🦺
KELLY NESBITT
Design, Consulting, Artistry
Adaptable Abodes, LLC
Think of us as your Interior Designer for Accessibility and Wedding Planner for Aging Well.
✨ AdaptAble Abodes, LLC helps people stay safe, independent, and comfortable at home. We specialize in home accessibility, aging-in-place, and creative housing solutions - from remodeling and retrofitting to new construction, relocation, and shared living arrangements.
✨ With a holistic, client-centered approach, we design age-friendly, accessible spaces where people of all abilities can live and age well.
✨ We also provide project management and care coordination through a trusted network of professionals - including builders, designers, contractors, real estate experts, healthcare providers, and elder care specialists - to ensure smooth, stress-free planning and execution.
✨ Our services extend to litigation support, offering expert Occupational Therapy consultation, functional and cognitive assessments, and objective home evaluations for guardianship, personal injury, and elder law cases in Oregon and Washington.
📍 Based in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington - also available virtually.
Kelly Nesbitt OT/L, CAPS, ECHM
Adaptable Abodes was founded by Kelly Nesbitt, an Occupational Therapist and Home Accessibility Specialist with over 25 years of clinical experience in neurology, gerontology, and ICU care, paired with nearly two decades of hands-on experience in home remodeling and accessibility retrofitting.
Kelly is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) through the National Association of Home Builders and holds the Executive Certificate in Home Modifications (ECHM) from the University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Kelly is currently completing a Certification in Geriatric Care.
Through Adaptable Abodes, Kelly brings together her clinical knowledge and design expertise to create accessible, people-centered living environments - offering thoughtful planning, personalized guidance, and collaborative solutions that support independence, safety, and dignity at home.
Services
🏡 Home Modifications & Accessibility
Personalized safety assessments and accessibility upgrades - from grab bars to lifts to elevators - with contractor-ready specs that go beyond ADA standards.
🛠️ Project Management for Home MODIFICATIONS
Comprehensive support for planning, budgeting, and coordinating kitchen and bath remodels—from start to finish—to meet accessibility and aging-in-place goals.
🧭 Care Coordination & Advocacy
Support for individuals and families navigating healthcare, aging services, home transitions, and long-distance caregiving - backed by a trusted professional network.
⚖️ Expert Consultation for Legal Professionals
Expert Witness Services, Occupational Therapy Functional & Cognitive Assessments, Care Needs Evaluations, and Objective Home Modification Reports to support guardianship, personal injury, and elder law cases in Oregon and Washington.
📚 Aging-in-Place Education
Workshops, planning, and presentations on fall prevention, home safety, smart technology, and creating accessible living spaces - ideal for 55+ communities.
🏘️ Creative Housing Solutions
Consulting on shared housing, multigenerational living, co-housing models, and landlord-occupied dwellings to expand possibilities for how we live and age together.
🎨 Universal & Inclusive Design Collaboration
Partnering with architects and design/build teams to create spaces that are beautiful, functional, and accessible for all ages and abilities.
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Occupational Therapist in Oregon # 1036721
Certified Occupational Therapist in Washington # 60952325
Executive Certificate in Home Modifications - ECHM
Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist - CAPS
Abides by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) code of ethics
Member Home Modification Occupational Therapy Alliance
Member Portland Area Rental Owners Association
Member Home and Community Therapist Network
(Sexy red grab bars by PONTE GUILIO)
Portfolio
&
Reviews
Before / After
Photos of renovation projects
The Tower of Power.
New construction, hybrid timber frame, double decker art studio, backyard speakeasy performance space, tiny home, 10-12 footprint, 25ft eave, seasonal plumbing (sink/toilet), electric heaters, mini fridge, ceiling fan, and 50 amp panel. Portland, Maine.
Project manager; Kelly Nesbitt, Designer; Rachel Conly @ Juniper Design, Construction; Greg Gilman & company
IN-LAW SUITE
Remodel and new addition construction, 3 room, single level studio, 500 sqft.
Project manager; Kelly Nesbitt, New Addition Designer; Das Chapin Design, Construction; Mark Pendergrass & company
REVIEWS
Design Review
"Kelly was instrumental in helping us make design choices when building my mother's casita.
After my father passed, my husband and I decided to transition my limited mobility elderly mother to our home. Soon after, we recognized we needed our own spaces and plans for an ADU to suit her needs quickly began.
Though new building codes already mandated certain ADA accessibility requirements, we quickly recognized that we needed a more customized plan. Kelly gave us a detailed list of design requirements specific to my mother's needs, including: appropriate flooring selections, lighting considerations, floor layouts that would accommodate a future live-in caretaker, specific shower bar adaptations, design layouts that would create clear pathways, AND SO MUCH MORE.
We were able to pass this detailed list on to our architect, who was able to incorporate these accommodations into our final design. We are super grateful for her insight and guidance. Her input saved us thousands of dollars and time in what would be future renovations." - Dee Roberts - 10/2024
(ADU seen in photos, first floor is her mother’s casita apartment)
Landlord 101 Review
“I will be the first, of what will undoubtedly be many, glowing reviews.
Not only have you provided a beautiful home for me during my time as your tenant (so much so that it was hard to leave), but you have also been a wonderful thought partner as I became a homeowner myself.
And then, to top it off I got to be your first pro client as I moved toward renting property.
Seriously y’all without Kelly I would have truly been lost as I navigated my first few weeks as landlord. She got me hooked up with all the applicable form templates, guided me to resources, and informed me of regulations and factors of which I should be aware.
Right out of the gate I was thrown a significant curveball with a prospective tenant that put me in a sticky situation, and Kelly coached me through it like a f**king boss!! I felt so supported and beyond grateful for her guidance.
You have found your calling Kelly, and I am so happy for you. 🥸🦺”
- Jamie Townsend 10/2024 (person smiling on right)
Aging in Place Review
Virtual Assessment & Consultation for an out of state, only child, family member Jean Christ.
Home Share Review
Meet Marty.
Company mascot.
Referrals are Appreciated!
Please share my services with friends, builders, contractors, architects, designers, gerontologists, housing specialists, life care planners, senior real estate agents, property managers, senior advisors, elder attorneys, adult children of aging parents, and relevant community organizations.
Thank you!
RESOURCES & EDUCATION
complex environmental modifications: An occupational therApy perspective.
By Goldhammer, T 2024. Journal of Nurse Life Care Planning.
LISTEN TO THE “ON POINT” RADIO EPISODE ABOUT BOOMMATES
High housing costs are pushing more Americans to find roommates, including baby boomers and empty nesters. We take a look at the growing trend of intergenerational living and ask could ‘boommates’ help ease the housing crisis?
LEARN about HOMESHARE ORegon
Homeowners share their spare room. Renters have a truly affordable place to call home.
EXAMPLE OF ANOTHER HOME SHARE SUNSHINE HOME SHARE COLORADO
Learn about AVA HOUSING (HOUSE SPLITTING)
This is an innovative Home Share model in Dublin, Ireland. They provide access to grants, project management and support services to older homeowners who wish to adapt their home to provide space for a rental capacity upstairs.
JOYFUL PLACES - WATCH TRAILER HERE
Joyful Places is a potential upcoming TV show series that follows former occupational therapists Gretchen Kingma (realtor) and Tiffany Dill (designer) as they find and renovate homes for people with disabilities and their families, a demographic set to explode as the Baby Boomer generation reaches old age.
An Age-Friendly Ecosystem is a comprehensive framework that integrates age-friendly policies, environments, and services to support healthy aging, independence, and social inclusion across all aspects of life.
These ecosystems recognize that aging is influenced by multiple interconnected factors and strive to create inclusive, supportive, and accessible communities for older adults.
Note:
Please note that this page is under construction and will be more accessible and user friendly. I encourage you to return for updates!