Evolving Homes Jax

01/15/2026

Every year, the AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP booth CES gets bigger and bigger with more innovative solutions to help people living with physical challenges.

This year, I was really excited to get a chance to try Cadense shoes for myself and meet founders Tyler Susko and Johannes Sauer.

What’s their secret? They are battling a rehab clinicians nemesis…. Friction!! Comfort Linen

In the video, you can see they have found the holy grail of providing both grippy shoes AND friction free shoes that reduce falls when the toe catching on carpet in the swing phase.

For anyone who knows how much I value both form AND function, the best part is that those superpowers are completely hidden in a normal looking shoe and not with an ugly, stigma-generating plastic AFO!

And btw, if you’re a clinician, they have a special program where they’ll send you some to try for yourself. Definitely plan to see for yourself.

And if I haven’t convinced you yet to try them, I’ll throw out the big name of former AOTA president Alyson Stover, who is on their advisory committee!! 😂

For more information about Cadense, here is their website:
https://cadense.com/

12/29/2025

Do you want alpacas to come give you a kiss? Yes, please?!

Today’s outing to Shady Rest Alpacas was the most amazing and fun experience EVER!!

If you’re in Jacksonville, FL, you have GOT to check this out! (Plus, you’re supporting a women-owned, small business!!) Jacksonville Business ConnectionsJacksonville MomWomen Business Owners of North FloridaJAX Chamber Professional Women’s Council - PWC Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens

So grateful that a co-worker told my husband about this hobby farm where passionate owner Trina is caring for alpacas who need a home! The tour is super reasonable at 60$ for a group of 5 and the money used to help cover the cost of the $$ food!

We learned so much on the tour about alpacas and she did such a great job keeping the 5 yr old in our group engaged and interested in learning more!

The best part is getting to feed and pet these sweet creatures, including getting kisses!! Every alpaca has their own hip hairstyle and personality that was so fun to discover!! Highly recommend!!

For more information, check out the website:

https://shadyrestalpacas.com/

12/18/2025

EVERYONE tried to talk me out of narrating this book myself.

People said, “Carol, why would you want to spend HOURS in a recording studio when AI can replicate your voice and have an audiobook on your desk by lunchtime?!”

My answer?

Because authenticity matters.
Because human connection matters.

I created this book to support real people caring for real loved ones. I wanted people to hear my authentic voice and feel my positive energy radiating from the book.

I wanted people to share in the excitement that ANY little change is to be celebrated because it’s one step closer to being a better version of you.

I wanted people to feel like I was sitting right there with them, on the couch, in their living rooms as I talked through what my noticed as we went from room to room.

AI can’t do that.
Link to book: https://amzn.to/41ePsCK

12/10/2025

Proper hydration is the easiest way to prevent falls caused by weakness, orthostatic hypotension and urinary tract infections.

Just like a car, our bodies don’t run well if they don’t have the enough lubrication.

The key is to make drinking water the EASY choice and that’s why water bottles are one of my favorite gifts to give.

And they don’t have to cost a lot! I found all of these for under 30$

If you’re looking for more data and ok with spending a little more, water.io is an AgeTech company that comes with an app to track water intake for 99$.

For more holiday ideas, my YouTube channel has videos from previous years as well as recorded holiday gifts webinars:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpDfYD_PiVNswEDtoJak1BEw0U7xdwJwk&si=4OglZgv5SAIk66k_

My book is also full of product ideas and I’d available on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble’s, Books A Million and bookshop.org.

https://amzn.to/41ePsCK

And btw, if you’re stuck in a long line, it’s a great time to work on your strength and balance by standing on one leg!

Happy shopping everyone!!

12/02/2025

Employers can support their valuable workforce by providing expert guidance on how to build healthy exercise habits NOW and urge their employees to create safe home environments early on in their careers.

Early intervention strategies are cost-containment strategies for both families and employers.

A safer home today can offset tens of thousands of dollars in future long-term care costs. A healthier workforce is a more productive workforce. And supporting employees who are juggling caregiving responsibilities is one of the most powerful retention tools a company can offer.

How can I help?

I’m an author, podcast host, and international speaker on all things Aging in Place. I blend clinical expertise with real-world strategies that move people from worry to action. As a former Olympic-caliber athlete and Urban Poling Master Trainer, I specialize in breaking down movement and motivation into doable, confidence-building steps.

My work is rooted in practicality and empathy. I’ve spent my career helping people age with independence and dignity.

I’m building out my 2026 schedule and open to a limited number of fractional partnerships to help organizations:

• Build proactive aging-in-place awareness
• Support employees who are current or future caregivers
• Improve workforce health through sustainable habit-building
• Reduce long-term cost exposure by promoting early home modifications

If your organization wants to support employees before they hit crisis mode and create long-term savings in the process, I’d love to connect!

I offer:

• 1-hour keynote talks based on my book
• 3-hour Aging-in-Place workshops
• Full-day employee wellness events
• Ongoing fractional guidance tailored to your workforce

Let’s start shaping a healthier 2026 together!

11/22/2025

“A warmly reassuring primer on environments that foster graceful aging. Seniors and their families will find here a splendid blueprint for planning a more comfortable and fulfilling retirement.”

I took a big sigh of relief when I saw the positive review done by Kirkus. I had been warned that reviewers could be quite brutal but today… it made my day!!

My book was not only well reviewed but it was also given a starred review, which is awarded to the top 10% of most exceptional books reviewed!

This also means that my book will is now in the running to win the Kirkus prize at the end of the year:) fingers crossed!

Next week is Thanksgiving and this is a PERFECT time to be having discussions with your loved ones on how planning for the future saves so much stress, hassle and most importantly, money!! Here’s the link if you’re interested in reading the full Kirkus review!

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carol-chiang/age-in-place-or-find-a-new-space/

This holiday season, consider giving the gift of knowledge to your loved ones or including my book in your holiday gift basket.

07/16/2025

Imagine waiting until your child is 17 years old to start thinking about how you’re going to pay
for college. That would feel completely insane, right? Yet that’s exactly how most people approach aging in place.

They wait until their joints are bone on bone before they see a doctor.

They wait until their spouse is burned out from caregiving before looking at respite options.

They wait until they have fallen before agreeing to install grab bars.

Listen, aging is a given, like death and taxes, so any proactive planning you do now will pay off in both dollars saved and quality of life preserved!!

And just like planning for college, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to know how much to save if you don’t know how much it costs to make your home aging-in-place-friendly.”

This chapter is one of my favorite ones in my upcoming book “Age in Place or Find a New Space: How to create beautiful spaces that promote meaningful interactions.”

The True Cost of Aging in Place was inspired by the interactions with finance professionals since being invited by Dr Coughlin in 2023 to speak at the Planning for Longevity Aging Network (PLAN) Forum.

There, I had the chance to meet finance professionals from all across the country and have the opportunity to share how incredibly important their role is in the Aging in Place conversation.

In my talk, I distinctly remember saying, “I can have 100 ideas on how to solve a client’s problem but if they haven’t planned financially for aging, my options can easily become 5 not so good options!!”

The collaboration between healthcare professionals and financial planning professionals is a match made in heaven. I’m headed to Singapore today for my book launch next week and in the next week or so, it will be available an Amazon store near you!

If you want to be notified when the book drops, you can sign up at this link: https://mailchi.mp/566c97f2d5d3/age-in-place-or-find-a-new-space

07/04/2025

I have been writing this book in my head for years since a young OT I was mentoring said, “This is totally impossible to write everything you’re telling me down. I am just going to need to find a way to download everything in your brain into mine!!”

Since Elon Musk’s Neuralink needs a few more years to mature, I started putting words to paper last fall:)

As I reflect on my life, I have to smile at how accurate Erik Erikson’s proposed Stages of Psychosocial Development turned out to be. When you’re in your 20s, it’s really hard to imagine what you’ll be like 30 years from now.

But now … I get it.

Erikson’s Generativity stage typically aligns with midlife, defined as ages 40 to 65.

Generativity is about wanting to contribute to something that will outlast you whether that’s raising children, mentoring, creating meaningful work or leaving a broader legacy.

People in their 50s become more focused on giving back and making an impact. That’s where I stand today.

I’m full of hope that the “different way of thinking” ideas I present in this book can contribute to a bigger shift in mindset.

I would like the opportunity to help people of ALL ages see the incredible value of starting home modifications as early as when you buy your first house.

When you do that, you get to enjoy the benefits of those changes throughout your lifetime and decrease the financial stress when you can make changes slowly, spreading out the costs, hassle and burden over decades rather than all at once if you have an urgent need.

The goal should be to constantly re-evaluate your priorities and keep your life goals clearly visible so that you can be intentional in where you spend your time.

When you prepare miles ahead of a need, you will end up having way more time to do meaningful things in your life that will leave YOUR legacy.

10/31/2024

“Turning over is easier when I use the sheets and PJs together. Without them, turning was such a struggle if I could do it at all. My hubby and I both sleep better”.
- M.M. - Polio survivor with weakness

This is just one of HUNDREDS of testimonials that users have shared with so many of them reporting life-changing effects on their independence.

Last week AGE-WELL one of my favorite products to help with bed mobility Linen was recognized by keynote speaker Carter from Carter Group (Japan Market Resource Network) as an exceptional product.

Dominic Carter talked about how after participants from their Living Best - Ageing with Technology community were introduced to this, the participants hounded HIM about when they could get their hands on this incredible textile tech that was so simple but so effective!!

I discovered Comfort Linen many years ago when a person with Parkinsons patient of mine told me about how his struggle to move in bed was solved overnight by a sheet and PJ set that reduced friction. I just had to know more!! American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists

I fell in love immediately w founder McGovern. Her energy, passion and drive to “just get her product out there to help people!!” was so infectious that to this day, I continue to be her #1 fan!!

But I remember when that patient first told me about this solution — it made sense in my head but I just couldn’t picture how it would work.

Isn’t it the same as satin PJs? (No, totally different textile tech)

Wouldn’t I just slide off the bed like my patients that use satin sheets?? (No, there is a nonslip bumper)

Will the PJs function like furniture sliders where it’s basically a potato sack that slips over my regular PJs to help me move?? (No, the attention to detail and softness of the fabric makes these super luxurious!!)

These are all reasons why I made this visual clip to demonstrate the use of comfort linen sheets. Check it out — I know that it will make a lot more sense after you watch this!

If you want to try it, this is a 15% off discount for my patients:

https://comfortlinen.com/EVOLVING15OFF

Simple yet efficient solutions like this are the backbone of the IIX Care Hub that we are launching later this year.

If you are a clinician who wants to learn more about great products like Comfort Linen, I invite you to pre-register your interest to get all of our updates!

https://iix.care/iix-care-hub/

Intelligent | Care Hub

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“Honey, would u just give me a good shove so I can get out of bed?”This is not the ideal way to get out of bed but it is a reality for people with Parkinson’...

10/28/2024

“Is this room full of occupational therapists today?? My OT students are always cheering, hugging and clapping for EVERYTHING!!”

I had a serious belly laugh after hearing Alex Mihailidis ask this question on stage last week at the AGE-WELL conference.

The answer? Yes we do and we love it!!

is about therapeutic use of self so we cheer for ANY step that makes us a little bit better or stronger. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA

OT entrepreneurs especially lift each other up in hopes that ideas survive to make our communities better.

I got to do both cheering and supporting last week as fellow Home modification OT Courage from Incluzia was named the winner of Agewell Impact challenge!!!

Marnie’s platform MyHomeFX offers personalized home accessibility and safety recommendations for individuals and their caregivers. It also has a pro version for OTs that provides automated assessments and reports to help us provide efficient care and effective home modifications.

have so much knowledge from decades of recommending products to patients.

iIX Care Hub was created as a solution to my need to understand what options are available to recommend to patients, how they are different from each other and more importantly, how to know if they actually work like their marketing messages say they do!!

IIX Care Hub is also my answer to how we can document and archive our valuable OT ideas in a searchable way so that future generations of OTs can reference these ideas no matter where they live in the world.

If you are finding it difficult to know where to look for solutions for your patients or you are still throwing a dart and posting on Facebook forums for ideas, I invite all OTs (and all other medical professionals!!) to join this IIX Care community so you can share what your favorite products are and why!

If you want to learn more about my idea on how to bring visibility to the value of OTP, here’s a link to follow:

https://iix.care/iix-care-hub/

There is an option to pre-register so you can be first to be notified when the IIX Care Hub is live!

Intelligent | Care Hub

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HMOTA-Home Modification Occupational Therapy AllianceNext LEVEL Occupational Therapy Beyond 1% Mastermind for Healthcare Professionals Reina Olivera OT Karen Koch Kara Kettering WelkeAnthony MaritatoGreg Todd Trish Williams Margot McWhirter Home Modification Collective Melissa Rodriguez Sue Doyle Debbie Fennell Hendrix Krista Frahm Emily Serbin April AG Florida Occupational Therapy Association Iowa Occupational Therapy Association Occupational Therapy Entrepreneurs Occupational Therapy New Grads and Students Occupational Therapy Educators

08/01/2024

“What do swimmers think about when they’re on the blocks? NOTHING.”

I had to laugh when I heard this interview with Katie Ledecky because it’s 100% the truth!!

When I remember my swimming years McGill University the best races were always the ones where I only EXPERIENCED the moment vs thinking about it.

You are officially in the zone when you only remember feeling the roughness of the starting block and the weight of your arms hanging loosely.

You are listening intently for “Take your mark” and then after a moment of complete silence, the pool erupts in a giant explosion of energy. It’s exhilarating.

Planning to Age in Place has so many parallels to this experience of preparing for the race of your life.

It’s deliberate. It’s planned. It’s a commitment.

By the time Olympic-level athletes climb up on that starting block, YEARS of preparation and hard work have been poured into figuring out what the best training method is for them and purposefully choosing activities for the best outcome possible.

It’s not unlike the work that I do now coaching older adults to plan ahead for Aging in Place.

You have to figure out what your goals are, what you’re willing to sacrifice and what works best for YOU.

It is a lot of effort and hard work but in the end, you’ll know it was all worth it when you are 100% ready to perform!!

For a triumphant Katie Ledecky, that front end work resulted in another gold medal swim last night.

If that is the future you envision for yourself, reach out to me at Evolving Homes Jax

It’s my passion to empower homeowners to start EARLY to make cost conscious decisions that will ensure they live their best lives!





Hilary Hendershott Carolyn McClanahan Laurie Morgan Lee WBONFL Members

07/01/2024

“Five Things You Should Know About Universal Design” webinar was named one of NKBA’s Top 5 Webinars of 2023!!”

This was exciting news given to me and my fellow panelists Becky Dowd Wright Janet Engel Evanson Brooks from last year’s talk!

It’s July again and that is Universal Design month at the National Kitchen And Bath Association.

This year, I’ll be talking about what Smart Home Technologies can support Aging in Place.

Why is this an important area for design professionals to learn more about?

9 out of 10 people know they plan to age in place but they need help to figure out how that looks in real life.

We have a shortage of trained staff that can help to take care of our older adults as their needs increase.

However, technology is one of the ways that we can support independent living and delay the need for higher levels of care!

Now, keeping up with the newest trends in tech can feel like running after a bullet train because things change so rapidly.

And you’ll always hear me say that I don’t have all the answers but that shouldn’t stop us from trying. Instead, I encourage everyone to keep learning and work on building that foundation of knowledge so that we can serve our clients better!

To simplify things for my clients, I have 4 main goals I teach people to focus on:

1. Aim to decrease the risk of falls or injuries through environmental changes or technology supports

2. Create flexible spaces that can accommodate any future life situations or welcome differently abled visitors

3. Minimize home maintenance needs and preventing problems to reduce $$ repairs

4. Knowing who can support you if the technology needed is too overwhelming to manage on your own.

If you are among the many professionals that clients ask to make recommendations for their Aging in Place spaces, I encourage you to sign up for my free webinar that is open EVERYONE, not just NKBA members!

Here’s the link to register: https://nkba.org/learning/webinars/best-smart-home-technologies-for-aging-in-

My goal is to minimize the obstacles to implementation by providing a space where your immediate questions can be answered in real time so in addition to my portion of the talk, I have invited 4 of my favorite solutions ROPOX Airmada Drying Solutions Systems to be guest experts on the Q&A session after the talk to answer the “How much? Where to buy? How to install?”

This problem is barreling towards us all faster than you may realize so I want to move away from the theory phase and get started quickly on implementing an action phase. I hope you will join me on July 16th!

Back Design Best Smart Home Technologies for Aging in Place When:July 16, 2024 | 12:00 PM ETCEUs: 0.1Register your information Name(Required) First Last Zip(Required) Email(Required) I would like to opt into third party communications *I would like to opt into third party communications.(Required) Y...