When given the choice, many seniors prefer to stay in their homes rather than move into a nursing home or other sorts of retirement communities, and to facilitate this, houses need to be remodeled or include designs from the outset that allow for aging in place.
Although homebuilding levels are slowly recovering from 2007′s housing market crash, according to the National Association of Home Builders, the remodeling business is in full swing, says Mark Hager, President of Aging in Place.
CAPS certification, a program that was developed and launched by the Remodelers of the NAHB in 2011, in collaboration with the NAHB Research Center, NAHB 50+ Council, teaches a variety of professionals including remodelers, contractors, designers, architects, and healthcare consultants “strategies and techniques for designing and building barrier-free living environments,” according to the NAHB.
To aid aging in place, there are many design features and products that enable seniors to remain safely in their homes. Hager says the contractors and remodelers he knows are getting very busy with a lot of age-related business.
With many seniors financially unprepared for long-term care costs, aging-in-place can be an affordable alternative to moving into a retirement community.
Hager says,'over 60% of home remodeling is for aging-in-place remodeling, with the most commonly requested features including grab bars, higher toilets, curbless showers, wider doorways, ramps or lower threshold, and task lighting. Requests for residential elevators is also on the rise.'
Bathrooms and kitchens are the two main areas of a house that need special consideration.
Making the bathroom a safer place can include installing grab bars around toilets and in shower areas, or putting in non-slip floors, or placing special fall-protection mats in strategic areas.
In kitchens, some modifications include lower counters that are accessible for people in wheelchairs, drawer-style dishwashers, and appliances with automatic shut-off features.
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