Staying In Your Home: Aging In Place Remodeling Advice
Stay In Your Home: Aging In Place Remodeling Tips
Today's seniors and retirees are a completely different breed than past generations. They're active, many are in better physical conditions than their predecessors, and have given rise to the growing trend of remaining in their homes and aging in place.
However, the decision to age in place may require making some adjustments and remodeling to keep your home safe and functional. Many retirees will eventually face the physical challenges that come with advancing age like changing vision, and mobility problems being the top causes for concern.
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While many seniors are retiring and remaining in their family home, there is also a growing trend of multigenerational families living in the same household. Whether from need, or preference, families are increasingly opening their homes, whether its grown children who remain or return home, single parents sharing homes with their own parents, or elderly parents moving in with their grown children.
These changes in the structure and makeup of American households require taking a new look at design and architecture that addresses the needs of various age groups, from young children to senior citizens. Fortunately, there are many easy ways to renovate or remodel your home to accommodate aging in place for you or a treasured family member.
Here are some ideas for creating an aging in place home design that will remain functional, and safe for everyone living there.
Making Your Home Safe and Comfortable
this small hallway bathroom received an aging-in-place makeover to install a level-entry, barrier free shower.
While home improvements can be costly, it's often much less costly than senior living alternatives. A Basic unit in an assisted living facility can cost around $43,000 per year according to the latest survey by Genworth Financial. Whether you're remodeling to age in place in your own home, or for a loved one, adding aging in place designs can be a smart investment.
There are some relatively simple ways you can make your home safer for elderly homeowners or family members. One of the main areas that mobility can be challenging is in the bathroom. Simple renovations like comfort-height toilets, bath bars, step through tubs, and threshold-free showers can add safety and convenience in the bathroom making aging in place possible.
this special stairway was designed to be walker-friendly, allowing our client mary to safely traverse from her deck to her back yard. notice that it has handrails on both sides, so that whether walking on her own or using a walker, she is comfortable and safe at home.
Lighting is another area to consider. As we age, our night vision and sight can be compromised in darkened areas. Installing lighted switches or motion-activated lighting is not only convenient, but they also improve safety. Lighted cover plates and outlets make it easier for someone with vision loss to easily and safely find switches and outlets.
If your home's doors are less than 32 inches wide, you may need to expand them to accommodate a walker or wheelchair should you suffer mobility issues. When you widen doorways, consider switching any hardware and install lever-style doorknobs. Lever-style knobs don't require a twisting motion, which can be difficult for people with arthritis or other motion limiting disorders.
Flooring is another potential safety hazard as we age. Slip and fall accidents are the most common cause of injury in older people. Switching flooring from slick, hard surfaces like stone, to vinyl, linoleum, or cork can be more slip-resistant, and more forgiving in the event of a fall.
In the kitchen, changes like widening pathways, lowering countertops from the standard 34” height to 30” can make them more accessible and easier to use for someone using a wheelchair or scooter when preparing food. Also roll under cooktops, side-opening wall ovens, and side by side refrigerators make the kitchen more functional for older residents.
Universal Design
Aging in place design is a subset of a new architectural science known as “Universal Design.” The concept of universal design we born out of the changing makeup of the family as multi-generational family members may have different abilities from toddlers, to seniors.
Simply defined, universal design is a specialty design technique that works to create environments and products that can be safely and comfortably used by everyone living in the home, regardless of age or ability, with no adaptations or functional changes.
In the US today, multi-generational households and the number of seniors choosing to age in place in their own homes is increasing. If you're planning on remodeling look to the future and work with a design-build firm that offers universal or aging in place design. It's worth the effort. By incorporating universal design principles, your home will be suited to the needs of everyone in the home whether you're choosing to age in place, or for multi-generational households.
If you're considering remodeling your Madison, Wisconsin area home, call the design experts at Degnan Design Build Remodel at (608) 846 – 5963.
We work with our clients to provide them with the functionality they're seeking, with a focus on every member of the household. We can incorporate universal design principles into your project to keep your home safe and functional for every member of your family, regardless of age or ability.
This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 3/19/21.