Kent County's Trusted Aging-in-Place Contractor

Central Delaware’s Growing Need for Accessible Homes

Kent County sits at the geographic and demographic heart of Delaware. With Dover as both the county seat and the state capital, this is a community built around government, military, and agriculture — industries that have kept families rooted here for generations. The county’s population has grown steadily over the past two decades, driven in part by retirees relocating from northern Delaware and the Philadelphia suburbs who are drawn to lower property taxes, a slower pace of life, and affordable single-story homes.

That growth has created an urgent need. Kent County’s population over age 65 is expanding faster than the state average, and the housing stock — while newer than what you find in Wilmington or Newark — still was not designed with aging in mind. Accessible Solutions serves every community in Kent County with the full range of aging-in-place services: ramps, bathroom modifications, grab bars, stairlifts, home renovations, and durable medical equipment.

Dover and the Dover Air Force Base Community

Dover is defined in many ways by the Air Force Base that sits on its southeastern edge. Dover Air Force Base is the largest aerial port of embarkation in the Department of Defense, and thousands of active-duty service members, retirees, and veterans call the surrounding neighborhoods home. Many of these veterans are aging into disability, dealing with service-connected injuries that affect mobility, balance, and daily function.

For veteran families in Dover, Smyrna, Camden, and Magnolia, we provide accessibility modifications that can be funded through VA HISA grants in addition to Delaware Medicaid. The intersection of these two programs means many veteran families can have extensive work completed at little or no out-of-pocket cost — a ramp for the front entry, a roll-in shower in the master bathroom, grab bars in every hallway, and a stairlift if the home has a second level.

We understand the military community. Our team works with the VA regularly and knows how to navigate the authorization process efficiently. When a veteran’s needs are urgent, we prioritize accordingly.

Ranch Homes and the Illusion of Accessibility

Kent County’s housing stock is dominated by ranch-style and single-story homes built during the construction booms of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. At first glance, these homes seem ideal for aging in place — no stairs to the bedroom, no second floor to worry about. But single-story living does not mean accessible living.

The typical Kent County ranch has a combination tub-shower in the main bathroom with a 16-inch step-over height that becomes a fall risk the moment someone’s balance deteriorates. Bathroom doorways measure 24 to 28 inches — too narrow for a wheelchair and tight even with a walker. Front and back entries have two to four concrete steps with no railing or a decorative railing that cannot support body weight. And hallways connecting the bedroom to the bathroom are often just 32 inches wide.

These are not design flaws. They are the standard residential construction of their era. But when a family member develops mobility limitations, every one of these features becomes a barrier to staying safely at home.

Our modifications address each of these issues systematically. We convert tubs to barrier-free showers with built-in seating and hand-held showerheads. We widen doorways to 36 inches to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. We install modular ramp systems at exterior entries to eliminate steps entirely. And we reinforce and install grab bars at strategic points throughout the home based on how the resident actually moves through their daily routine.

Serving Smyrna, Milford, and Every Community Between

Kent County stretches from Smyrna in the north to Milford in the south, with Dover at the center and a patchwork of smaller towns and rural communities filling in between. Harrington, Camden, Wyoming, Felton, Frederica, Houston, Farmington — these are small communities where families have often lived in the same home for decades.

Our Middletown headquarters is centrally positioned to serve the entire county. Crews reach Dover in approximately 25 minutes, Smyrna in under 20, and Milford in about 40. That proximity ensures we can schedule assessments and installations without the long lead times families experience with contractors traveling from out of the area.

For the rural properties that characterize much of Kent County outside the Dover metro area, we bring additional expertise. Manufactured homes and modular homes require different attachment methods for ramps and grab bars. Older farmhouses may need structural reinforcement before modifications can be safely installed. Properties with well water and septic systems require different plumbing approaches for bathroom conversions. We assess all of these factors during Ray’s initial home visit.

Navigating Delaware Medicaid in Kent County

Kent County has a higher percentage of Medicaid-eligible residents than the state average, yet many families never take advantage of the DSHP+ waiver for home modifications. The program provides significant coverage — substantial funding that covers most common accessibility projects.

A typical Kent County Medicaid project might include a bathtub-to-shower conversion ($3,500 to $5,000), a modular ramp at the front entry ($2,000 to $4,000), and grab bars in the bathroom and hallway ($500 to $1,200). Spread across two or three authorizations, the DSHP+ waiver can fund a comprehensive accessibility transformation for a single-story home without the family spending a dollar out of pocket.

As a certified Medicaid provider, we manage every piece of the process. We complete the assessment documentation, submit authorization requests, coordinate approval timelines, complete the installation, and invoice Medicaid directly. Families in Kent County already dealing with the stress of a loved one’s changing health should not have to become experts in Medicaid billing.

Built for the Long Relationship

Accessible Solutions is not a company that installs a product and disappears. We are a licensed Delaware contractor who builds a relationship with every family we serve. In Kent County, where people tend to stay in their homes and their communities for the long haul, that relationship matters.

The grab bars we install this year may lead to a bathroom conversion two years from now, and a ramp installation after that. Each time, the same team arrives — a team that already knows your home’s construction, your family’s situation, and what has been done before. There is no re-education, no starting from scratch, no coordinating between three different contractors.

Ray Petkevis conducts every initial assessment personally. He will walk your home, listen to your family’s concerns, and provide a clear recommendation tailored to your specific situation and your home’s specific construction. There is no charge for that visit and no obligation to proceed. It is simply how we begin every relationship in Kent County.