Aging in Place

Design Guideline

Are you a Baby Boomer (born between 1946-1965) who wants to build that Dream Home where you can grow ‘young’ in or do you have a home already that just needs some adjustments to help you Age in Place? We want to help you by designing a space that is good to grow up in, live in, and grow old in. There is an overwhelming preference of older adults to remain in their own homes and apartments for as long as they can.

By designing to age in place from the start or by modifying your existing home can help you stay in your home longer and more comfortably than ever before. By doing so we are helping to promote independence by making it easier for the older adult to perform tasks and reduce accidents.Unfortunately most of the existing housing market is not suited for aging in place. Areas to focus on towards making your home accessible are: Entrances, Stairs, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Hallways, Exterior, Lighting and Materials.

The cost to remodel your home to accommodate your growing needs can be quite costly, so knowing what to plan for ahead of time is crucial to creating that ever lasting home. There are some key benefits to building a home that a supportive environment provides such as making it easier to carry out tasks such as getting in and out of a home, bathing, cooking and cleaning.

Exterior

• Low maintenance exterior, something that will be easily maintained and cleaned over the years.
• Low maintenance greenery, zero-scaping would be great to cut down on yard work.
• Transitions between interior to exterior deck, patio or balcony. Keep these surfaces no more than ½” below the interior floor level if made of wood.  (This will eliminate accidents due to tripping and falling)
• Ensure adequate ramping or handrails at steps.

Overall Floor Plan

• One Floor Living with clear movement in the living space. Eliminate Steps throughout the home in order to provide ease of travel within the home for the end user.
• 5’x5’ clear/turn space in the living area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

Kitchen

• Keep Cabinets lower at a height that is more accessible for the user to reach. Eliminate high cabinets that are difficult to reach.
• Lower counter heights in some areas of the kitchen that is open below for a wheelchair to pull up to and work
• Keep the microwave at counter height for ease of access and to prevent spilling
• Front Controls on cook tops to prevent burning from reaching across the top of a hot stove.
• Raised dishwasher to prevent bending to floor to remove dishes
• Front loading washer and dryer which is raised 12”-15” above the floor
• Loop handles for ease of grip and pull as opposed to knobs
• Pull out countertops
• Touch less Faucets with pull out