Vicki and Tom Goodman were thinking ahead when they decided to remodel their Catonsville cottage. They knew their 11-year-old son, Riley, would need more space and privacy as he entered his teen years, so just having two bedrooms on the upper level was not going to suffice.

But they started thinking really long term after consulting with a contractor who also happened to be an "aging in place" specialist. Although they have no mobility issues now, they decided against their original idea of expanding the second floor and instead decided that remodeling the first floor would be wiser.

They ended up adding a laundry room, a master bedroom and a master bathroom with a walk-in shower to the first floor. Now even if someday their health deteriorates to the point of needing wheelchairs, they could add a ramp to the front of their house and just stay put.

"I think it makes all the sense in the world. It's something people should be thinking about more," said Vicki Goodman, 53. "We'd like to stay here. We like this neighborhood, and we like this home."

More and more baby boomers -- those born between 1946 and 1964 -- are thinking about what it will take to stay in their homes indefinitely, experts say. It's a trend, though, that is slowly gaining momentum rather than taking off like a shot.

"In an ideal world, baby boomers would be thinking about these things now because they're in their optimum-earnings stage," said Michael Owings, president of Owings Brothers Contracting, which did the Goodmans' project. "But I'm finding that most people only do what they need now. People are usually forced into the issue rather than giving it that much future thought."

AARP Maryland surveyed its members in 2006 and found that 84 percent of respondents said it was "very important" for them to remain in their homes and communities as they age.

"What's different about baby boomers is that they are remaining engaged in their communities as they age and are far less likely to move far away; they are not typically going to move to Florida or Hawaii," said Joseph DeMattos, state director of AARP Maryland. "They are working, and active in their churches or synagogues, and active in the raising of their grandchildren. And you've got to make sure that you do what you need to do to remain in the place where you're engaged."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 78.2 million baby boomers as of 2005. And in 2006, there were nearly 8,000 people turning 60 each day in the United States. Given these numbers, so-called "fifty-plus" age-restricted communities are springing up across the country.

But some people would rather modify their homes than move into new developments designed for the senior set. When that's the case, it can make sense to work with someone who specializes in aging issues so that the modifications made will serve the homeowner in the long run.

That's what Eric Anderson, owner of USA Rehab in Pikesville, does on a full-time basis. After first selling durable goods such as wheelchairs and walkers, Anderson got his real-estate license and became a Certified Aging-in-Place consultant. Some of his clients are disabled and need major home renovations. Others want simple modifications to make their houses functional for the long term.

Anderson said a house needs four features to make it possible for the owner to age in place well: an entrance with no steps, a bedroom on the main level, an accessible bathroom on the first floor and a kitchen on the main level.

"If you have those four components, you can probably safely age in place," he said.

The concept, called "universal design," includes features that also work for people with disabilities. To show clients what a home with these options can look like, Anderson bought and gutted a two-bedroom rancher in Pikesville and renovated it using more than 70 universal design elements. The model home's amenities include pull-down kitchen cabinets that can be accessed by those in wheelchairs and a large walk-in shower in the bathroom.

Anderson said almost any home can be modified so that the resident can age in place. However, it's much easier to modify a rancher than it is to modify a townhouse that doesn't have bedrooms or a bathroom on the main level.

When faced with a very challenging set of remodeling hurdles, Anderson helps his clients do a cost analysis to determine whether it makes more sense to stay in the home or move.

Such was the case with Martin and Gita Lefstein, who are in their 50s. Martin Lefstein has early-onset Parkinson's disease and often uses a wheelchair. The couple loved their semi-detached home in Baltimore's Belair-Edison neighborhood, but its two-level design made no sense for them.

They considered moving into a condominium, but decided they liked having their own space and their own yard.

"Before we got in contact with Eric, we thought we had to buy a house that already had a wheelchair ramp," said Gita Lefstein. "We didn't think about the fact that we could make adaptations."

With Anderson's guidance, they bought a two-level detached home in Parkville that has everything they need on the first floor -- a large bathroom, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a washer and dryer. They added a ramp that leads to the back door. They also switched to berber carpet, which is better for wheelchairs.

Although he has a contractor's license, Anderson uses it not to do the work himself, but to help clients explain to contractors exactly what they're looking for in order to get comparative bids. A contractor that implements universal design features might present a bid that costs quite a bit more, Anderson said, and homeowners who aren't well educated on the subject might go with a cheaper, but ultimately inferior, bid and end up with a house that doesn't meet their needs.

"You'll get apples-to-oranges bids," he said. "I streamline the process."

Baby boomers tend to be more willing to adjust their living situations to meet their needs than those of the previous generation, said Mary Omvig, the aging-in-place coordinator for Howard County. Boomers' parents lived through the Depression, and for many that has shaped their outlook. "They often have the mindset of 'I'll just do the best I can with what I have,'" she said. "I find that baby boomers are more open to change."

Still, Omvig said, less than 10 percent of the people she works with are being proactive.

"Most of the time it's that their mom had an issue, and they realize they need to think about this right now," she said.

Modifications not only make a home more livable, they can also add value when it eventually comes time to sell. Wide doorways and hallways make a home look more airy and spacious, said Vito Simone, president-elect of the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors.

"Increasingly a lot of people like having a first-floor master suite and more features on the first floor," he said. "These things actually add great convenience for modern living."

A wheelchair ramp might not be an appealing selling feature, Simone added, but they are fairly easy to remove when putting a house on the market.

Emily M. Agree, associate director of the Hopkins Population Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said research shows that half of all Americans age 65 and older have at least one modification to the home, be it grab bars near the toilet or a walk-in shower instead of a tub.

She said many people are learning about home modifications through their aging parents.

"Baby boomers will learn a great deal from this," Agree said. "If you think you're going to say you absolutely don't want to leave your house, you should probably make sure you have a full bath on the first floor and that you have an accessible entrance to the home. Those are the biggest things."

She said it can be hard for people to do a logical cost-benefit analysis when deciding whether to remain in a beloved home or move somewhere new.

"This is where they raised their children, and that plays such a large role," Agree said. "People are really attached to their homes."

HOW TO AGE-PROOF YOUR HOME

Here are some ideas for small changes that can increase comfort and safety for aging homeowners:

Install handrails on both sides of all steps (inside and outside).

Secure all carpets and area rugs with double-sided tape.

Install easy-to-grasp handles for all drawers and cabinet doors.

Use brighter bulbs in all settings.

Install nightlights in all areas of night activity.

Add reflective, nonslip tape on all noncarpeted stairs.

Install lever handles for all doors.

Place a bench near entrances for setting down purchases and resting.

Install closet lights, as well as adjustable rods and shelves.

Install rocker light switches; consider illuminated ones in select areas.

[Source: AARP]