When I earned my Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) certification in the spring of 2024, I learned a great deal about how our homes can either support or challenge us as our needs change. The program focuses on helping individuals and families plan for safe, independent living by considering everything from home accessibility and technology to support services and long-term care planning.
At the time, I thought, "These are all great ideas." Grab bars? Absolutely. Remove tripping hazards? Of course. Keep everyday items within easy reach? Makes perfect sense.
Fast forward to this summer, when I underwent knee replacement surgery.
Suddenly, I wasn't looking at these recommendations as a CAPS professional—I was living them. Getting from one room to another with a walker became an adventure, and simple tasks I had never given a second thought suddenly required strategy and patience.
Before surgery, I did take some of my own advice. We installed support handles around the toilet (10 out of 10, highly recommend), made sure the essentials were within easy reach, and talked through how I would navigate the house.
But then there were the area rugs.
Now, I knew the recommendation was to remove them. I just didn't think they were talking about my rugs. They were flat. They weren't slippery. They'd never been a problem before.
Turns out, walkers have opinions about rugs.
Every time I rolled across one, the wheels would catch on the edge, curl up a corner, and bring me to an abrupt stop. It felt like my rugs had formed a tiny union and decided their new full-time job was making my recovery just a little more challenging. After wrestling with them for a couple of days, I finally admitted defeat and rolled them up.
Lesson learned.
Sometimes the simplest recommendations are the easiest to dismiss—until you're the one trying to maneuver through your house on one good leg. It's one thing to learn about home safety in a classroom. It's another to experience firsthand why those recommendations exist.
That experience gave me an even greater appreciation for the CAPS program. Aging-in-place planning isn't really about aging—it's about being prepared for life's transitions. Whether you're recovering from surgery, dealing with an injury, or simply planning ahead, a few thoughtful changes can make everyday life safer, easier, and a whole lot less frustrating.