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I'm 62 and live on the 2nd floor of a condo complex with no elevator. I feel like my knees don't hurt as much since I've been going up and down for almost 4 years. However at this point in my life I don't think I would purchase a home with stairs. If you get to the point where you can't maneuver the stairs anymore and have to sell at a time when your health might not be so good, well that sounds like additional aggravation.
Good lord! My parents are not athletic at all, but in good shape. They are 77 and live in a raised ranch and they use stairs daily with no issues - they can't get to the main living area any other way.
My grandmother lived to 93 in a house with stairs.
In my area of the country most of the houses have basements (of course not everyone uses theirs).
If it were me and I liked the place, I'd plan on living there if I was able to at that time. If not, have a Plan B.
My grandmother had ALS. Diagnosed around 1983 and lived until the age of 78 in 1997, so obviously, she had a slow progression of the disease. She had a high quality of life for many of years, needing only minimal accommodations at first (motorized chair to the basement etc), then living with my Aunt and Uncle in a 100 year old farmhouse, where they were able to convert what was originally the formal parlor into a bedroom for her. Somehow, even in that property, her standard sized wheelchair was able to maneuver through doors.
So much of these household accommodations really hinge on whether or not there is a bedroom or similarly sized room and a full bath on the first floor. If there is, it seems you can usually get by.
(1st sentence ) my wife was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2011 and died Thanksgiving morning of 2013.
From a slight speech problem to totally paralyzed in just 2 years 8 months.
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(set 15 days ago)
Location: Coastal Georgia
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It will be all about your knees. I would continue with your plan to move there. When the time gets closer, you'll have a better idea.
I'm 69 and my knees are shot. I could not do it. My dh is 67 and he could. He has an aunt and uncle in their eighties who live in a multi story home, hanging off a mountain in Asheville, and they still go up and down the stairs multiple times a day. In fact, that is their main form of exercise.
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