Back-Up Generator for Aging in Place Home Installations
Richard Acree
So you have made the effort to modify your home to allow you to live in your home longer, rather than moving to assisted living. Great! But what happens if the power goes out? All those home modifications that require electricity are not going to work. This can include oxygen generators, key biometric monitors, an electrical home hospital bed, an electric scooter, heating and air conditioning, charges for your smart phone, and power to charge up your electrical car. Unless you have a back-up home generator for your electrical system, you could be stuck in a dark home without these critical components of health care. The image above is representative of a backup home generator.
A permanently installed home backup generator protects your home automatically. Some models run on natural gas or liquid propane (LP) fuel, and sits outside just like a central air conditioning unit. A home backup generator delivers power directly to your home’s electrical system, backing up your entire home or just the most essential items. Some systems now come with a mobility link allowing you to monitor the status of your generator on a phone, tablet or computer from anywhere in the world.
Automatic Operation
For some models you don't worry about having to be there to start and turn off your home backup generator because it does that automatically--whether you're home or away.
Refueling Not Necessary
Some home backup generators run on your existing natural gas or LP fuel supply. You can save the gas cans for your other outdoor power equipment.
Vendors
The following vendors are known to offer backup generators at the time of this article. This information includes the name of the company, headquarters locations, and annual revenues. Check them out and see which one works best for your needs.
SUMMARY: Bad things happen to good people. If you have modified your home to allow you to live there longer and avoid moving to assisted living, make sure you have a backup electric power generator in case the power goes out. We all depend more and more on electricity to keep out home devices running. This is especially critical to disabled individuals living at home.
A Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) can help you decide which backup home generator is best for you. Richard Acree is a CAPS consultant with many years of experience as a home inspector and accessibility inspector. For more information about aging in place services please see Residential Accessibility.
Please call Richard Acree at 615-752-0060 to discuss your needs for aging in place home modifications.