45°
If youve ever listened in on a conversation among retirees, youll know that the thought of moving into a nursing home strikes terror in their hearts. Just about everyone would prefer to remain in his or her own home. And there are ways to make this happen. But first you have to call Amy Eisenberg.
My parents both needed a lot of help recently, says Amy, and they wanted to stay in their home. As baby boomers get older they will be facing challenges within their own homes. Anyone in a wheelchair will have trouble getting through doorways, going upstairs or reaching the upper cabinets in the kitchen.
There is good news, though, and its a new field in interior design called Aging in Place. Amy realized that many of her parents challenges had a solution, so she shifted the focus of her interior design business to helping older people or people with disabilities keep living in their homes. Every scenario is different, so I go into the home and evaluate what needs to be done. It could be something as simple as painting a bright line on a transition point, such as steps, she said. Or as complicated as redoing a bathroom in order to install grab bars.
Amy first became interested in interior design when she and her husband Mitchell Eisenberg did an entire house renovation in 2000. The process sparked an interest in creativity that hadnt been there before, she say, noting she comes from a family of artists. My mother was a very crafty person - I grew up making Christmas ornaments! She enrolled in the interior design program at the University of New Haven and took classes at night.
In addition to running her business, Interior Concepts by Amy, Amy Eisenberg is one of the designers who has turned Fairfields Burr Homestead into a magical winter wonderland for the Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival. Visit her room upstairs this weekend during the Festival and catch up on some holiday shopping at the same time.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
