp/566c97f2d5d3/age-in-place-or-find-a-new-space

07/04/2025

I have been writing this book in my head for years since a young OT I was mentoring said, “This is totally impossible to write everything you’re telling me down. I am just going to need to find a way to download everything in your brain into mine!!”

Since Elon Musk’s Neuralink needs a few more years to mature, I started putting words to paper last fall:)

As I reflect on my life, I have to smile at how accurate Erik Erikson’s proposed Stages of Psychosocial Development turned out to be. When you’re in your 20s, it’s really hard to imagine what you’ll be like 30 years from now.

But now … I get it.

Erikson’s Generativity stage typically aligns with midlife, defined as ages 40 to 65.

Generativity is about wanting to contribute to something that will outlast you whether that’s raising children, mentoring, creating meaningful work or leaving a broader legacy.

People in their 50s become more focused on giving back and making an impact. That’s where I stand today.

I’m full of hope that the “different way of thinking” ideas I present in this book can contribute to a bigger shift in mindset.

I would like the opportunity to help people of ALL ages see the incredible value of starting home modifications as early as when you buy your first house.

When you do that, you get to enjoy the benefits of those changes throughout your lifetime and decrease the financial stress when you can make changes slowly, spreading out the costs, hassle and burden over decades rather than all at once if you have an urgent need.

The goal should be to constantly re-evaluate your priorities and keep your life goals clearly visible so that you can be intentional in where you spend your time.

When you prepare miles ahead of a need, you will end up having way more time to do meaningful things in your life that will leave YOUR legacy.

10/31/2024

“Turning over is easier when I use the sheets and PJs together. Without them, turning was such a struggle if I could do it at all. My hubby and I both sleep better”.
- M.M. - Polio survivor with weakness

This is just one of HUNDREDS of testimonials that users have shared with so many of them reporting life-changing effects on their independence.

Last week AGE-WELL one of my favorite products to help with bed mobility Linen was recognized by keynote speaker Carter from Carter Group (Japan Market Resource Network) as an exceptional product.

Dominic Carter talked about how after participants from their Living Best - Ageing with Technology community were introduced to this, the participants hounded HIM about when they could get their hands on this incredible textile tech that was so simple but so effective!!

I discovered Comfort Linen many years ago when a person with Parkinsons patient of mine told me about how his struggle to move in bed was solved overnight by a sheet and PJ set that reduced friction. I just had to know more!! American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists

I fell in love immediately w founder McGovern. Her energy, passion and drive to “just get her product out there to help people!!” was so infectious that to this day, I continue to be her #1 fan!!

But I remember when that patient first told me about this solution — it made sense in my head but I just couldn’t picture how it would work.

Isn’t it the same as satin PJs? (No, totally different textile tech)

Wouldn’t I just slide off the bed like my patients that use satin sheets?? (No, there is a nonslip bumper)

Will the PJs function like furniture sliders where it’s basically a potato sack that slips over my regular PJs to help me move?? (No, the attention to detail and softness of the fabric makes these super luxurious!!)

These are all reasons why I made this visual clip to demonstrate the use of comfort linen sheets. Check it out — I know that it will make a lot more sense after you watch this!

If you want to try it, this is a 15% off discount for my patients:

https://comfortlinen.com/EVOLVING15OFF

Simple yet efficient solutions like this are the backbone of the IIX Care Hub that we are launching later this year.

If you are a clinician who wants to learn more about great products like Comfort Linen, I invite you to pre-register your interest to get all of our updates!

https://iix.care/iix-care-hub/

Intelligent | Care Hub

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“Honey, would u just give me a good shove so I can get out of bed?”This is not the ideal way to get out of bed but it is a reality for people with Parkinson’...

10/28/2024

“Is this room full of occupational therapists today?? My OT students are always cheering, hugging and clapping for EVERYTHING!!”

I had a serious belly laugh after hearing Alex Mihailidis ask this question on stage last week at the AGE-WELL conference.

The answer? Yes we do and we love it!!

is about therapeutic use of self so we cheer for ANY step that makes us a little bit better or stronger. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA

OT entrepreneurs especially lift each other up in hopes that ideas survive to make our communities better.

I got to do both cheering and supporting last week as fellow Home modification OT Courage from Incluzia was named the winner of Agewell Impact challenge!!!

Marnie’s platform MyHomeFX offers personalized home accessibility and safety recommendations for individuals and their caregivers. It also has a pro version for OTs that provides automated assessments and reports to help us provide efficient care and effective home modifications.

have so much knowledge from decades of recommending products to patients.

iIX Care Hub was created as a solution to my need to understand what options are available to recommend to patients, how they are different from each other and more importantly, how to know if they actually work like their marketing messages say they do!!

IIX Care Hub is also my answer to how we can document and archive our valuable OT ideas in a searchable way so that future generations of OTs can reference these ideas no matter where they live in the world.

If you are finding it difficult to know where to look for solutions for your patients or you are still throwing a dart and posting on Facebook forums for ideas, I invite all OTs (and all other medical professionals!!) to join this IIX Care community so you can share what your favorite products are and why!

If you want to learn more about my idea on how to bring visibility to the value of OTP, here’s a link to follow:

https://iix.care/iix-care-hub/

There is an option to pre-register so you can be first to be notified when the IIX Care Hub is live!

Intelligent | Care Hub

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HMOTA-Home Modification Occupational Therapy AllianceNext LEVEL Occupational Therapy Beyond 1% Mastermind for Healthcare Professionals Reina Olivera OT Karen Koch Kara Kettering WelkeAnthony MaritatoGreg Todd Trish Williams Margot McWhirter Home Modification Collective Melissa Rodriguez Sue Doyle Debbie Fennell Hendrix Krista Frahm Emily Serbin April AG Florida Occupational Therapy Association Iowa Occupational Therapy Association Occupational Therapy Entrepreneurs Occupational Therapy New Grads and Students Occupational Therapy Educators

08/01/2024

“What do swimmers think about when they’re on the blocks? NOTHING.”

I had to laugh when I heard this interview with Katie Ledecky because it’s 100% the truth!!

When I remember my swimming years McGill University the best races were always the ones where I only EXPERIENCED the moment vs thinking about it.

You are officially in the zone when you only remember feeling the roughness of the starting block and the weight of your arms hanging loosely.

You are listening intently for “Take your mark” and then after a moment of complete silence, the pool erupts in a giant explosion of energy. It’s exhilarating.

Planning to Age in Place has so many parallels to this experience of preparing for the race of your life.

It’s deliberate. It’s planned. It’s a commitment.

By the time Olympic-level athletes climb up on that starting block, YEARS of preparation and hard work have been poured into figuring out what the best training method is for them and purposefully choosing activities for the best outcome possible.

It’s not unlike the work that I do now coaching older adults to plan ahead for Aging in Place.

You have to figure out what your goals are, what you’re willing to sacrifice and what works best for YOU.

It is a lot of effort and hard work but in the end, you’ll know it was all worth it when you are 100% ready to perform!!

For a triumphant Katie Ledecky, that front end work resulted in another gold medal swim last night.

If that is the future you envision for yourself, reach out to me at Evolving Homes Jax

It’s my passion to empower homeowners to start EARLY to make cost conscious decisions that will ensure they live their best lives!





Hilary Hendershott Carolyn McClanahan Laurie Morgan Lee WBONFL Members

07/01/2024

“Five Things You Should Know About Universal Design” webinar was named one of NKBA’s Top 5 Webinars of 2023!!”

This was exciting news given to me and my fellow panelists Becky Dowd Wright Janet Engel Evanson Brooks from last year’s talk!

It’s July again and that is Universal Design month at the National Kitchen And Bath Association.

This year, I’ll be talking about what Smart Home Technologies can support Aging in Place.

Why is this an important area for design professionals to learn more about?

9 out of 10 people know they plan to age in place but they need help to figure out how that looks in real life.

We have a shortage of trained staff that can help to take care of our older adults as their needs increase.

However, technology is one of the ways that we can support independent living and delay the need for higher levels of care!

Now, keeping up with the newest trends in tech can feel like running after a bullet train because things change so rapidly.

And you’ll always hear me say that I don’t have all the answers but that shouldn’t stop us from trying. Instead, I encourage everyone to keep learning and work on building that foundation of knowledge so that we can serve our clients better!

To simplify things for my clients, I have 4 main goals I teach people to focus on:

1. Aim to decrease the risk of falls or injuries through environmental changes or technology supports

2. Create flexible spaces that can accommodate any future life situations or welcome differently abled visitors

3. Minimize home maintenance needs and preventing problems to reduce $$ repairs

4. Knowing who can support you if the technology needed is too overwhelming to manage on your own.

If you are among the many professionals that clients ask to make recommendations for their Aging in Place spaces, I encourage you to sign up for my free webinar that is open EVERYONE, not just NKBA members!

Here’s the link to register: https://nkba.org/learning/webinars/best-smart-home-technologies-for-aging-in-

My goal is to minimize the obstacles to implementation by providing a space where your immediate questions can be answered in real time so in addition to my portion of the talk, I have invited 4 of my favorite solutions ROPOX Airmada Drying Solutions Systems to be guest experts on the Q&A session after the talk to answer the “How much? Where to buy? How to install?”

This problem is barreling towards us all faster than you may realize so I want to move away from the theory phase and get started quickly on implementing an action phase. I hope you will join me on July 16th!

Back Design Best Smart Home Technologies for Aging in Place When:July 16, 2024 | 12:00 PM ETCEUs: 0.1Register your information Name(Required) First Last Zip(Required) Email(Required) I would like to opt into third party communications *I would like to opt into third party communications.(Required) Y...

06/12/2024

“If she refuses to drink her water, how can I keep her out of the hospital?!”

Urinary tract infections are a big cause of falls in older adults due to the altered mental status and weakness.

This can be really stressful for a caregiver who wants to prevent the frequent hospitalizations but find themselves playing the role of nag.

So what can l a family member to do to stop this cycle?

For me, I believe in showing my patients their options and letting them decide what’s best for them.

In the battle of hydration, I lean on the idea that we are all “coin operated.”

If you are able to set up a routine and turn it into a habit, it will cost you nothing.

But if you can’t, you should expect to spend more money on healthcare costs.

So what are the options?

The first thing do is to use the power of cues and reminders. I teach caregivers to find 8 water bottles or cups and label them with the time that they need to be consumed by.

I tell them to place them in a high traffic area as a visual cue and if they have an Alexa or timer, to set an auditory reminder to increase chances that the activity will be completed.

It’s best to front load your water to avoid drinking too much liquid after dinner. Getting up to use the bathroom a lot at night is a reason people will try to minimize liquid.

What works for a lot of people is water every hour until noon (8am, 9am, 10am, 11am 12pm) + every two hours after lunch (2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM).

But here’s where are the work comes in.

You can’t change what you don’t track so you need to pay attention to make adjustments to your first iteration of the schedule.

If someone is continuously falling behind, they will just get frustrated and give up. So make sure that in the first few days, you are tweaking the amounts or the times when you want the water to be consumed.

If this is too hard for the moment, increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables with high water content can sometimes be enough to help get that habit on track.

Finally, I discuss the option of just bypassing the mouth and paying cash for a hydration bag at an IV Drip Bar.

People generally don’t like to pay $65 for that option:) That’s why I can’t wait for AgeTech innovators like Hydro Gummy to launch their product one day!

This AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP founder Lanie Yeung and I have talked about how her game changing “Water you can eat” innovation will finally give us clinicians some middle ground for keeping our older adults hydrated. Check out what a novel idea this is!

https://www.hydrogummy.com

In an ideal world, all the secrets of aging are FREE when you can improve your hydration, your sleep and your daily exercise through routines.

Save money by putting effort into developing strategies to build positive aging habits and you’ll be happier, healthier, and richer!;)

06/07/2024

🚨 National Safety Month Highlight! 🚨

Join us for June’s Live Well Today webinar where Executive Director Dawkins will engage in a conversation with Carol Chiang, an occupational therapist and owner of Evolving Homes. Carol specializes in creating safe and comfortable living spaces for individuals with Parkinson’s and other mobility disorders. Davis Phinney Foundation

They’ll be discussing essential interior design strategies, including the latest in smart home technology and AgeTech, a category of technology dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults and caregivers.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to live safely and comfortably with Parkinson’s!!

Join our live webinar on living safely with Parkinson's. Learn practical tips from an occupational therapist to create a safe home environment.

05/29/2024

“Healthy routines for a healthy life. Lifestyle changes begin with practice.”

I’m a big fan of using any means necessary to get someone moving towards healthy habits.

It may seem like a silly thing to have these sayings printed on toiletries bags but to me, it’s just another sign of how Asia views exercise, prevention and health do differently than we do here.

When I talk about exercise as medicine, people vigorously nod their heads in agreement and lean forward in their chairs to hear about other ideas that can keep them at their best for longer.

Exercise is viewed as an expected part of your daily life and something that requires effort and encouragement in all formats.

I always say the best exercise for you is the one you will do. Seriously.

You have to start somewhere and even if that is just a mindset shift, that’s something!

We may not have these adorable daily reminders staring at us in the face every time we take out our toothbrush but ask yourself if there is something you could do to subtly build good habits.

Maybe it’s an Alexa reminder every hour to get up, stretch and drink water.

Maybe it’s a weekly “walk and talk” business meeting because you both want to feel stronger.

Maybe it’s a sticky note on your mirror like mine that says “Sanity over Vanity.”

Summer is almost here so figure out what your subtle push could be and do like Nike. Just Do It!!

04/24/2024

“Thank you for helping that man. I’m not super tech savvy so I didn’t know how to help him.”

I bought new glasses at Costco last week and noticed that they have moved away from the traditional “Grab a ticket and wait for your number to be called” to “Scan this QR code or text ‘0357’ to 883-772-3920 to check in.”

As with all changes to the status quo, several people were milling around, unsure of what to do and others really had their feathers ruffled and grumbled about why they needed to change.

Ahead of me, the lady at the counter was trying to help an older gentleman with his phone. I could see him squinting at his phone and struggling to finger peck in the correct numbers, in the correct order.

I asked if I could help and inquired why they didn’t use the QR code since it seemed like it would be much less work for him?

The woman at the counter said she had tried that but his phone just wasn’t seeing the QR code for some reason.

He handed me the phone and I realized the problem was that they had been trying to scan the QR code in portrait mode. (I didn’t know myself until that moment that QR codes aren’t detected in that mode!)

The gentleman thanked me for my assistance and the lady at the counter said she appreciated the tip because now she could serve future customers better.

We are in a difficult transition period where digital options are increasingly becoming the ONLY option available.

However, it’s also a time when customers can get frustrated and start thinking about shopping elsewhere to shop if they don’t get enough support to bridge this change.

Luckily, businesses are recognizing this risk and self checkout kiosks now have at least 1 or more employees assigned to keep that section moving and assist customers who get stuck.

However, there will always be some staff who don’t have the time to be patient or who just aren’t comfortable with technology.

So, I’m challenging this community to get out in the world and be a great tech ambassador. Take note of your environment and the people in it. Do they look frustrated or confused?

If you notice someone struggling with technology, offer your help. Even if you have no idea what the problem is, helping them talk through some possible reasons it’s not working makes them feel less alone in the misery of the technology learning curve.

We’ve all been at ground zero before so let’s share that acquired knowledge and help the people around us succeed!

And by the way, the virtual line is awesome — I can see where I am in line so I know if I have time to sample just one more cookie or if I need to hustle back because I’m up next!

If anyone has discovered any other helpful insights, pls share in comments! There are always other people who can benefit from this knowledge. You can make someone’s day just by being there for them!

04/17/2024

“Be willing to try + fail, so your patients can succeed + win!”

April is OT Month + as the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse’s 18th Annual Distinguished Lecturer, my primary message to OT students was that we owe it to our clients experience the frustrations so that we can show them the fixes. American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Technology has so much potential to change lives + one day WILL be intuitive, glitch-free and passively monitor/ predict our needs before we recognize a problem.

And it really does make your life easier. I have come back to my hotel from a long day of networking, to finally get into my comfy PJs + a warm plushy bed … only to realize that “Alexa, good night” isn’t going to turn off my lights, close the blinds or play white noise to help me fall asleep 😞

Learning to set up morning and evening routines on Alexa is such a useful and relatively easy feature to setup. With a little patience, you can set up 1 voice command to have your doors lock automatically, arm the security alarm system and turn off the outdoor lights.

But technology changes at the speed of light (Amazon reports that they add 190 new apps everyday on the App Store!!)

So how can you possibly keep up with what is new out there? You can’t. Sarah Lyon asked me this question when I was on the OT Potential podcast and my answer? It’s a MASSIVE team effort!! Here’s the podcast if you want to hear it:

https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-smart-home-tech-adoption

We can really only learn one brain cell at a time so u start by signing up for tech webinars, watching AgeTech Collaborative from and hearing founders speak in the ReThinking Aging Clubhouse group! Debbie Howard Linda Sherman Gordon

This week, I will be co-hosting with Linda Sherman to highlight solutions for Parkinsons Awareness month!

But where do you go for help when you are stuck?

Most states run an assistive technology lending library where you can borrow technology for 30 days and receive training on how to use it and how to get it set up. They are an amazing resource that I connect every patient to. Michelle Zeidwig Branham You can search for your state Program here:

https://at3center.net/state-at-programs/

Another fantastic resource is buy who of course have the Geek Squad to zoom out to your house to save your sanity. But make sure to also look at the incredible resources that Sara aghvami and OT Claire Andrews in Canada have created with DigitalCitizen You can take courses to learn everything about tech.

https://digitalcitizen.bestbuy.ca/

And don’t forget about the fantastic jobOlder Adults Technology Services from AARP Programs does to engage, train and support older adults to improve their quality of life + enhance their social engagement.

https://oats.org

Lastly, make sure you BREATHE….Remember that almost everything will work again if you just restart, including you:)