Ron SmithPublished on AIP - Assessing a Home for Aging in Place Features - finding that forever home!
In this article, I’m going to talk about buying that forever home. The community that you are looking at should have easy walkability or an excellent transportation system for shopping, going to the doctor or visiting friends. Social opportunities and support groups should be plentiful. These are important considerations since isolation is often one of the most significant problems for seniors as they age.
So, if the community checks out, what should you look for in choosing your new home? Ideally you will be looking for a single-story home with easy access in and out of your home with zero step thresholds to minimize future problems with steps, walkers or wheelchairs. The landscaping should not create any additional barriers to navigation.
If you have your heart set on a two-story design, you don’t need to necessarily despair, but consider future problems navigating stairs. To be safe, you should have a first-floor bedroom and full bath or a staircase that has enough width for handrails on each side and can support the future installation of a chair lift. Stair treads should be no greater than 7 ¾ inches in height and 10 inches deep. Well-designed homes for aging-in-place may provide for the future installation of a residential elevator by collaborating with elevator companies regarding specifications and stacking appropriately sized closets one above each other to provide for the necessary elevator hoist way.
In all home designs you will want to have an adaptable design with a suitable footprint for wider doors (min 36”), wider halls, lever door handles, backing boards in the walls around showers, toilets and halls for the installation of future grab bars or safety rails. There should be an open floor plan with limited obstructions. Other features to look for include lowered switches and raised outlets for use by wheelchair bound residents.Due to changing vision, the home should have suitable colors, extra lighting and contrasting finishes in flooring changes or at the countertops to assist with depth perception.In the bathrooms, a walk-in shower/wet room, comfort height toilets and skid resistant tile surfaces.Lower air returns make it easier to change filters. LED bulbs and 10-year smoke alarm batteries will help to keep you off of dangerous ladders.
Kitchens generally can be retrofitted if needed with variable height cabinets and counters, pull out shelves, shallow sinks and under cabinet lighting. However, the initial installation at the time of construction, of rounded edge countertops, a pot filler, a counter height microwave, front mounted controls on the cook top and D-shaped cabinet/drawer pulls can save future costs.
Having these features in place in the purchased home greatly reduces the cost of future renovations since they are dependent on the actual construction of the home. Many other features can be added at reasonably low cost in the future as they are needed. Builders are now introducing some of these features in their newest designs. You can also ask your builder for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) certified house adaptations. For example, if you install the backing boards in the walls only and not the grab bars, most people will not notice the changes that you made to your new home.
Finally, consider the possible need for a live-in space for a future home care assistant or aide. Casitas, upstairs bedrooms or above the garage apartments can be very helpful in providing for such accommodations.
