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Michigan Home Pointing the Way to Age-Conscious Construction
A home being built in Traverse City, Mich. to illustrate the virtues of age-conscious construction will be open to the public and shown to U.S. state governors in the late spring and early summer as an example of how housing can accommodate the needs of aging Americans.
Following the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) philosophy of helping people to age with grace in their own home, the home’s builder, POM Associates, Inc., a small-volume, family-owned company, says the project is the culmination of years of paying attention to the various physical needs of its customers and a marketing focus on the retiree community.
“It is our job, as home builders, remodelors and developers, to anticipate the needs of the population, and the evolving demographics of our nation, so we can meet the emerging housing demands and help people to be healthy, safe and content in their own home,” said Sally Erickson Bornschein, the builder who is leading the construction of the “Livable Lifestyles Home.”
Created by NAHB Remodelers in collaboration with the NAHB Research Center, NAHB 50+ Housing Council and AARP, the CAPS program is aimed at addressing the growing number of consumers who will soon require modifications in their homes so they can continue living in them safely, independently and comfortably. While remodelers currently account for the majority of professionals holding the CAPS designation, their ranks are increasingly being joined by general contractors, designers, architects and health care consultants.
“Visitability will be a focus of the adaptable, accessible and universal design in the house,” said Bornschein, who will be giving special attention to issues involving hearing and sight, which are the first things that begin to fade with aging.
When the home opens its doors for tours during the Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area Parade of Homes on June 16 to 24, Bornschein is hoping that local consumers come away with a new appreciation for the value of accessible construction techniques.
In addition to helping the public to see these techniques, POM has also partnered with the Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, a nonprofit organization, and Philips Lifeline to exchange information between the for-profit and the not-for-profit sectors of this huge market.
"There are so many technologies and solution options that the opportunity to work collaboratively will only enhance the lifestyles of Americans entering this age arena," said Bornschein. In her experience, aging households don’t know enough about these features and are often reluctant to ask for them. "This home will show many options to help consumers make their own homes user-friendly. People will see these solutions in real world applications and take some ideas and hopefully implement them in their own homes," she said.
“We have never built a home for someone who was in a wheelchair,” she said, “but I do go back to many of our clients’ homes and help them with additional aging-in-place needs as they are required.” Grab bars have been the most frequent request, but even residents who rely on canes and walkers to get around often resist assistance.
“Recently we revisited a home of a gal who is 92 and took a spill in her garage carrying two bags of groceries into her home,” said Bornschein. “Our first recommendation was of course that she carry one bag instead of two. In addition, we are adding some grab bars in a rather unconventional way so she can continue to age in place.”
The “Livable Lifestyles Home” will include grab bars, and blocking to add more grab bars as they are needed. Accessible bathroom features include a roll-in tile shower and radiant flooring on the entry level and non-slip tiles and comfort-height toilets. Bamboo flooring will be used on the entire entry level.
The house has been designed to eliminate glare and provide good lighting and color contrasts, and it will contain Energy Star appliances and construction techniques and low-maintenance vinyl siding and windows. Wide doors are used throughout and a zero-step entry leads to the front door. Among high-tech options being considered are motion detectors and cameras to provide security and monitor the health of the residents.
When the National Governors Association meets in Traverse City from July 18 to 22, AARP plans to use the house as a platform to help the governors see how good design can be used to create livable housing and communities for the nation’s aging population. The house is being built in the Signature Ridge development, which is located on the 15th fairway of the Bear golf course that is on the grounds of the Grand Traverse Resort where the governors will be staying.
“It is important for the marketplace to read our customers and to offer real-world solutions for their lifestyle,” said Bornschein. “After all, homeownership is still the goal of most Americans, and the most important thing in the homes we build are the people.”
 Plan to attend 2007 50+ Housing Symposium
Mark May 30-June 1, 2007 on your calendar and plan to attend the 50+ Housing Symposium.
The seniors housing symposium is the premier educational and networking event for industry professionals who serve the burgeoning 50+ market.
Visit www.nahb.org/build4boomers for more information.
CAPS Designation Focuses on Accessibility at Any Age
Developed by the NAHB Remodelers in collaboration with AARP, the NAHB Research Center and NAHB's 50+ Housing Council, the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) program provides comprehensive, practical, market-specific information about working with older and maturing adults to remodel their homes for aging-in-place.
For more information, e-mail CAPSinfo@nahb.org, or visit www.nahb.org/CAPSinfo.
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