The volunteer team that "built a bridge."

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they need help from others to build a bridge to overcome a hurdle. It is an honor to help someone achieve a goal, and this is a story of bringing a family back together by making it possible to be safe, comfortable and secure in their home.

The Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition was formed in1985 to create permanency in foster children’s lives by recruiting and retaining high-quality foster and adoptive families.

The State of Missouri has approximately 1,400 children waiting for an adoption or placement; 500 of these children are in the St. Louis Metro area. The average time they stay in foster care before being placed in a permanent home or “aging out” is 26 months. Many foster children arrive in school with impairments due to prenatal drug and alcohol exposure. Furthermore, foster children are estimated to lose six months of emotional development with each new placement, and these children average one or two placement changes a year. So a 14-year-old with four lifetime placements is closer in age, emotionally, to a 12-year-old, which is a challenge for learning and relating.

The Coalition’s Extreme Recruitment® program works exclusively with the hardest-to-place foster children – those age 10 and over, sibling groups, and youth with special emotional, behavioral, or educational concerns.  By rearranging the way child welfare professionals work together, the program is able to place 70% of children in permanent homes (compared to a 40% national average) and reconnect 90% with a network of safe, appropriate family members who will become lifelong supporters.

The home before construction of the accessible ramp

Ian Forber-Pratt is on of the Coalition’s Extreme Recruiters, and is involved with an adoptive foster family facing an extreme challenge: 2 of their 4 adoptive/foster children have a degenerative disease which makes it physically difficult to get in and out of the house. The daughter had just been removed from the home because of this accessibility problem, and the son was facing the same fate. The family needed a ramp to keep the son at home and bring the daughter back where she belonged.

At the beginning of June, David Singer, owner of Warehouse of Fixtures and Junior Board Member of the Care Coalition, sent an e-mail to Judy Mosby, co-owner of Mosby Building Arts, seeking a solution that would bring the family’s daughter back home.

David explained they had architectural drawings provided by Nathan Bavolek of Nathan & James Company; would Judy know of a skilled carpenter who would lead a group of volunteers in building this much-needed ramp?

Judy Mosby Tells The Story

“David told me about the trials the foster mother has been through just to make this ramp happen. She was born blind, but with the loving support of her family, she obtained her teaching degree and taught blind children in the special school district, a career she left a year and a half ago to care for her 4 adopted foster children full-time.

“So, Mom took her application and money, and walked up to the City Hall with her cane and told them, ‘I need a ramp for my baby to come home. Will you help me?’

“With a building permit in hand, she bought all the materials for building the ramp with money from a savings account she set up just for this project. She made several attempts to line up labor to install the ramp, and they all fell through. For instance, a non-profit group offered to help, but the fee was too high and it was a 2-year waiting list. A church group offered to build the ramp until learning the project was too complicated for them. Another group was rained out on start day, and rescheduling had become impossible.

“All of these delays caused one daughter to be removed from the home, and the son’s worsening conditioning was moving him toward the same fate. Even though neighbors were helping her to bring him in and out of the house, it was becoming too much and time was running out, and the emotional toll was unbearable.

“After hearing the story, I wanted to make the ramp happen that day! I immediately went to our Energy Auditor (and former draftsman) for help with drawings and he immediately said ‘yes!’ I then asked one of our Project Managers, Rick Henson, who not only said ‘yes,’ but ‘Let’s do it next Wednesday.’

“Rick stopped by the family’s home to talk about the ramp, take a look at what materials were already on hand and what else would be needed, and immediately put together his crew. The Mosby angels who banded with Rick to build the ramp were Doug McCauley, Ryan Lane, Brian Brocco and Eric Fick.”

Mosby volunteers (l-r) Doug McCauley, Rick Henson & Ryan Lane

“Come the following Wednesday, after 8 hours of working on their own jobs, the Mosby crew converged on the family’s front yard to begin building a deck. They were joined by the Coalition’s Junior Board members Jenny and Kevin Reid, Ryan Blackburn, Kristen Weber, and of course, David Singer, who made this possible.”

“With building knowledge, skills, tools and enough hands, they completed the ramp structure and decking from 4 – 9:30 PM. The railings were all cut and left for the volunteers to attach over the coming weekend.”

Rick Henson & Brian Brocco building the ramp.

The decking is almost done

As the sun sets, the support posts go up

At sundown, everything is done but the railing

“As we stood in the dark looking at what had been accomplished in 4.5 hours, the eldest daughter came out onto the front porch and in an angelic voice sang ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ for all of us, and thanked us for helping her family to stay together.  I still tear up when I think about what a powerful and gracious moment that was.”

And here is the completed accessible ramp

“I just received this photo from Ian, showing us that they did put up the railings over the weekend, and the accessible ramp is now complete! Mom can now get her son in and out of the home with much less effort than before. The Mom’s spirit of ‘getting things done,’ is infectious, and we are so honored to be a part of building a bridge that keeps this family together and growing strong.”

For more information or to donate time or resources to The Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition see http://www.foster-adopt.org/

This Sunday, June 6, 2010, Scott Mosby will be at the Home Modification Fair, sponsored by the Bond County Senior Center. This event takes place from 12 – 5 p.m. at the Bond County Health Department, 1520 S. 4^th Street in Greenville, IL 62246.

Scott Mosby, who is a Certified Aging In-Place Specialist, will share his knowledge of how to modify our homes to eliminate potential obstacles and focus on functionality, comfort and style. His presentation begins at 1 p.m.

On stage with Scott will be Greenville community pillar Robert Gaffner, who recently remodeled his home for accessibility with Mosby Building Arts. Robert will share the experience of undertaking an accessible design project and how these changes have improved his quality of life and productivity.

Also on hand at the Home Modification Fair will be members of Scott’s deep bench of professionals ready to answer your questions. Look for the Mosby Building Arts display, and talk with Consultants about 50-Plus living features (like grab bars and improved lighting) that will make yours a home for a lifetime.

Click to learn more about the Beauty of 50-Plus Living.

This event is open to the public. For more information and directions, please call 618.664.1465.

Aging tends to happen to us gradually, a gentle changing of perspective and priorities, but there are key moments that make it apparent we’ve aged: that one day it became difficult to read the ingredients on the soup can label, and realizing those treks up and down the stairs while doing laundry are a bit trying.

Changing eye sight can be corrected by a good optometrist, while the laundry problem is solved by a professional remodeler certified in accessible design, because the key to the laundry room is not the chore itself, but where it’s located.

In the older homes in the St. Louis metropolitan area, laundry areas are historically in the basement, which means walking the stairs multiple times to attend to the loads, and as we age that becomes a load on our knees.

Every time we go up and down the stairs with a basket of laundry it compromises our safety and our joints. It also becomes harder to hear the buzzers sound, so often our clothes sit too long in the washer or dryer. You can eliminate all these hassles by relocating the laundry room from the basement to the ground level.

This logical solution is what accessible design is all about: eliminating potential obstacles in your home by focusing on functionality and comfort.  Before you decide which location on the first floor would make the most sense for the new laundry room, contact a Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS) to assist in determining the best area for plumbing, efficiency and durability.

The goal of accessible design is to change standard features to make them more convenient for you to use. For instance, in the laundry room, the ultimate convenience is a front-loading washer and dryer mounted on a raised platform, which saves you from bending over.  If space is limited, the dryer can be mounted atop the washer, and this vertical treatment frees up more floor space.

Cabinets with a countertop at hip height makes folding clothes so much easier, and a laundry sink and ironing station can also work much better at a taller height.  All work stations in the room should be tailored to your present needs and future considerations.

A combination mud and laundry room (above) is a popular and convenient feature. By installing a ceramic tile floor to withstand moisture, and by increasing storage for jackets, shoes and personal affects, this area can quickly become the most used and highly functional place in your home.

The Mosby Building Arts accessible design project shown above brought the laundry room up from the basement into a new addition built on to the rear of the garage. One end is for laundry while the other end of the room serves as a mini-kitchen with a refrigerator, pantry, cabinets and countertop. The homeowner added a dining table, and it is now the place where she spends the most time because it connects to the garage and kitchen, has views to the backyard patio and gardens, and all the natural light makes it a pleasant place to take care of paperwork or read a book while doing her laundry.

Mosby’s Home Life Planning services will bring accessible living into the home you already love and keep it your home for a lifetime. And the Certified Aging In-Place Specialists at Mosby Building Arts elevate accessibility to the next level by emphasizing seamless style and design so that your home looks as great as it functions. To explore 50-Plus living options, call Mosby at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

For those in their Golden Years, a common concern is the seemingly inevitable life transition of leaving your longtime home for a retirement community. Add to this major dilemma an unsure housing economy, and the concern becomes all the more perplexing.

What if you could turn your existing home into the ultimate version of the retirement villa you would envision? Would you stay in your home if it met all the wants and needs of your life?

A recent AARP survey found that over 80% of people over 60-years old desire to stay in their own homes for the rest of their lives, meaning they prefer to age in place. Typically, the aging process is blamed for many problems we encounter with daily activities, when, often, it is the home that creates the difficulties.

Homes geared to younger adults do not properly support the physical and sensory changes we experience as we age. With even minor aging changes, an insignificant home feature can have significant effects. For instance, a change in lighting can change how well you see in your own home.

50+ living is all about independent, barrier-free comfort and function.  Accessible design benefits all the generations of family and friends who come into your home, and it will be as beautiful and stylish as you desire.

Interior Accessible Design Success Story

A St. Louis County couple had been in the same home for decades.  They had raised a family there, and their children and grandchildren all lived nearby.  Nearing retirement, they realized that they wanted to stay in their own home within their community, and worked with Mosby Building Arts on planning their home for life.

Working with a Mosby Certified Aging In-Place (CAPS) designer, they reviewed current needs and future concerns and decided to make the master bathroom their first accessible design project because this where we tend to first notice changing capabilities.

To look at this bathroom, you would not immediately know that it’s accessible, but it certainly is.  The His & Hers bathroom vanities have single-lever faucet handles for ease of use, and are separated by a chair-height counter top with open space below.  This can accommodate a chair now or a wheelchair if needed in the future.

The toilet is of taller height than average which makes sitting down and getting up much easier, and a stylish grab bar to the right adds to the ease of use. The push-button control pad mounted to the vanity controls flushing, heating and lid functions.

The walk-in shower has a low-clearance threshold, multiple brushed, coordinated stainless grab bars, a handheld shower wand and a retractable teak wood bench mounted to the wall.

See more photos of this accessible bathroom project.

Exterior Accessible Design Success Story

A long-time Mosby Building Arts client is currently vibrant and active, but is thinking ahead by teaming with Mosby to create a long-term plan for her home. Mosby moved her laundry room from the basement to a new ground floor addition off the garage, and even built new, shallow steps for easier access from the garage to the house (above).

She is also a veteran gardener with a gorgeous backyard, so Mosby came up with designs to make her outdoor living just as accessible as indoors.  The Mosby CAPS team designed and built a new patio with a lightly textured concrete surface for better traction, and a screen porch with a zero-clearance entry from the patio so that a walker or wheelchair can pass with no difficulty.

Her favorite feature is the concrete ramp that leads from the patio down into the garden.  She already enjoys how convenient the lack of steps is, which highlights how so many accessible design features just make good sense for everyone who uses them.

See more photos of this accessible outdoor living project.

Other features that add mobility and beauty to outdoor living include increased lighting, raised flower planters and beds, raised height water spigots and wide sliding or French doors leading out to the area. When done properly, nothing looks out of the ordinary because it looks extraordinary.

Mosby Building Arts has three CAPS team members – including Scott Mosby who was the first national CAPS ambassador – who are certified and experienced at helping you live more comfortably in your home for life. To explore your accessible design options, call 314.909.1800 or contact Mosby here.

50+ living in your own home is all about independent, barrier-free comfort and function.  It’s a form of accessibility that benefits all the generations of your family and friends who come into your home, which is why it is also known as Universal Design.

Remaining in your home requires thinking about how your life is currently, and what your needs might be for the future.  This is where a Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS) can assist you with the questions, designs and remodeling you will need to turn your house into a home for a lifetime.

Interior Accessible Design

A St. Louis couple had been in the same home for decades.  They had raised a family there, and their children and grandchildren all lived nearby.  Nearing retirement, they realized that they wanted to stay in their own home within the their community, but wanted to explore how to prepare the house for the years ahead.

Working with a Mosby Building Arts CAPS designer, they reviewed current needs and future concerns and decided to make the master bathroom their first mobility project because this where we tend to first notice changing capabilities.  Standing in the shower, the low height of a toilet bowl or operating the hot and cold taps on the sink becomes a bit more difficult.  There are many functional solutions to all of these issues, but it should also be attractive so that we are inspired by our surroundings.  Or as we say about all our CAPS remodeling projects: “Mobility Is Beautiful!”

To look at this bathroom, you would not immediately know that it’s accessible, but it certainly is.  The His and Hers bathroom vanities have single-lever faucet handles for ease of use, and are separated by a chair-height counter top with open space below.  This can accommodate a chair now or a wheelchair in the future.

The toilet is of taller height than average with a grab bar to the right which makes it easier to access, and comes with a push-button control pad mounted to the bathroom cabinet.

The walk-in shower has a low-clearance threshold, multiple brushed, stainless grab bars, a handheld shower wand and a retractable teak wood bench mounted to the wall.

See more photos of this accessible bathroom project.

All of these accessible master bathroom items can be used now for ease of use and security, and should there be a time when they need these features, having them already in place helps with these changes.  And at all times, it is a beautiful space that is already enhancing their lifestyle.

Exterior Accessible Design

We have a remodeling client that we’ve worked with on previous mobility projects.  She is currently vibrant and active, but is thinking ahead and prefers to be prepared.  We have moved her laundry room from the basement to a new ground floor addition off the garage, and even built new, shallow steps for easier access from the garage to the house (above).

She is also a veteran gardener with a gorgeous backyard, so we came up with designs to make her outdoor living just as accessible as indoors.  We designed and built a new patio with a lightly textured concrete surface for better traction, and a screen porch with a zero-clearance entry from the patio so that a walker or wheelchair.

Her favorite feature is the concrete ramp that takes one from the patio down into the garden.  She already enjoys how convenient the lack of steps is, which highlights how so many of the universal designs just make good sense for everyone who uses them.

See more photos of this project.

Other features that add mobility and beauty to outdoor living include increased lighting, raised flower planters and beds, raised height water spigots and wide sliding or French doors leading out to the area. When done properly, nothing looks out of the ordinary because it looks extraordinary.

Mosby Building Arts has three CAPS team members – including Scott Mosby who was the first national CAPS ambassador – who are certified and experienced at helping you live more comfortably in your home for all your days.  To explore your options for beautiful mobility, call us at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.

Jake models the dog ramp he shares with Molly.

We design spaces for everyone in the family, including the pets.  When it comes to getting from the deck to the backyard, dogs have different needs than humans, so we originally designed the deck stairs (to the left in the picture above) to be a little shorter in height for the shorter legs of basset hounds.

How a space functions for the users is of utmost importance, and after observing the dogs’ using the stairs, it was decided that a ramp would be an even better solution!  Another feature we added was a separate gate for both the human stairs and the dog ramp.

The king and queen of this household love the ramp, and so do their humans!

While taking pictures of the finished project, Jake was kind enough to demonstrate how it works for the camera.  You can see the rest of this outdoor living project here.

For those 60+ years of age, a major life transition is leaving your longtime home for a retirement community. Add to this major decision an unsure housing economy that can delay selling your house, and it can become difficult to follow through on your plans.

A crucial step in switching to an independent- or assisted-living community is selling your home so proceeds from the sale can finance the new place. Nationally, retirement communities are reporting drops in occupancy that tend to mirror the percentage of unsold housing stock in their areas. On a personal level, this means people who want a home that matches their changing needs are left in a frustrating holding pattern.

Should you find yourself in this odd situation, here is something to consider:

What if you could turn your existing home into the ultimate version of the retirement villa you are considering?

Would you stay in your home if it meets all the wants and needs of your new lifestyle?

An AARP survey found that over 80% of people over 60-years old desire to stay in their own homes for the rest of their lives, meaning they prefer to age in place. Typically, the aging process is blamed for many problems seniors encounter with daily activities, when, often, it is the home that creates the difficulties. Most homes are geared to young healthy adults so do not properly support the physical and sensory changes we experience as we age. For a person with even minor aging changes, an insignificant home feature can have significant effects. For instance, a change in lighting can change how well you navigate your own home.

We understand how the aging process changes the way you feel about and use your home, and we know how overwhelming the list of questions and concerns can be. We have two Certified Aging In-Place Specialists (CAPS) on our team (including Scott Mosby, who was the original CAPS national ambassador) who can work with you to explore all your options. Together, we will create a plan that is beautiful, functional and satisfying.

At this point in time, it can be a better investment to remodel your existing home to suit your needs than waiting a long time to sell your house for less than it is worth. If you love everything about your neighborhood, and wish you did not have to leave, then this is exactly why you should talk with us. We are certified and experienced to keep you comfortable, vital and productive in your own home.

February 7, 2007
International Builders’ Show
Orlando, Florida

It was a sunny, 75 degrees outside the auditorium where Scott stepped up to receive an honor from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), who designated him the Certified Aging In-Place Specialist of 2006. The award was presented by Beverly Koehn and CAPS board chairman Bill Owens. Scott spoke for about 2 minutes in front of 250 industry professionals and peers, and his words at that time bear repeating:

“I believe we all share the desire to remain independent and live in our homes for the long term. Living independently throughout all phases of our lives is a universal desire, therefore we need universal design in our homes. I applaud all the CAPS professionals who remodel homes to nurture and support homeowners.

“People of all ages are likely to discover this important need for universal design features in our homes when we experience a mishap, accident or sports injury that alters our physical ability. Imagine being on crutches, a walker or wheelchair as you move from your garage through your home. Everyday things like narrow halls and doorways, bath fixtures and light switches can – over night – become barriers for mobility.

“Often, life events create an immediate need for adapting your home to a new mobility standard. I am part of the national network that will take care of you should that sudden need arise. But what is just as important is educating people on why universal design features should become a standard building and remodeling feature. Preparing our homes for all abilities is important now, before we need them.

“I am committed to the CAPS mission of designing & remodeling our homes to assure an independent lifestyle for as long as possible. Building universal features into our homes provides each of us with self reliance. CAPS professionals have the solutions that allow us to be proactive throughout all phases of our lives, and I thank the CAPS Board of Governors for acknowledging just how important this subject is to me and the industry I represent. I am grateful for the honor.”

“As I go through the aging process and notice my changing capabilities, I understand how important it is to empower people to live a productive life,” observes Scott Mosby. “I use every chance I get to promote the opportunity for people to think ahead in their lives and prepare their homes for all levels of ability and mobility.”

Because of this outlook, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Board of Governors of Certified Aging In Place Specialists (CAPS) have appointed Scott Mosby the CAPS Designee of the Year.

In a congratulatory phone call to Scott, Bill Owen (CAPS board chairman), said that in a year with a lot of great nominees, Scott was like “cream rising to the top with all your great endeavors” in promoting and educating both the industry and the public on Aging-In-Place and Universal Design.

There are 5 CAPS trained and certified people at Mosby Building Arts, and we are active in educating people on how to remain productive and happy in their own homes as their capabilities change with age and health.

Scott consistently spreads the knowledge on how to prepare your home to serve you forever through his company’s website, his KMOX radio show and public speaking at several home builders’ shows.

On February 7^th in Orlando, Florida, Scott will be presented with the CAPS Designee of the Year award during NAHB ceremonies at the 2007 International Builders’ Show. We at Mosby are so proud of Scott for earning this honor, and getting the chance to soak up some Florida sunshine in the middle of the winter!