Aging in Place

Aging In Place
Aging In Place is another version of universal design. When the Americans with Disabilities Act passed they were looking for things that made it easier for handy capable people. They wanted to apply principles, such as ergonomics, to make it easier for people with physical limitations to work.

Today, a lot of the baby boomers are retiring as they are getting into their fifties, sixties and seventies. Their body does not seem to work as well as they want. Many people have lived in their home for fifteen to twenty years or more and they don’t want to leave live in assisted living. Aging in Place is taking the elements outlined in the American with Disabilities Act and putting them into any new constructions to enable you to stay in your house longer.

For example, I know a 40 year old lady who just bought a house that was actually built with Aging In Place principles. She had a skiing accident and injured her knee. She could not go up and down stairs for six weeks. Fortunately, the house was built with Aging in Place ideas, so she did not have to go up and down stairs. She could access the second floor of her house via a ramp or drive way going down to the first where she could get into the car. Most of her living space was on the second floor and not on the first floor so it worked out really well for her.
Another person I know did not live in a house that incorporated Aging in Place and, when she had back surgery, she ended up sleeping in the den because she couldn't make it up the stairs. These are the kinds of things we are looking at in new construction to help the Aging in Place.

Another thing that is very big with Aging in Place is door knobs v.s. door levers. This is a very big one. It is so simple and inexpensive to change but if you have arthritis or weak hands turning a door knob can be very painful if not impossible. But if you replaced that knob with the lever you can touch it with an elbow. The arthritis issue is gone. Can you imagine if you've got bad arthritis in your hands and just walking through your house and every time you touch the doors it hurt? You can eliminate that pain just by changing it into levels for only $20.00 bucks.
If you would like to know more about Aging in Place concepts or how you can make your house more comfortable, please contact me.