A little remodeling can go a long way in helping seniors stay in their homes ”“ whether it”™s changing round doorknobs to lever-style handles to assist those with arthritis, adding grab bars or installing taller toilets to make it easier on the knees.
Other common home-remodeling trends for this growing segment of the population include installing walk-in, barrier-free showers and eliminating door sills to assist seniors using walkers, as well as lowering counter and cabinet heights in the kitchen and widening doorways for those in wheelchairs.
Despite the tough economy, such modifications are becoming increasingly popular for seniors. Younger generations taking care of their parents and elder relatives are also seeking out these renovations. The concept is called “aging in place.” Many aging seniors profess to want to stay in their home as long as they physically can. Modifying their homes can make it possible to achieve that goal.
Considerations for personal finances can also play a role. Some aging seniors feel that remodeling their homes would be a more affordable choice then moving into senior-living facilities.
Aging-in-place specialists
The National Association of Home Builders, a Washington, D.C.-based industry group, has been playing an important part in promoting home remodeling for seniors. The group offers training and offers a certified designation called “certified aging-in-place specialist.” Many local home remodelers and designers in the region have received this certification. The list of regional CAPS-designated home remodelers can be found at the group”™s website, http://www.nahb.org.
“This is a growing market because there are so many baby boomers who are aging and most people would prefer to stay in their homes for as long as possible,” said Deborah Grazioso, who co-owns P&D Remodeling in Middletown. She received a CAPS designation in 2009.
“Recently what we are also seeing is, adult children from the baby boomer generation would come in but they are purchasing modifications for their aging parents,” she said.
About 20 percent of her business currently comes from aging-in-place remodeling.
“It can help people stay in their home longer. And if they want to stay at home longer, the home has to be safe for them. And these modifications help make that possible.”
A growing business
Grazioso said the awareness of such remodeling options is on the rise: “We actually have people call us now, asking for these modifications, whereas a year or two before, people didn”™t understand the need and weren”™t interested at all. So we are seeing this as a growing market.”
Demand in the remodeling and construction industry as a whole is not that great right now, Grazioso acknowledged. “But something like this becomes a need, not just a want. Yes, the whole industry is down right now. But we are starting to see more of these calls, people saying, ”˜I need this.”™”
Some smaller things that people can easily modify in their home are doorknobs ”“ changing them to lever-style handles can help because people with arthritis have trouble with round knobs.
One of the key areas of safety is the bathroom, according to Grazioso. ”There”™s a lot of slip-and-fall in the bathroom. So oftentimes taking care of yourself in the bathroom is the determining factor in whether or not you can stay in your home.”
A key remodeling component is to take out the tub and put in a barrier-free shower where elderly people can just walk in. “And you can put in a seat and a grab bar to hold onto. This can (change) taking a shower (from) something that can be very dangerous to something that is comfortable,” she said.
“And higher toilets, called comfort height toilets, can help because it”™s not so much pressure on your knees,” she added. “(The) kitchen is another area where modifications can be made. If someone is in a wheelchair, there are a lot of modifications that can be made to their homes such as cabinets at lower heights and doorways with the right clearance for a wheelchair. These are things we call ”˜universal design.”™ They are just good for everybody.”
John Hone, a principal at Greenwich Property Management in Greenwich, Conn., agreed that by making these modifications, aging seniors can stay in their homes much longer.
“It improves their quality of life. We just did one for a woman who is a widow. She had trouble with doorknobs. So we changed the doorknobs to the lever style,” Hone said. “I”™ve also noted that they are changing light switches to rocker light switches. Grab bars in the bathroom make it easier to get up and down. Comfort height toilets are another big thing.
“This is a business that”™s going to increase long term, as people become more aware that they can stay in their homes, stay there longer and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It”™s going to grow over time as baby boomers begin to age.”
Susan Anthony, the owner of Anthony-Wright Interiors in Irvington, is also a certified aging-in-place specialist. She said this particular market is starting to pick up as demand increases for home remodeling for seniors.
Still, times are tough for local residents including aging seniors, Anthony said. In the last few years, she has come across a number of elderly residents who lost money in the financial market. But she said if the economy improves, she expects to see many more requests for aging-in-place remodeling. “I think in the next couple of years, there should be a lot of (activity) in this market.”
This is a very informative article about a growing need for the older segment of our population. The equipment in the first bathroom photo is available at http://www.arcfirst.net. That includes the shower former (Tuff Form) to create level access. I know this is a plug for our company but after seeing one of our stock photos shown, I couldn’t resist.
Thank you for helping to spread the news about Aging In Place. Not only should we, as designers, focus on helping seniors, but raising awareness with the Baby Boomer population needs to be at the top of the list. Whenever I design a remodel or home modification, it’s so important to educate my clients about the little changes they can include now to make their life easier later. Always best to be proactive instead of reactive! A lesson learned from my husband’s recent knee replacement.