Ep 8: Help We've Fallen and We Can Get Up | Introduction to Aging in Place

Welcome back to How to Handyma’am! In this episode, we are celebrating some huge wins: we hit the Apple Education (How-To) Charts (Top 30!), went viral on TikTok, and are officially building the best village on the internet.


We dedicate this episode to our favorite villager, Kayleigh (our “guinea pig numero uno”), who proves you don’t need to be handy to be essential to the crew.


Then, Emily takes the lead (because she is a certified specialist!) to guide us through Aging in Place. We break down the 5 levels of home accessibility—from "Universal Design" to "Non-Functional"—and put Samantha and Arly to the test to see how their own homes stack up. (Spoiler: Samantha fails the zero-step entry test).


In this episode, we discuss:

• ​The "Good Villager" Theory: Why you need friends who will drop off soup, text you daily, and bring you a neck fan at hot yoga.
• ​What is Aging in Place? It’s not just for the elderly. It’s about making your home safe and functional for any stage of life (or temporary injury).
• ​The 5 Levels of Home Design:
1. ​Universal: Accessible for everyone (the gold standard).
2. ​Livable: You can live on the main floor comfortably.
3. ​Visitable: A friend with a disability can come for dinner and use the bathroom.
4. ​Adaptable: It’s not ready now, but it has the bones (like blocking in the walls) for future upgrades.
5. ​Non-Functional: Good luck getting in without a Sherpa.
• ​Quick Fixes vs. Renovations: From installing offset door hinges (to widen a doorway without construction) to adding blocking for grab bars before you tile.
• ​The "Forever Home" Test: We grade our own houses on accessibility. (Samantha’s 175-year-old house gets a solid "D").





Resources Mentioned:

• ​Free Download: Emily’s "Aging in Place Guide & Home Grading System” https://www.myhandymaam.com/free-reso...
• ​Community: Join the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ How to Handyma’am Facebook Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (  / 1hlyvmvxsa  ) to ask questions and post your project pics.





Products We Love: Find the tools mentioned in this episode at our storefront:

• ​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop the Handyma'am Favorites on Lowe's⁠⁠⁠ (https://shoplowes.me/4i2zfaI)





Join the Village!

• ​Web:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ myhandymaam.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://myhandymaam.com/)
• ​Socials:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @howtohandymaam⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.google.com/search?q=https...) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linktr.ee/howtohandymaam)
• ​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/howtohandymaam





Credits Host Samantha Pearl Host Arly Streed Host - Emily Pearl Reist Editing and Music - Thomas Streed