In general, there are two segments to aging in place to consider:
- Modifying existing housing
- Incorporating aging-in-place principles in new design and construction
Typical modifications to existing homes include lever handles on faucets and doors, grab bars in all bathrooms, curbless showers, lowering light switches and raising outlets, widening bathroom doorways, using higher contrast color schemes and better lighting in kitchen and baths, multiple height surfaces like countertops, pull-down and pull-out cabinet shelves, and stair lifts, to name a few.
With new construction, aging-in-place principles include all of the above plus grading/landscaping entry points for zero-step entrances, stacking closets to enable future elevators, lowering window heights, visitable/accessible floor plans, universal design kitchens and bathrooms and better lighting, especially exterior lighting along paths and at entrances. Remember, older clients who are building their final “dream home” will be much happier with their home (and with you as their builder) if it is built with the aging-in-place design principles that allow independence.
These aging-in-place principles and modifications were brought home to me literally when my 80-year-old mother-in-law came to live with my family while we modified her own home to fit her abilities and lifestyle. She suffers from acute arthritis and she is very afraid of falling down.
In the kitchen we installed lots of pullout drawers instead of cabinet doors and added a raised dishwasher so she would no longer have to lean over so far. We added bright lights under the top cabinets, recessed can lights and skylights capable of bringing in a tremendous amount of light without making the rooms hot — because lighting is also important to help her maintain her independence.
In the bathroom we added a nice looking clamp-on rail bar to the bathtub and another wall-mount grab bar carefully anchored to the tile walls. The important thing about these modifications was that none of them looked like they belonged in a hospital. No institutional-looking products were used.
You can learn these construction principles in the new Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist designation program that was developed through a partnership between NAHB and AARP. The three-day CAPS program teaches the strategies and techniques for designing and building aesthetically enriching, barrier-free living environments. It goes beyond design to address the codes and standards, common remodeling expenditures and projects, product ideas and resources needed to provide comprehensive and practical aging-in-place solutions.
Since the program started a year ago, more than 300 contractors, builders, physical therapists and designers have taken the CAPS courses, and many more are lined up to take upcoming courses. CAPS courses will be available at the Remodelers Show in Baltimore in October, and at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas next January, as well as at many local builders associations during the year. Several CAPS courses are offered, including Working with Older Adults & Marketing to Older Adults and Home Modifications.
You may have already noticed the increasing demand for changes to homes by clients who want to be able to remain in their homes as they age. If you haven’t witnessed this first hand, it may be on the horizon for your parents or another family member. Either way, it’s coming and coming fast.
You should be on the cutting edge of this trend, or you’ll be left in the dust. You can get information about upcoming CAPS training or sign up by going to the Education Section of www.nahb.org, typing “CAPS” in the search engine of the NAHB Web site or by calling 800-368-5242 x8153.
For more information, the NAHB Remodelors Council™ is also a good place to begin. Call us at 800-368-5242 x8216.
Dan Bawden, CAPS, CGR, GMB is the chairman of the CAPS Board of Governors. He is also the owner of Legal Eagle Contractors in Houston and can be reached via e-mail or through his company’s Web site.
BuilderBooks.com offers a variety of publications online about remodeling and for contractors. To view or purchase these publications, click here.
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