Radon Check For Aging in Place

Action is the real measure of intelligence.

— Napoleon Hill

Aging in Place

Radon in 2025: The Silent Threat to Your Aging-in-Place Plans

You can’t see it. You can’t smell it. You can’t taste it.
Radon is an invisible, radioactive gas that could be silently endangering your home—and your future.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., right behind smoking, according to the Surgeon General. What’s more alarming? It’s the #1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The EPA estimates over 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-related lung cancer—nearly 3,000 of them never smoked a day in their lives.

The Risk Is Real

You’ve spent time, money, and effort making your home safer for aging in place—grab bars, smart lighting, 24/7 alert systems, home modifications—yet radon is rarely part of the conversation. That has to change. A home contaminated by radon is no safe haven.

If you or your loved ones are planning to stay in your home for the long haul, radon testing is non-negotiable. You wouldn’t ignore a smoke alarm—don’t ignore this silent killer.

How to Protect Your Home

1. Check Your Radon Risk Zone

The EPA has a helpful map that identifies areas at high risk for radon.
🔗 Check Your Zone Here (EPA Radon Map)

2. Hire a Certified Radon Professional

Get a licensed radon test. They’re quick, affordable, and could save a life.
🔗 Find a Radon Professional Near You

A Meaningful Gift: Give a Radon Test

Looking for a practical gift for a parent, grandparent, or loved one?
A home radon inspection could be the most life-saving gift you ever give.

It’s especially important if:

• They smoke or used to smoke

• Grandchildren visit frequently

• They live in a basement-level unit

• They are planning to age in place for the long term

Children may be even more vulnerable to radiation damage due to their higher respiration rates and fast-growing cells. No grandparent wants to risk a grandchild’s health.

Aging in Place Isn’t Just About Grab Bars

We install walk-in showers, secure loose rugs, and upgrade lighting—all in the name of safety.
But if you haven’t tested for radon, you’ve left a major threat on the table.

When your CAPS professional walks through your home, ask them to include a radon conversation.
Your independence, your health—and your family’s—might just depend on it.

Radon and Aging in Place

Radon is invisible, you can’t see it, smell it, or taste it, therefore your senses can’t alarm you and your family to the risk! It is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that may be a problem in your home. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.

The Threat by the Numbers

It’s clear your desire for remaining Independent is at risk if that “forever home” is contaminated by Radon. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.

Get Your Home Checked

Aging-in-place professionals talk about home safety in terms of the built environment and in-Home support services, we warn about the perils of living alone, and tout the benefits of aging-in-place/smart home technology, yet seldom do I hear anyone mention radon. This is as important as any universal design kitchen or 24/hr. alert button is worn around the neck. Get your home checked period. This should be an essential part of any Care-at-Home Plan.

Steps

1. The EPA provides maps of Radon Zones around the country–check to see if your home is in a hot zone by clicking the link here: Radon Zone Map

2. Find a Radon Professional in your area by clicking the link here: Radon Professionals

To Review

We lock our homes at night, use smoke detectors, remodel for bathroom safety, leave on nightlights, eat right, don’t smoke, exercise, seek out technology, visit the doctor, and countless other measures to ensure successful aging in place in the homes we love–yet a silent killer could end it all…

Be savvy–get your home checked when you have that CAPS professional do a checklist run through the home. You’re Independence might just be at stake.

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VIDEO PSA

IDEA: Give a Radon Home Check as a gift to a Loved one!

Note: If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, you’re at high risk for developing lung cancer. Scientific studies of radon exposure indicate that children may be more sensitive to radon. This may be due to their higher respiration rate and their rapidly dividing cells, which may be more vulnerable to radiation damage–No Grandparents would want grandkids exposed on visits.