Moving On: With new products, renovations, seniors can stay home
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For seniors with too much house, downsizing is often the answer. But some people find that the house they've lived in for years is still the right size, it's getting around in it that's the problem.
Annie O'Neill, Post-GazetteJoanne Smith says that her remodeled ranch house in Hampton is "a nice place to age."
Click photo for larger image.
Related and previous articles
Many products can make a house livable for seniorsPart 1: Saying goodbye to home is a learning experience for seniors (May 19)Part 2: Most seniors stay here as they leave behind their old homes (May 26)Few older houses were built to accommodate the inevitable physical changes that come with age. Ailing knees can make it painful to climb stairs. Arthritis can make it difficult to get in and out of a tub, flip on a light switch or turn a door knob. And what if you're in a wheelchair? How do you get close enough to the sink or stove to prepare a meal or do the dishes?
Luckily, contractors, architects and home product manufacturers are increasingly finding ways to help seniors age in place -- if they can afford it.
Makers of kitchen appliances and bathroom fixtures introduce new models each year that are higher, lower or more adjustable than current versions (see related story). But the cost is almost always higher than for models that don't meet standards of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
In 2002, the National Association of Home Builders developed a certification program aimed at training contractors on the unique needs of the elderly and how to modify their homes to make them safe. In the five years since, more than 1,000 builders, architects, home remodelers and other professionals have signed up for NAHB's three-day aging-in-place course.
Certified aging-in-place specialists, or CAPS, follow many of the principles of Universal Design, which aims to accommodate users of all sizes and abilities. Universal Design elements include smooth, stair-less entries; wide hallways and doorways; easy-to-turn door handles rather than knobs; and light switches and electrical outlets that are within easy reach of a wheelchair.
Aging-in-place experts also work to eliminate safety hazards you may not even be aware of. For example, one study showed that 70 percent of bathers use a shower stall's glass door or towel bar for support when they climb out of the tub. One simple solution to that hazard is to install a grab bar on a wall that's been reinforced with blocking.
Or maybe your house is full of throw rugs, extension cords and other tripping hazards. According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths for seniors and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions. You might want to consider adding a few new outlets and replacing slick floors with wall-to-wall carpeting or nonslip vinyl.
Jeannette contractor A.J. Stones, who received his CAPS certification two years ago, said he often lowers light switches and raises outlets so they're easier to reach. He installs better lighting in the kitchen and bath, including task lighting that illuminates specific work areas and automatic LED night lights in the hallways.
"People need 50 percent more light at age 50 than at age 20," notes Mr. Stones.
At least one doorway with a zero-threshold entrance (no step) is also a good idea.
When Joanne Smith remodelded her home in Hampton, she installed a walk-in shower in her new master bath. Above is one type of walk-in shower, this one a sectional shower from Lasco Bathware FreedomLine (model F-1604P). It can be equipped with grab bars, showerhead on a glide rail and shower seats.Click photo for larger image.
The Approach product line of AD-AS includes a sink that can be lowered.Click photo for larger image.
Based on the layout and size of your home, a CAPS consultant -- some of whom, like Mr. Stones, work with occupational therapists -- may also suggest adding a bath and possibly a bedroom to the main level; building a walk-in closet with storage at differing heights; adding a walk-in shower; and installing pull-out cabinet shelves in the pantry.
Joanne Smith made many of those changes when she hired Mr. Stones last year to make her 1949 ranch-style house in Hampton more accessible. Though she is still relatively young and perfectly mobile, her parents -- who are in their mid-to-late 80s -- are not. So if they ever accept Ms. Smith's offer to leave their home in Pottstown and come live with her, she wanted to be prepared.
Though the one-story house was built on a relatively flat, park-like lot, its rooms were on the small side and the front door was a full step up from the sidewalk. In addition, the doors to the master bedroom and bath were just 32 inches wide, which is on the tight side for a wheelchair.
"It wasn't really set up for them," says Ms. Smith, who teaches chemistry at Edinboro University. "And I felt if I invite them to live here, I have to make it comfortable."
Working with occupational therapist Pam Toto and architect Sue Breslow, Ms. Smith and Mr. Stones came up with a plan that included an addition off the master bedroom to accommodate a walk-in closet and a new master bath with a walk-in shower that's large enough for a stool. They also gutted an enclosed sunroom off the dining/living room area to accommodate a new kitchen and separate dining room and turned the old kitchen into a spacious mudroom. The door is configured to accommodate a ramp leading to the garage, should the need ever arise.
Other modifications undertaken during the six-month renovation included a first-floor laundry, pantry cabinets with pull-out drawers, new double-pane vinyl windows, and lever handles and rocker switches throughout the house. In addition, Mr. Stones widened the doorway into the master bedroom to 36 inches, and designed the bathroom vanity so half of it could be removed if someone needed more room to get to the toilet.
Less noticeable, but just as important in terms of comfort, were modifications to better weatherize the house: new double-pane vinyl windows, fiberglass doors to replace the old wooden ones and insulation in the walls and attic.
"If you can cut the gas bill in half, that helps preserve the nest egg," says Mr. Stone.
Ms. Smith declined to say how much she spent on the project, but she acknowledged it was more than she would expect to recoup at resale. Still, she is pleased with the results.
"It's a nice place to age," she says.
To find a certified aging-in-place specialist in your area, call 1-800-368-5242 and ask the operator for the university of housing department. Or go to www.nahb.org/caps and click on "Find a CAPS."
Walk-in bathtubs with an integral seat, such as this one by Safety Tub, allow an individual to get in and out of the tub easily.Click photo for larger image.
First Published June 1, 2007 2:07 pm
