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Boomers
seek to make homes safer as they age
by
Melissa Rayworth
Associated
Press
For
many people as they age, parting with a cherished
home can seem unthinkable, even when steep
stairs and slippery bathtubs become causes
for real concern.
One
alternative, remodeling to make the home safer
and more efficient for older residents, is
increasingly
popular.
“The
last 15 years we’ve been seeing a surge in
interest toward this area, especially with
baby boomers now reaching that point,” says
Ellen Barrios, a new kind of expert called
a “certified aging‑in‑place specialist.”
“CAPS,”
as they are known, include many contractors
and architects who work with families to assess
risks in the home. The CAPS designation was
created several years ago by the National
Association of Home Builders and the AARP.
The
construction required in making a house more
senior‑friendly can sometimes be drastic,
but Barrios says it often is cheaper than
moving to assisted living.
“And
you get the comfort of being in your own home,
the security and the memories and just
the peace that comes with staying in your
own environment,” she says.
Jim
Burns of West Chicago, Ill., a professional
home inspector and trained CAPS, cites three
main areas of concern in a home: “getting
into a house, the kitchen, if they can function
there, and a primary bath. Everything else
you can kind of fudge around. But when you
have plumbing and things like that, it’s a
bigger deal than converting a dining room
to a sleeping area.”
Burns
often relies on the concept of “universal
design,” which stresses accessibility and
convenience for everyone.
Fortunately,
many adjustments for seniors also work well
for families with children. So this type
of remodeling often adds real estate value.
Wider
halls and doorways offer space for wheelchairs
and strollers alike, while light switches
at wheelchair height are also convenient for
preschoolers. Florida‑based builder
Arthur Rutenberg Homes offers these and other
features in new homes, and they can be incorporated
into older ones.
“One
of the things we do is we raise our dishwashers,
so they don’t have to bend over as far,” says
Tessa Madasz, vice president of sales at Rutenberg.
“Then we have reduced our kitchen islands,
so they’re not bar height. They’re table height.”
Other
popular options:
·
In a
utility room, the washer and dryer can be raised
to minimize the need to bend. “They’re elevated
usually on a 12‑ or 16‑inch platform,
and some have storage underneath,”says Madasz.
·
For kitchens,
solid cooktop stoves are easier to clean than
traditional models. Storage cabinets can be
lowered to eliminate the need for stepladders.
·
Wood‑burning
fireplaces can be replaced by gas‑powered
models, which don’t require kneeling down to
clean out ashes or add logs.
·
Bathrooms
can be redone to add a tub that’s easier to
access (perhaps with hydrotherapy jets) or a
shower that homeowners can walk into without
stepping up.
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·
If the house
has no main‑floor bedroom, a dining area or
TV room can be converted into one. Ground‑floor
master bedrooms were unpopular a decade ago, says
Burns, but today they’ve become a selling point.
In data released this week by the National Association
of Realtors, 56 percent of those surveyed between
the ages of 65 and 74 said having a single‑floor
residence was very important.
·
Homeowners
may consider installing a medical alert system.
Those who don’t wish to pay a monthly monitoring
fee can choose a system, such as Matrix Interactive’s
LifeLink, which has no ongoing charge. Emergency
calls go to a list of contacts designated by the
customer (relatives, friends, 911), rather than
to a central monitoring station.
“These
features are good for people of all ages and all
abilities,” says Elinor Ginzler, AARP’s
director
for livable communities. “This is not about turning
your house into a hospital.”
Few
young couples think of designing their home to suit
them as they age, Burns says. But he
and
Barrios both work with younger families who are
modifying their homes to accommodate visits from
older relatives or the possibility of an aging parent
moving in.
“They
may say, ‘Well, we know Mom may have only a couple
more years that she’s on her own, and we’re first
in line to have her with us,’” says Barrios, who
also runs a business called Accessible for Life,
which offers products for seniorizing homes.
Based
on AARP’s research, such consultants can expect
to find plenty of clients.
“Without
question, people want to stay in their homes as
they get older,” says Ginzler. “Every
time
we ask in a survey of the 50‑plus population,
they tell us exactly the same information, which
is that a huge majority want to stay in the home
they have for as long as they can.”
Census
data from the past two decades backs that up, she
says. “Looking at migration trends,” she says, “less
than 10 percent of the 60‑plus population
had moved in any five‑year period.”
For
some seniors, the first priority is remaining connected
to their community.
“That’s
where their support system is,” says Ginzler. “The
big question becomes, ‘As I stay in this house,
is it meeting my needs?’ ”
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