There are many things to consider when looking at making a home more accessible and safer for all those who live in the space including those choosing to age in place and preparing for visitability. Some of the areas to concentrate on are the entry ways, hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, and stairways.
Some specific suggestions to help increase the comfort, safety and accessibility of the home include:
There are so many things that can be incorporated into the home to make it safer and more visitable. The above list is just a small taste of what steps to consider in making safer, more accessible choices for the home. Some good references include the AARP site and the NKBA. CAPS Professionals are also trained to help make the home safer. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. Take care.
I want to ask you if your home is visitable. Could your aging parents or a friend who may have mobility issues come for a visit and be comfortable in your home?
Time for a little bit of visualization here: I want you to imagine walking around with a pair of dark glasses that have been smeared with Vaseline all over the lenses. Now also imagine a tennis ball in your hand with a sock over it and on top of that, imagine ear plugs in your ears. Have a good mental picture of what all that would feel like? These are just some of the ways that a person with macular degeneration, arthritis and hard of hearing has to deal with on an everyday basis. Now, imagine having to navigate around your current home with these impairments. Could you do it comfortably? How about safely?
How many of you have heard of Universal Design and Aging in Place? What do you think of when you hear these words?
Are you planning to remain in your home after you retire? How do you envision yourself in retirement? Do you plan to have an active retirement? Aging in Place remodeling focuses on remodeling for easy living, comfort and visitability. It is design that is practical, functional, and efficient and yes, even beautiful. It is about making your home more livable now and in the future.
A study by the AARP surveyed home owners who are in their 50’s and more than 85% plan to stay in their current homes as they age. In addition to that, an ASID survey revealed 77% of the Baby Boomers plan to remain in their current homes during their active retirement years. With our current lifespan expectation, we can plan to spend one third of our lives in the active retirement years.
Aging in Place in not just for old people, it is about creating an attractive and stylish space that everyone, regardless of age, size or ability can live in or visit. It takes into consideration the fact that as we age, our needs and abilities change. The physical environment is a major factor in independent, active living. Some of the factors in aging can affect and interfere with vision, strength and balance issues. For instance, as we age, out eyes become more sensitive to glare, color discrimination becomes more difficult and our eyes don’t adjust to changes in lighting readily. When there is a loss of strength, our posture becomes more slumped and we tend to shuffle more as we walk. Our strength is limited as is our ability to reach things up high or down low.
These are some of the concerns that are evaluated when designing for an active retirement lifestyle and Aging in Place. Specific areas include evaluating the home as a whole. Could the home be modified so that all of the main living areas like the kitchen, the master bedroom, an area to entertain and a full-size bathroom all be located on the main floor? Stairs are hard to navigate as our knees get older. Thinking about doing some remodeling now? Consider making design choices that will age gracefully and incorporate them into your plans now – in all likely hood it will be cheaper to do it now rather than having to go back and do it in the future on a single item basis.
More Elements of Universal Design include a zero step entry to the home either through the garage or the front door. Safety is a priority too. Wide hallways of at least 42”, doorways that are 36” wide provide for maneuverability. Reachable controls and switches (light switches) are more accessible in the 42-48” above the floor range and electrical outlets at the 18-24” above the floor range. Things like easy to open door levers rather than door knobs, D-shaped cabinet handles, lever style faucets, rocker light switches are all accessible options. All of these are little things that make such a difference in convenience. Even things like a raised, front loading washer and dryer and a raised dishwasher are much more convenient. Kitchens that have varied height counters and pullouts and lazy Susan's for storage make good design choices. Showers that have built in seats or benches and even comfort height toilets are all convenience items but are also universal design elements.
Consider areas like the kitchen, the bathroom and hallways. Consider the future uses for these areas and plan for low maintenance and comfort. So many things can be done in the kitchen and bathrooms to make it easier to navigate and certainly safer. We aren’t just talking about grab bars here. There are many wonderful products on the market that provide comfort and beauty that are universally designed.
Having Universal design products and features in your home is being proactive and forward-minded. It is design that makes sense. Universal design itself is the design of environments that are usable by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation without the need for adaptation or special design. It embraces safety and convenience.
Aging in Place, active living retirement designs are not a one size fits all situation. There is no one way to make universal design work, the key is to take your individual needs and situation into account and plan for the future. The design needs to provide for flexibility and functionality. Aging in Place is about active living and designing a practical, functional and efficient space that looks beautiful and is easy to maintain and promotes safety and comfort.
I welcome your comments. Take care.
The smart and forward thinking thing to do is to consider including aging in place options or universal design choices in any remodeling you are going to do. Not all accessibility remodeling includes grab bars in the bathroom. By investing in some simple design options that contain accessibility elements, you will be practical in securing your future and your family’s future. Chances are that as we live longer, the chance of experiencing a debilitating accident or other mobility or sensory impairment increases.
I spent two full days last weekend completing Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS) training. The idea of designing and adapting a home so that everyone, particularly those who desire to remain in their homes as they age, is an important subject just beginning to gain interest in home buyers minds. Aging In Place has a rather negative connotation but in reality, it is forward thinking and smart to invest in. Aging In Place is related to Universal Design. What specifically is Universal Design? Many times, the notion of grab bars and those big bathroom stalls come to mind but that is just a small part of Universal Design. Universal Design itself is a great thing: it is the notion of accessibility for all, not just the handicapped or wheelchair bound population. In home remodeling and design, it is the idea of making the home as accessible (read easily navigated, intuitive, and easy to figure out) as a space possible. The idea of Aging In Place takes this notion and makes it even more personalized to those who live in the home.
Aging In Place design takes into account the safety and comfort of those living in the space. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be a senior yourself, it could be that you have a friend who comes by and you would like your home to be visitable. Maybe you have an aging parent that sometimes visits or maybe something has happened and an aging relative is going to live in the space with you or you, yourself have become limited in some way and you would like to make your home more comfortable and livable now and down the road. Aging In Place Design helps to create a space that makes living easier, for you and for someone coming into the space.
You have probably noticed that our population is aging. Baby Boomers (born between 1947 and 1964) are entering the stages in their lives where they are considering the future: their future and even their parent’s futures. Many Baby Boomers are becoming their parents caretakers and some are just looking ahead to prepare their homes so that they can retire in their homes comfortably and safely. Aging In Place takes these concepts into consideration and provides some basic guidelines for safety and comfort. It should be noted that each living situation is separate and unique and can not be evaluated just from this article but there are a few things that should be considered basic design considerations when looking to either re-design the current living situation or evaluate a new living situation.
Some things to look for or consider when evaluating a home for safety and comfort include:
· At least one entrance that is on the level (no steps to navigate)
· The entrance that will be used should be at least three foot wide
· The hallways to the main areas like the kitchen, living, bathroom and bedroom areas should be at least three feet wide.
· There should be ample lighting or the ability to add extra lighting in the hallways, kitchen, bathrooms, and living areas.
· A master bedroom and bathroom on the main floor is a good idea or the ability to add one in the future if circumstances require it.
The above items are just a few of the things that should be considered if choosing to remain in the home for the long term. The AARP site has a link to locate a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) who can help you specifically with your own home design recommendations. Each family has unique needs and situations that can be evaluated. Those trained in this particular area have extensive knowledge that can help you with your needs. Not all recommendations and Aging In Place modifications require extensive remodeling. Remember that Aging In Place is really about making your home safe and comfortable for you and everyone in your home.
There are several things your home should have if you are planning to age in place or live in for any length of time. Some things can be adapted after you live there and there are some things you should look for when planning to purchase a home. I am going to cover some home-buying tips for aging in place considerations.
One of the first things to look for is ease of access: are you able to enter the home without having to go up or down stairs? Main floors should be accessible in at least one location without a step entry. If there is a change in level at an entry, make sure there is a ramp accessible with a very shallow grade.
Another thing to look for are the location of your activity areas like eating, sleeping and bathing areas: are they on the main floor so you are able to get to these areas without having to navigate stairs? Also consider the laundry and utility access. My parents have to go down a steep flight of stairs to get to the laundry and the furnace/water heater areas. Not convenient and necessitated the need for a stair lift. Some houses now have residential elevators installed in them but this is a pricey investment.
Take a look at the finishes that are throughout the home: are they easy care and safe for you as you get older? Take a look past the glamour and think ease of maintenance and safety for yourself in the future. You are going to want something that you don’t have to take care of all the time just to keep it looking nice. Tasks will become harder to do as you age and if you can’t do them, you are going to have to pay to have them taken care of and your finances may not be as fluid as they may be right now. You should think about your safety too. Your
bones will be more brittle and you probably won’t be as spry as you are right now.
Consider where things are located and if you will be able to get to them as you age: are the doors wide enough that if you were confined to a wheel chair or if someone had to help you, could you fit through them? Doors should be a minimum of 32” wide but for good measure, try to choose a home that has 3’ wide doorways. You will be very happy with your choice in the future. Don’t forget to make sure the doors have lever handles and the cabinets have U-shaped handles. Make sure you can lock your doors from a seated position too.
The above considerations are just a few of the main things to consider when choosing your home to grow up in. The AARP has some great information on accessibility and aging in place considerations- check them out. Choose your home wisely and with an eye to the future. I am more than happy to help with evaluating your home, please feel free to contact me: alesha@aechurba-design. I welcome your comments. Take care.