How to Make Any Home Age-Friendly | Aging in Place Expert Panel

From Answers For Elders Radio Network by Suzanne Newman

March 14, 2026 · 48 min · Episode 1543

About this episode

Experts discuss creating age-friendly homes to support mobility and independence for seniors and people with disabilities.

In this episode of Answers for Elders, host Suzanne Newman brings together a powerful roundtable of aging-in-place experts to discuss how families can create homes that support mobility, independence, and long-term living. Suzanne is joined by Paul Kocharhook, President of Pathway Design + Construction, along with Tom Minty and Barry Long, founders of Able Environments. Together, they explore how accessible home design, real estate expertise, and universal design principles can help seniors and people with disabilities safely remain in their homes. With nearly 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, the demand for accessible housing is growing rapidly. Yet less than 1% of existing homes are wheelchair accessible, and many families don’t know where to start. In this conversation, the team explains how remodeling, accessible home design, and smarter real estate search tools are changing the way people plan for aging in place. They also discuss the growing movement to add accessibility features to home listings—making it easier to find homes that meet mobility and safety needs. Whether you’re planning for your own future, helping a loved one stay at home longer, or navigating…

People in this episode

Host: Suzanne Newman

Guests: Paul Kocharhook, Tom Minty, Barry Long

Topics covered

aging in place
accessible home design
universal design
mobility
independence
real estate
home remodeling

Keywords

aging in place
accessible housing
home design
universal design principles
remodeling
property value
mobility challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pathway Design + Construction, Able Environments