# Keepstead

> Free room-by-room aging-in-place checklist: 60 home safety checks, then a ranked, costed modification plan, contractor brief and shopping list.

- Keepstead is a free, browser-based aging-in-place home safety self-assessment for US homes: 64 checks across 8 areas (entrance, hallways and stairs, living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, lighting/electrical/alarms, outdoor and garage).
- Each check cites CDC STEADI, NIA, 2010 ADA Standards, AARP HomeFit, USFA, CPSC, FDA or Alzheimer’s Association guidance.
- The plan ranks fixes by risk reduction per dollar, with profile weighting for walker use, low vision, memory changes and wheelchair use, and a budget picker (multiple-choice knapsack).
- National US cost ranges collected 2026-10-17 from Fixr, HomeGuide, Angi, This Old House, Bob Vila and US retailer listings, e.g. grab bar $85-$300 installed (Fixr, Aug 2025); straight stair lift $2,000-$8,000 and curved $8,000-$20,000 (Fixr, Jan 2025); tub-to-shower conversion $2,000-$12,000 (This Old House, 2026).
- Funding checked 2026-10-17: VA HISA up to $6,800 (service-connected or 50%+ rated) or $2,000; VA SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY 2026; USDA Section 504 loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62+; IRS Pub 502 medical expense deduction above 7.5% of AGI.
- Outputs: printable plan, one-page contractor brief with measurements and CAPS contractor questions, DIY shopping list; family edition (beta) for two or more homes.
- All answers stay in the browser (localStorage) with JSON export/import. Free during beta. Home-safety planning only: not medical advice or an occupational therapy assessment.

## Tool

- [Keepstead](https://keepstead.pages.dev/): Free room-by-room aging-in-place checklist: 60 home safety checks, then a ranked, costed modification plan, contractor brief and shopping list.
- [Family edition](https://keepstead.pages.dev/family/): Plan two or more homes side by side and track completed fixes.
- [Funding](https://keepstead.pages.dev/funding/): Verified US programs that help pay for home modifications, with amounts and dates.

## Room checklists

- [Entrance and steps checklist](https://keepstead.pages.dev/rooms/entrance/): The front door is where a lot of falls happen: carrying bags, fumbling keys, a wet step at dusk. It is also the route out in an emergency and the route in for paramedics, so a good entrance does two jobs.
- [Hallways and stairs checklist](https://keepstead.pages.dev/rooms/hallways-and-stairs/): Stairs are the single riskiest part of most homes. CDC and NIA guidance both start here: rails on both sides, light switches at both ends, nothing left on the steps. Hallways matter for walkers and wheelchairs, which need about 32 in of clear width at every door.
- [Living room checklist](https://keepstead.pages.dev/rooms/living-room/): The living room is where people spend the most waking hours, and its hazards are the quiet ones: a throw rug, a phone charger cord, a low coffee table, a sofa that is hard to get out of. Most fixes here cost nothing.
- [Kitchen checklist](https://keepstead.pages.dev/rooms/kitchen/): In the kitchen the risks are reaching and climbing (for the platter on the top shelf), slips on a wet floor, and the stove. For anyone with memory changes, an automatic stove shut-off is often the highest-value fix in the house.
- [Bathroom checklist](https://keepstead.pages.dev/rooms/bathroom/): Wet, hard surfaces, getting up and down, and night-time trips make the bathroom the room most aging-in-place remodels start with. Grab bars, non-slip surfaces and a way to bathe without stepping over a tub wall do most of the work.
- [Bedroom checklist](https://keepstead.pages.dev/rooms/bedroom/): The bedroom risk is the night: getting up half-asleep, in the dark, often in a hurry for the bathroom. Light you can reach from the bed and a lit path are the core fixes.
- [Lighting, electrical and alarms checklist](https://keepstead.pages.dev/rooms/lighting-and-electrical/): Older eyes need far more light and adapt more slowly between bright and dark rooms. This area also covers smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, switches and outlets that can be reached and worked without strain.
- [Outdoor and garage checklist](https://keepstead.pages.dev/rooms/outdoor-and-garage/): Walks, driveways, decks and the garage step get the least attention and the most weather. Cracked slabs, wet leaves and an unlit path from the car are the usual culprits.

## Cost guides

- [Cost to install grab bars](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/grab-bar-installation-cost/): Grab bars cost $85–$300 each installed (Fixr, 2025) or $20–$33 for the bar alone. Where they go, how high, and when to hire it out.
- [Stair lift cost: straight vs curved](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/stair-lift-cost/): A straight stair lift costs $2,000–$8,000 installed and a curved one $8,000–$20,000 (Fixr, 2025). What changes the price and when another fix is better.
- [Tub to walk-in shower conversion cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/walk-in-shower-conversion-cost/): A tub-to-shower conversion runs $2,000–$12,000 (This Old House, 2026). What you get at each price, what to specify for safety, and cheaper stopgaps.
- [Curbless roll-in shower cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/curbless-shower-cost/): A curbless roll-in shower costs about $8,000–$15,000 (This Old House, 2026). Why level entry costs more, and when it is worth it over a low curb.
- [Walk-in tub cost and trade-offs](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/walk-in-tub-cost/): Walk-in tubs cost $3,500–$10,000 installed, about $6,000 on average (Fixr, 2026). The trade-offs, and when a shower conversion is the better buy.
- [Wheelchair ramp cost for a home](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/wheelchair-ramp-cost/): A 10 ft modular aluminum ramp runs $1,700–$5,000 installed (Fixr, 2025); threshold ramps cost $28–$93. How to size a ramp with the 1:12 rule.
- [Lever door handles and faucets cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/lever-door-handles-cost/): Lever door handles cost $19–$37 each DIY or $100–$250 installed; a single-lever faucet is $150–$400 installed. Why levers matter with arthritis.
- [Cost to widen a doorway for a wheelchair](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/doorway-widening-cost/): Widening a doorway costs $300–$2,500 per door (Fixr, 2025). Swing-clear hinges gain about 2 in for $22–$54. How to measure clear width first.
- [Stair handrail installation cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/stair-handrail-cost/): A second stair handrail costs $350–$1,200 for a 10 ft staircase (Fixr, 2025); outdoor rails run $50–$230 per foot. Height and grip specs to ask for.
- [Home lighting upgrades for seniors: cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/lighting-for-seniors-cost/): Motion night lights cost $40–$53 a 4-pack; stair switches $200–$450; added ceiling lights $176–$328 each. A room-by-room order of lighting fixes.
- [Comfort height toilet cost vs raised seat](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/comfort-height-toilet-cost/): A comfort-height toilet costs $250–$800 installed (Fixr, 2026); a raised seat with arms is $30–$120. Which one to choose and the 17–19 in target.
- [Porch lift (vertical platform lift) cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/vertical-platform-lift-cost/): A vertical platform (porch) lift costs $5,000–$20,000 installed (Bob Vila, 2024). When a lift beats a ramp, and what the install involves.
- [Residential elevator cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/home-elevator-cost/): A residential elevator costs $35,000–$60,000, about $50,000 on average (Fixr, 2025). How it compares with a stair lift or first-floor suite.
- [Smoke and CO alarm installation cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/smoke-alarm-installation-cost/): Hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms cost $70–$150 each installed (Fixr, 2025); battery units $20–$40. Where USFA and CPSC say alarms should go.
- [Automatic stove shut-off device cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/stove-shut-off-device-cost/): Automatic stove shut-off devices cost about $250–$385 (retail, 2026). How they work, who they suit, and the no-cost steps to take first.
- [First-floor bedroom and bath cost](https://keepstead.pages.dev/costs/first-floor-bedroom-addition-cost/): A first-floor bedroom and bath addition runs $45,000–$100,000 (Fixr, 2025). When moving daily life downstairs beats a stair lift.

## Guides

- [Aging in place checklist, room by room](https://keepstead.pages.dev/guides/aging-in-place-checklist/): An aging in place checklist is a walk through the home looking for the things that make falls, burns and being stuck more likely. Start with stairs (rails on both sides, switches at both ends), the bathroom (grab bars, non-slip floor, no high tub step) and the night route from bed to bathroom (motion night lights). Many fixes cost nothing; grab bars run $85 to $300 each installed.
- [Home modifications for seniors cost (2026)](https://keepstead.pages.dev/guides/home-modifications-for-seniors-cost/): Most aging-in-place plans cost far less than people fear. A DIY starter kit of night lights, non-slip strips, a raised toilet seat, a tub transfer bench and a handheld shower runs about $300 to $750. Three grab bars, a second stair rail, stair switches and interconnected alarms add $1,300 to $3,750. Big jobs like a tub-to-shower conversion ($2,000 to $12,000) or a curved stair lift ($8,000 to $20,000) are where budgets grow.
- [Grants for home modifications for seniors](https://keepstead.pages.dev/guides/grants-for-home-modifications/): The main US sources of grant money for senior home modifications are VA grants for veterans (HISA up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime; SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 in fiscal 2026), USDA Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners aged 62 and over, state Medicaid waivers, and local programs found through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. Original Medicare generally does not pay.
- [Bathroom safety for the elderly](https://keepstead.pages.dev/guides/bathroom-safety-for-elderly/): Bathroom safety for an older adult comes down to three moves: getting up from the toilet, getting in and out of the tub or shower, and standing on a wet floor. Fix them in order of value: non-slip strips ($4 to $17 a pack), grab bars by the toilet and inside and outside the tub ($85 to $300 each installed), a 17 to 19 in seat height, seated bathing with a transfer bench and handheld shower, and only then a tub-to-shower conversion ($2,000 to $12,000).
- [CAPS contractors and the questions to ask](https://keepstead.pages.dev/guides/caps-contractor-questions/): A CAPS contractor is a builder, remodeler or designer who has completed the National Association of Home Builders' three Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist courses and signed its code of ethics; remodelers must also show liability and workers' compensation insurance and any required business license. Find one in NAHB's credential directory, then ask about anchoring, permits, line-item pricing and how they adjust heights to the person.
- [Fall prevention at home for older adults](https://keepstead.pages.dev/guides/fall-prevention-at-home/): More than one in four Americans aged 65 and older falls each year, and older adult falls cause about 4.5 million emergency department visits a year (CDC, reviewed September 2026). At home, the changes with the most effect for the money are clear floors and stairs, rails on both sides of every staircase, light at both ends of stairs and along the night route to the bathroom, and grab bars and non-slip surfaces in the bathroom. Many cost nothing.
- [Aging in place vs assisted living costs](https://keepstead.pages.dev/guides/aging-in-place-vs-assisted-living/): In CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey (released March 2026), the US median for assisted living was $6,200 a month ($74,400 a year) and for non-medical in-home care $35 an hour, or $80,080 a year at 44 hours a week. Aging in place is usually cheaper when the person needs a few hours of help a week and the home can be made safe with one-time modifications; it can cost more than assisted living once paid care approaches full-time.
- [Preparing a parent's home after a hospital stay](https://keepstead.pages.dev/guides/home-after-hospital-stay/): Before a parent comes home from hospital, set up one floor to live on, clear a walker-wide path from bed to bathroom, light that path at night, and make the toilet and shower usable seated. Ask the discharge team which equipment the doctor will prescribe: Medicare Part B covers medically necessary items such as walkers, commode chairs and hospital beds (you pay 20% after the deductible), but not grab bars or raised toilet seats.

## Optional

- [Full text of all guides](https://keepstead.pages.dev/llms-full.txt): every guide as plain Markdown