"I can't climb stairs" (pain, surgery, swelling, doctor)
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I read a lot in the RE forums about how people want/insist on houses with no stairs. Many are older with documented mobility issues. But there is a significant proportion of people in their 50s and 60s who are PLANNING on having mobility issues. As someone who recently hit the big 4-0, I asked my doc about this. Do I really need to start thinking about "aging in place?" Do people's knees just blow out at 55 and you can't ever move again? What the heck is going to happen to me??
He kind of laughed at me and suggested that this is nonsense, that a lot of people have hip and knee flexion issues because of a lifetime of sitting-- in their cars, at their computers-- and will not suffer from anything but the effects of disuse. He gave me some exercises and just suggested I read some articles (one listed below) as well as continued to climb stairs and be active.
So I know that there are a lot of BBs who will protest loudly, but is this whole stair thing a self-fulfilling prophecy in many cases? I understand that many have heart and other legit issues which make a stair climb difficult. But I also go to classes where "stair climbing" is part of my workout. I just think the whole emphasis is...odd. Its almost obsessive for many.
I don't get it either. I'm pushing 50, have always lived in houses with stairs, and have absolutely no problems. No joint pain, nothing. I'm convinced that going up and down stairs all day (I work at home, and have kids and pets, so I really do) is one of the most effortless ways to stay in shape that exist.
I'm not going to argue with people much older than me who say they can't do it. I'm not there yet, and people do develop problems as they age. Although the fact is that the oldest, healthiest people I've known lived in walk-up apartments up into their 80s or even older. These include my grandmother (died at 97) and my dad (still going at 93).
But I do wonder at people younger than me who say they just can't handle stairs. The excuses! I can only speak for myself, but these things are/were non-issues for me: carrying my babies up and down stairs, carrying laundry up and down stairs, going upstairs to fetch a needed item, going downstairs to answer the door, etc. If you are healthy and in your 20s, 30s, 40s, this is not a problem, and probably won't be a problem as long as you keep doing it; in fact, quite the opposite. It's good for our bodies to move. C'mon people. Don't be lazy.
Better to plan on losing mobility in old age and then not lose it than to buy a property that requires good mobility in order to be liveable and then discover you have to move because you have developed mobility issues and can't "age in place" in that house.
Moving gets harder as you get older. I don't want to have to move when I'm in my late 70s or 80s because of poor planning on my part.
I don't get it either. I'm pushing 50, have always lived in houses with stairs, and have absolutely no problems. No joint pain, nothing. I'm convinced that going up and down stairs all day (I work at home, and have kids and pets, so I really do) is one of the most effortless ways to stay in shape that exist.
I'm not going to argue with people much older than me who say they can't do it. I'm not there yet, and people do develop problems as they age. Although the fact is that the oldest, healthiest people I've known lived in walk-up apartments up into their 80s or even older. These include my grandmother (died at 97) and my dad (still going at 93).
But I do wonder at people younger than me who say they just can't handle stairs. The excuses! I can only speak for myself, but these things are/were non-issues for me: carrying my babies up and down stairs, carrying laundry up and down stairs, going upstairs to fetch a needed item, going downstairs to answer the door, etc. If you are healthy and in your 20s, 30s, 40s, this is not a problem, and probably won't be a problem as long as you keep doing it; in fact, quite the opposite. It's good for our bodies to move. C'mon people. Don't be lazy.
Yes-- I wonder about that too. I had a gran who lived in a Brooklyn walk up and carried her groceries up three flights until her late 80s. My other gran was in an old building in Stockholm with no elevator. She lived until her 90s and was mobile to the end. In generations past, there wasn't the same panic about this. What a depressing thought to plan to be immobile!
And I totally agree with the "we can't carry a baby or laundry down stairs." Huh?
I think it's a bit arrogant to believe that the only way that stairs could be a concern as one ages is due to a lifetime of sitting.
I'm in my mid fifties and my current home has stairs. I dont have any issues with stairs currently and we don't expect to move house anytime soon, but when we do, it will be to a single story home. Concern about stairs is for more than possible mobility issues. We have elderly parents who visit and while they can still manage stairs into their late 70s, it could be an issue at some point - particularly if one of them needs to move in with us in the future. My husband has some vision issues which could certainly become worse as he ages. Injuries or surgeries that become more of a concern as we age (and even happen to active seniors) because healing takes longer.
As for carrying things down stairs, any number of things could cause one to need to use the handrail for stability (including vision and neurological issues) thus limiting what you are carrying to one arm/hand.
Personally, if I'm moving anyway, I'd certainly choose a home I could be independent in longer.
It's great to remain active as long as possible - but some people have hereditary conditions which can lead towards knee degeneration and pain, regardless of activity level. Unfortunately, I'm one of them. Shallow trochlear grooves run in my maternal family - my mother, aunt, and several cousins all have or had significantly bad knees, with lots of swelling, pain, and associated difficulties. Several have had knee surgery - no replacements that I know of, though my aunt surely would have been a candidate, had such procedures not been next to experimental in her day.
My knees started creaking and groaning when I was in my late twenties. I was not overweight, was reasonably active, but my work did involve a fair amount of bending and stooping using my knees. I remember taking a three-week vacation, much of it spend on a tour bus, during this time, and being surprised that my knees quieted down and didn't hurt. The pain resumed when my "rest" was over and my regular work activities began once again.
The pain was minimal at that point, and later increased aerobic activity helped stave off knee pain and dysfunction for several more decades. But eventually came the day when I awoke with knee pain - significant knee pain. Lots of physical therapy, ibuprofen, exercise, etc. followed, as eventually did arthroscopic surgery. The pain remained.
At this point, what I strongly suspected due to my family history was confirmed: my knee joints were prone to damage and pain because of shallow trochlear grooves, and there was not much I could do about that other than have them replaced, and the doctors did not recommend knee replacement at that point, due to the lengthy recovery period and my living alone with no relatives nearby to assist.
So I live with it, since the alternatives are not realistic. I do climb stairs, but not as much as was once the case. Fortunately, my home has two downstairs bedrooms. I've added grab bars here and there, use an OTC wrap-around knee brace, take ibuprofen, try to watch my weight (lately been watching it go up), and wish I could be as active as was once the case. I do try...
So it's not always just a matter of making good choices. Sometimes those "choices" are made for us, and it's the luck of the genetic draw.
I think it's a bit arrogant to believe that the only way that stairs could be a concern as one ages is due to a lifetime of sitting.
I'm in my mid fifties and my current home has stairs. I dont have any issues with stairs currently and we don't expect to move house anytime soon, but when we do, it will be to a single story home. Concern about stairs is for more than possible mobility issues. We have elderly parents who visit and while they can still manage stairs into their late 70s, it could be an issue at some point - particularly if one of them needs to move in with us at some point. My husband has some vision issues which could certainly become worse as he ages. Injuries or surgeries that become more of a concern as we age (and even happen to active seniors) because healing takes longer.
Personally, if I'm moving anyway, I'd certainly choose a home I could be independent in longer.
If you read my OP, you will see that I said there were lots of legitimate reasons-- heart conditions, etc. I just find it strange and sad that so many people who are relatively young can only see a future of limited mobility and are getting ready 20 years ahead of time. Its like fast forwarding to the end of your life for no reason.
There are lots of two story residences with bedrooms on the first floor for elderly parents. My own mom had cancer young and toward the end she lived in a downstairs bedroom in my home.
I do believe that if people moved more, had healthier lifestyles and tried to stay healthy into old age, this stairless necessity might not be so important for so many.
A lot of really healthy people that are lucky enough to live to a ripe old age will eventually want a single story house. Its not being lazy or planning to be sick, its just common sense. Our bodies do break down and if you are in your 80's and 90's going up and down stairs can be overwhelming. It may get to the point that it is just not possible anymore and then they are faced with the dilemma of moving. Moving at an advanced age can be a hardship.
I think it is smart planning to want a single story for our later years.
If you read my OP, you will see that I said there were lots of legitimate reasons-- heart conditions, etc. I just find it strange and sad that so many people who are relatively young can only see a future of limited mobility and are getting ready 20 years ahead of time. Its like fast forwarding to the end of your life for no reason.
There are lots of two story residences with bedrooms on the first floor for elderly parents. My own mom had cancer young and toward the end she lived in a downstairs bedroom in my home.
I do believe that if people moved more, had healthier lifestyles and tried to stay healthy into old age, this stairless necessity might not be so important for so many.
Of course a healthy lifestyle is important but to believe it is a guarantee to prevent issues with stairs is simply not the case.
Moving homes is both expensive and difficult. People are often attempting to avoid potential problems. It's like those who say they don't need life insurance because they are young, healthy and active. Planning for the possibility isn't the same as resigning oneself to the inevitable.
It's not quite the same as insurance. Look at the options.
One is to move to a single-story house at a comparatively young age, and miss out on 20 or 30 years of stair climbing because of what might happen in the future.
The other is to live in a two-story house, continue climbing, and know it's helping to keep you in good physical shape for as long as possible, even if it's not forever.
You can't do both. If you have to move at 80 because your knees or your heart can't take stairs any more, then you move. Honestly, most very old people end up moving, regardless of whether their house had stairs or not. "Aging in place" sounds great, but is not manageable for everyone. I do know a few who stayed in their original homes to a very advanced age, but eventually they all had to have help come in. However, most ended up moving to a retirement community, assisted living, or to live with their children.
Last edited by saibot; 08-24-2017 at 09:41 AM..
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