Aging in place home modifications for Greater Boston homes

Aging in place home modifications let you stay in the house you love as your needs change. In Greater Boston that is harder than it sounds: many of our homes are two- and three-story houses from 1900 to 1930, with narrow stairs, small bathrooms and steps at every door.

The good news is that a few smart changes make a big difference, and Massachusetts has programs that help pay for them. Here is what I recommend to my clients in Somerville, Cambridge and Medford.

Start with the bathroom

Most falls at home happen in the bathroom, so this is where I start. A good accessible bath includes:

• A curbless shower with no step to trip over, a fold-down seat and a handheld showerhead.
• Grab bars at the shower, tub and toilet, screwed into solid blocking, not just drywall anchors.
• A comfort-height toilet that is easier to sit on and stand up from.
• Slip-resistant flooring and a thermostatic valve to prevent scalding.

For a benchmark, the 2025 Cost vs. Value report for Boston lists a universal design bath remodel at $43,256. That project is a 5 x 7 foot bathroom made wheelchair-accessible with a zero-threshold, curbless shower, a 36-inch-wide door and switches at sitting height. My bathroom remodel cost guide shows how scope moves that number.

Aging in place home modifications room by room

• Doors and halls: widen key doorways for a walker or wheelchair, and swap knobs for lever handles.
• Entries: a ramp, a lower step or a covered landing with a solid rail. Many Somerville porches need work anyway; see my porch and stair safety guide.
• Lighting: brighter, even light, switches at both ends of every stair, and night lights from bedroom to bathroom.
• Kitchen: pull-out shelves, lower storage and a counter section where you can sit.
• Floors: remove loose rugs and thresholds that catch toes.

Stairs in multi-level Boston-area homes

Stairs are the biggest challenge in a triple-decker or old two-family. There are three common paths:

1. Make the stairs safer: handrails on both sides, good lighting, and solid treads.
2. Add a stair lift: a chair that rides a rail along the stairs. Narrow or curved stairs need a custom rail.
3. Bring life to one floor: put a bedroom and full bath on the main level, so the stairs become optional.

Which path fits depends on the house and on how you expect your needs to change. I usually suggest planning for the next ten years, not the next ten months. A stair lift can be a quick fix, while a main-floor suite is a bigger project that keeps working as needs grow. On a walkthrough I measure the stair width, look for a wall that could hold plumbing on the first floor, and check the entry steps, because the order of work matters as much as the list.

The first-floor suite

A first-floor bedroom and accessible bath is the most complete fix. Sometimes we convert a dining room or den and add a bathroom next to it. Sometimes the answer is a small addition or an ADU on the lot. The state's ADU page notes that ADUs give older adults options to have caregivers close by or downsize in their own community.

Massachusetts programs that help pay

Several programs can help. Check eligibility and get approval before any work starts, so the timing does not cost you the help.

• Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP). Run by MassAbility, it gives eligible borrowers a zero-interest deferred-payment loan. You may qualify if you or a household member has a disability or is over 60, with documented need and income limits. Eligible work includes bathroom and kitchen upgrades, ramps, stair lifts and platform lifts, and even ADUs. It does not cover window, roof, heating or septic repair. Eligibility is handled through the Community Economic Development Assistance Corp.
• Somerville Home Improvement Program. The City's program lists "work to support aging-in-place" as an eligible category, for buildings of up to seven units with income at or below 80% of area median income. Health and safety scopes can get up to $50,000 per unit, and the balance is due on sale, transfer or cash-out refinance.
• Somerville Council on Aging. The Council on Aging lends walkers, wheelchairs and shower chairs, which helps while a remodel is underway.

I keep a full list in my Somerville rebates and loans guide.

Need a hand?

Want to make your Somerville, Cambridge or Medford home safer for the years ahead? Book a free walkthrough and I will suggest the changes that matter most and send a written line-item budget, usually within 48 hours.

Want someone on your side? See what I do as an owner's representative and how I price work.

About the author

Mateus Magno founded Magno & Co in 2020. He is a licensed Massachusetts Construction Supervisor (CS-123658), registered Home Improvement Contractor (HIC #220484) and certified Lead-Safe Renovator Supervisor who has renovated and managed over $5 million in projects across Greater Boston.

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