Universal Design

Listen up, Baby Boomers. It’s time we have a frank discussion about a touchy subject.

You’re aging. Sure, you might still feel like a teenager, but you’re not. You can’t sprint up and down the stairs quite so easily anymore. Your eyesight isn’t quite as good as it once was. And your muscles feel like they’re on fire after a bout of Saturday afternoon yard work.

Let’s face it. If you’re one of the 70 million Americans age 55 or older, it’s probably time to think about what kind of home will suit your needs as you approach 
your so-called golden years.

Even if you’re not thinking about it, building in-dustry professionals are. Baby Boomers are one of the largest segments of homebuyers today. Indeed, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the 55-plus age group will reach 85 million by 2014.

“Demographically today, people over the age of 65 make up 13 percent of the population,” says Carolyn Sithong, an Orlando" target="_blank">Orlando-based occupational therapist and Certified Aging in Place Specialist. “In the year 2030, this percentage will increase to 20 percent. That’s almost one in four people.”

Since people today are living longer and engaging in more active lifestyles, Sithong says, they should consider how to maintain their independence at home by creating environments that are accessible, safe and barrier-free.

Local builders and remodelers increasingly are taking into account the needs of the 50-plus age group by embracing the concepts of “aging in place” and “universal design.”

Aging in place is all about living in your home safely, independently and comfortably regardless of age or change in physical circumstances, according to the Jacksonville" target="_blank">Jacksonville remodeling company Sport Nobles Construction, which has three Certified Aging In Place Specialists on staff. ?

Universal design seeks to accommodate the needs of all mem-bers of a household, including people with limited mobility, the aging and children. Many of the principles are the same and the goal is to create environments that consider not only any disabilities 
that currently exist within a house-
hold but also those that may show up later in life.

Therefore, homes are being designed, constructed and remodeled to provide ease of mobility and access for people who are physically challenged and/or in a wheelchair. Features such as main-level master suites, wide doorways, curbless showers and bathtub grab 
bars, for example, can make a home 
safer and more accessible for older residents or anyone with limited mobility.

Even if you’re young and healthy, it’s a smart move to incorporate such features into your remodeling project now—especially if you expect to become one of the increasing number of multigenerational households, says Jacksonville" target="_blank">Jacksonville remodeler Frank Rodgers of Finial Builders. ?

“Some of the middle-aged Baby Boomers have parents coming to live with them,” Rodgers says. “They need to make their home more accessible for them. I’ve had a few requests over the last year to actually add structures for parents to live in. We’re designing 
those to meet aging-in-place requirements.”

Rodgers is a Certified Aging in Place (CAPS) Specialist. What does that mean? The National Association of Homebuilders, in conjunction with the AARP, created the CAPS certification, which identifies professionals qualified to make aging-in-place modifications.

The program has been design-
ed to ensure that graduates receive training in construction techniques 
as well as instruction on how to work with the aging and mobility-challenged population.

You can’t design one house to suit everyone’s specific lifestyle needs and physical challenges, of course. But a CAPS specialist is taught how to assess a person’s specific needs and make recommendations.

Sometimes builders work with an occupational therapist or a healthcare professional to find the best solutions for an individual or family. But many aging-in-place and universal principles are the same and will work for all members of a household.

A zero-step entry, for example, works well for a mother with a baby 
stroller. But it’s also handy for an 80-year-old with a walker. Grab bars in a bathroom are great for the elderly. But they’re also ideal for a pregnant woman or for someone who’s recovering from surgery.

Lowered light switches are accessible to someone in a wheelchair and to children while handheld showers are useful for homeowners who need to sit while they bathe.

A universally designed home will also include many user-friendly details such as levered door hand-
les, rocker light switches, single-lever faucets and kitchen cabinets with adjustable shelving. ?
Floorplans should be open, with wide hallways and wide entries that are covered and “step-free” to eliminate a trip hazard and allow easy access for wheelchairs.

Bathrooms should have ample space for maneuvering, with roll-in showers equipped with benches that can be folded up and out of the way. Adequate lighting is especially important for the visually impaired.

The kitchen also can be designed for easier navigation and access with elements such as microwave and refrigerator drawers, pull-out shelves and a lowered sink or prep counter with space underneath for a wheelchair.

It makes sense to lower thermostats, electrical switches, closet shelves and front-door peepholes to put them within reach of everyone, and to raise appliances off the floor. For the hearing-impaired, strobe smoke detectors can be installed.

Experts say it’s important to think about small details—such as a tiltable mirror in the bathroom or hinges that allow a door to open all the way—as well as bigger deals such as an elevator.

In addition, the main entry should have a bench or shelf next to the door so a person has a place to stack groceries or place purse long enough to unlock the door and a light should be positioned to illuminate the keyhole.

Local remodelers say home-owners sometimes hesitate to incorporate universal design features and products into their projects for two reasons: We don’t want to think of ourselves as aging; and we don’t want our homes to look “institutional.”

No need to worry—at least about the institutional part. Manufacturers of bathroom grab bars, handrails and other such products are catching on to that concern and are designing their offerings to be aesthetically pleasing as well as useful.

“There are plenty of (attrac-
tive) residential products out there,” Rodgers says. “And there are simple things that can be done with design that don’t make the house look like an institution or a hospital.”

Sport Nobles Construction says the company can add aging-in-place elements without making a family home look like a nursing home. For example, cabinets are available with fronts that can be popped off to allow wheelchair users access underneath. The fronts can then be snapped back on.

Although remodelers often try to disguise the unattractive aging-
in-place features, some design elements can actually make a home more functional and appealing, says CAPS-certified Jacksonville" target="_blank">Jacksonville remodeler Larry Murr.

“Wide hallways make the home feel more spacious,” Murr says. “A decorative tile border placed on the floor in front of kitchen cabinets adds flair and helps residents who have problems with depth perception.”

For those on a tight budget, there’s no need to worry about costs, according to Murr. Many universal design concepts and features are no- or low-cost, if you plan for them early on.

“If you have to retrofit grab bars, it can be expensive but it doesn’t cost much during the framing stage,” Rodgers says. “An elevator can be installed for $18,000 and when you look at the big plan, it’s a low-cost item.”

Some experts suggest stacking wide closets in a multi-story home so that an elevator can be easily added later if needed.

“Depending on your home, you can make your adjustment as expensive or inexpensive as you’d like,” Murr says.

Professional consultants can make recommendations based on your medical needs and priorities. A complete home evaluation allows the homeowner to see what can be enhanced or remodeled to assist with aging in place. Home-owners can then prioritize their projects based on their individual needs and resources.

It’s not always feasible to rehab an entire house, according to Sport Nobles Construction. But portions of the home, such as the entry, kit-chen and bathrooms, can be made accessible.

And if you’re worried about how universal design will affect your home’s value when you get ready to sell, don’t be. Modifications can be made with an eye toward resale value. In fact some universal design/aging in place elements, such as wide hallways and no-threshold entries, are shown to add value to your home.

“I don’t see anything negative about universal design,” Rodgers says. “I think it’s a plus. It just makes sense. If the homeowner could present the benefits to a prospective buyer, it would probably help sell one house over another one.”

Especially, he says, when the Baby Boomers retire and seek out the home where they can comfortably live for the rest of their lives.

On the Web
For more information on universal design and aging in place concepts, check out these Web sites:
The National Association of Home Builders, nahb.org
The National Kitchen and Bath Association, nkba.org
The National Aging in Place Council, naipc.org
The Universal Design Alliance, universaldesign.org