“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” (Maya Angelou) 
“It’s like putting a puzzle together, arranging the pieces to make a perfect picture.” (Emma Auriemma-McKay)

Several years ago, as retirement from my 25 year medical career was approaching, I was about to be living alone in the large suburban home where my family of 6 had lived for over 2 decades. I needed to downsize to a new home for my post retirement years. In the psychological and financial turmoil that came from this need to move, the possibility, that in the future I might need to  safely age in place, was not on my radar. As it turned out, post-retirement turned out not to be retirement but two pivots into a second and third career. Each of these pivots required adjustments to my physical environment because I had not made a long term plan for making my home work effectively for me.

I invited today’s guest, Emma Auriemma McKay, to help us explore the concept, and the reality, of home as a safe place from the two different perspectives illustrated by my story. First is the consideration of your home as a place where you will be able to live safely and comfortably as you age. The second is looking at how to evaluate your home as a place where you can live, play and work in a way that will accommodate and mitigate the demands on your mind and body that may come with aging.

 As a licensed Architect, interior designer and LEED certified professional, Emma began her 35 year career working with international architectural and interior design firms in New York, Los Angeles and Europe. She had experience on projects ranging from residential, commercial, to 5 Star luxury hotels. Working on the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, the Four Seasons and Mandalay Bay in Ls Vegas, and the Pan Pacific Convention Center in Vancouver gave her exciting opportunities to design restaurants, extravagant lobbies, executive offices and hotel rooms. Emma’s architectural practice now focuses on residential projects. She realized how important it is for homeowners to have a guide when they do their home remodel, and created a digital resource, The Ultimate Home Remodeling Blueprint, which guides homeowners through the process of remodeling to get what they want and avoid costly mistakes. She is the author of the “Homeowner’s Guide to Stress-Free Remodeling and  hosts two podcasts, Stress-Free Remodeling and Real Estate Professionals.
In this conversation we discuss the importance of the home environment in keeping us healthy. We look at the physical and structural elements of a home, the non-visible elements such as hidden toxins, and  the social and aesthetic aspects that may profoundly affect mood and emotions.

To Contact Emma:
StressFreeRemodeling@gmail.com

Websites:  https://StressFreeeRemodeling.com for Homeowner’s online program   
Podcast: Stress-Free Remodeling  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stress-free-remodeling/id1438998766

Book a call: https://calendly.com/emmaauriemma/30-minute-conversation

Gift: 7 Hacks for a Lucrative Home Office http://www.StressFreeRemodeling.com/7Hacks

Transform Any Home Into Your Dream Home
http://www.StressFreeRemodeling@gmail.com

To Contact Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Schedule a Living Younger Discovery call with me at https://calendly.com/askdrgill/discovery-phone-chat 

Order your copy of Growing Older Living Younger: The Science of Aging Gracefully and The Art of Retiring Comfortably at http://www.gillianlockitch.com