Make home life easier for the elderly and disabled
By Dede Ginter
After years of rambling around in a multi-level house, John and Polly ? a retired teacher and an artist ? bought a 1,200-square-foot condominium in a retirement community and, before the ground was broken, made plans to adapt it to their current and future lifestyle. The couple wanted to ensure that the floorplan would remain open to accommodate any potential physical needs, yet retain the feel of an artist´s loft.
As a result, it is designed to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) code and incorporate principles of Universal Design throughout the apartment. There are 3-foot-wide doors and hallways, and counter and vanity tops remain open underneath for wheelchair access. In the bathroom, there´s a roll-in limestone and slate shower equipped with stainless-steel grab bars.
This creative use of space and materials was so successful that the developer used many of his ideas in the 400-unit condominium complex. Photographs of the apartment and floorplans can be seen in "The House to Ourselves: Reinventing Home Once the Kids are Grown," by Todd Wilson and Tom Connor (The Taunton Press, hardcover $35.00. Available in paperback, November 2005, $24.95).
Like John and Polly´s developer, many homebuilders ? taking a cue from aging Baby Boomers, the oldest of whom are now 59 ? are rethinking the way they design homes. And according to real estate and consumer journalist Broderick Perkins, these principles are also easy to apply to home improvements.
"Home designs for people who are older and designs for people who have disabilities more and more often incorporate Universal Design techniques that appeal to a large cross-section of age groups and to those with a range of physical abilities and special needs," says Perkins.
Universal Design isn´t a new concept. It´s the work of Ronald L. Mace, an architect and wheelchair user who helped start the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University. In the 1970s, Mace and others developed Universal Design principles that can be applied to both new and existing homes to broaden a structure´s accessibility, usability and safety for all household members ? from children to retired adults and people with disabilities. 
- Compensate for reduced range of motion: Place electrical switches and thermostats no higher than 48 inches above the floor and electrical outlets no lower than 27 inches, which puts them within reach of every family member.
- Compensate for reduced strength: Adjust the tension to assist opening and closing screen and cabinet doors, place rolling storage carts under counters, use easy-gliding hardware on drawers, and install sink and bathroom spray attachments with extra-long hoses.
- Assist mobility and agility: Ramps, wider doorways with lower thresholds, swing-clear door hinges, levered handles and roll-in showers all help residents navigate their home.
- Help with balance and coordination: Use lowered beds, raised chairs and toilet seats; secure support objects near chairs, toilets and beds; install enhanced lighting.
According to recent surveys by AARP (www.aarp.org), the California Department of Aging (www.aging.ca.gov) and the National Association of Home Builders (www.nahb.org), most Americans would choose to remain in their own homes as they age. As a result, AARP has joined forces with the NAHB Remodelors Council to develop a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist program to address the number of consumers who will soon require home modifications. This population also includes families who have children with disabilities, adults with disabilities, Baby Boomers planning for the future, families who bring aging parents into their homes and people of all ages who think in terms of future needs.
While your home may not require all of the following modifications, these suggestions are designed to encourage readers to plan ahead.
Universal Design principles for bathrooms:
- Non-slip floor surface
- Non-slip bathtub/shower surface
- Grab bars around tub, toilet, shower (attached to wall studs)
- Hand-held shower
- Water controls reachable outside the tub
- Fold-down seat attached securely to wall of shower
- Anti-scald device on tub/shower water faucets
- Lever handles (not knobs) on sink and tub/shower
- Easy-to-reach shelf for soap, shampoo
- Easy-to-reach medicine chest (from sitting position)
- Toilet at least 17 inches from floor
- At least 18 inches of free space on side of toilet
Universal Design principles for kitchens:
- Kitchen near door where groceries are unloaded
- Non-slip floor
- Fire extinguisher within easy reach
- Cabinets with Lazy-Susans, adjustable shelves and pull-out features
- Chair-height electrical controls
- Microwave with touchpad controls at least 48 inches from floor
- Sink no more than 6 1/2 inches deep
- Sink with one faucet, not two
- Spray-hose on sink
- Dishwasher 8 inches off floor; button controls
- At least one counter 36 inches from floor with knee space underneath
- Countertops well-lit and clutter-free
- Side-by-side refrigerator with slide-out shelves
- Heavy pots and pans stored below counter
- Upper cabinets ideally 48 inches from floor
- Front controls on cooktops
- Oven door swings to side
Dr. Debbie Rose, co-director of the Center for Successful Aging at Cal State Fullerton, notes that as adults age, the possibility of suffering a serious injury from a fall increases dramatically. In California alone, each year 1.3 million older adults experience an injury due to falling.
A report issued recently by the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence at USC ? National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification, http://homemods.org ? shows that with adequate knowledge, falls can be prevented. Dr. Rose adds that all of CSUF´s certified FallProof instructors address the importance of making the home and its immediate surroundings safe.
"Participants are given a home safety checklist to complete and return to the instructor. Where the resources are available (see Editor´s Note, end of story), our instructors connect clients with home modification resources ? such as the nonprofit Rebuilding Together of Orange County: 714.667.8174 ? so that the home can be fitted with safety devices.
"We know that the FallProof program successfully addresses the intrinsic risk factors that contribute to falls (e.g., muscle weakness, gait, balance), but it is also important to address extrinsic factors, such as home and environmental safety, that also contribute to fall risk," says Dr. Rose. (drose@Exchange.FULLERTON.EDU)
- Try to keep all appliances within 6 inches of an outlet
- Try not to use extension cords
- Arrange lighting so lamps in each room can be turned on using a switch by the door
- When replacing a clothes washer, select a front-loading model
- Make use of natural light by opening curtains and shades during the day
- Place reading chair near window
- Consider using highest wattage, 3-way bulbs in reading lamps
- Install light switch at top and bottom of stairs
- Use night lights throughout the house
- Install smoke detector on each floor of house and outside each bedroom
- Keep fire extinguisher on each floor of home and an extra one in the kitchen
Editor´s Note: Planning a home modification? Contact the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Contractors State License Board, which has information on what you should know before you hire a contractor. Information: 800.321,2752 or http://cslb.ca.gov. Also, Independent Living Centers throughout California provide information that can help locate sources of modification funding for qualifying individuals: 800.390.2699. Or contact the California Department of Community Services: www.csd.ca.gov. Also, Rebuilding Together USA provides assistance to people who, because of physical limitation or low income, are unable to cover the costs of home repair. Programs are available in some 880 cities and towns. For details: (www.rebuildingtogether.org).
H&O
Dede Ginter of Fullerton is a senior contributor to Southern California Home and Outdoor Magazine.
Special touches for the 55 and older crowd
In a perfect world, we all would live in barrier-free homes ? homes that are convenient and serviceable regardless of a person´s age, abilities or physical challenges. Perhaps, in the future, contractors will be required to build more barrier-free homes. But according to Andrew Kochera of the AARP Public Policy Institute (www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility), "In the long run, it may be easier and less expensive to incorporate a number of architecturally friendly design features into new homes as they are being built3;such accessible design elements may play an important role in enabling older persons to age-in-place."
A recent report issued by John Burns Real Estate Consulting Inc.,(jburns@realestateconsulting.com) states that the demand for such homes is coming from the nation´s 70-80 million Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 and 1964, nearly one-third of the nation´s population.
Architect Richard Rosen, chairman of the NAHB 2005 Best of Seniors Housing Awards Committee, says that "the most encouraging trend (in senior housing) is the prevalence of Universal Design. Builders are including features like step-less entries, wider doorways and other features, not to mention providing more space in the kitchen and bath, along with Universal-Designed cabinets and fixtures. It appears that Universal Design is becoming part of the mainstream."
Information: NAHB Seniors Housing Council, 800.368.5242, ext. 8220. | 
