More than 85 percent of people age 65 and older want to stay in their homes and communities as they age, according to research from the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP). Whether they can actually do that safely is a matter of design, money and available services, according to local architects.
“With everything that you’re doing to the house, the health and safety of the occupants is always the number one priority,” said Alexandria architect Erin May, who has worked on several home conversion projects for area seniors.
Most people want to stay in their home or community because it’s near places they frequent (grocery stores, doctor’s offices, libraries, etc.), with over 80 percent saying it’s important or extremely important, according to a study about where retirees see themselves living from RetirementLiving.com.
We talked to May and Steve Kulinski, principle of Kulinski Group Architects in Alexandria, for information on how to assess whether a home can be converted to allow seniors to age in place and what the occupants need to consider.
Horizontal living is always easier to convert, whereas townhome, split-homes and historic rowhomes in Old Town can be more difficult due to stairs or narrow rooms, they said. Regardless of the type of home, the first thing a homeowner (and their children or caregivers) should look at is access into and out of the home, according to May. When a resident comes home from the hospital or a doctor’s appointment, they will need to be able to get out of a vehicle at the street or in the driveway, transition onto a flat, level walkway and access whatever means will get them inside their front door, whether that’s a ramp or a mechanical lift.
The next consideration is circulation inside the home — having hallways, doorways and rooms (including bathrooms) wide enough to allow wheelchair access and space to turn around, May said. Next is assessing kitchens and bathrooms. Making those accessible whether the resident is walking or in a wheelchair is critical and may include lowering countertops, installing pull-down cabinets and other systems to improve accessibility and safety.
“The benefit of using an architect to modify your house is that the architect can look at the layout of the house and make sure every-thing works together,” May said. “It’s not putting a Band-Aid over something – it’s a holistic approach to the house.”
An architect especially should be consulted before any walls or doorways are knocked down to pre-vent structural issues from developing. In all areas of the home, the floors should be carefully selected.
“The tactile experience is subtle but important,” Kulinski said. “Changes in surfaces should be easily identifiable either by feel or with limited vision. If there’s a step in the middle of a room, you need to have contrasting floor material so they can see or feel the transition.”
All installed flooring should also be slip resistant. “Avoid polished finishes so people are less apt to fall.” Some of the most helpful design changes to help older adults age in place include: A walk-in, curbless shower. Older residents may not be able to step over the side of a bathtub or even over a curb to get into a shower. Showers that allow them to roll (or shuffle) in can be safer.
Grab bars or resting points at strategic locations. Kulinski said he’s worked on projects where a resident wants to age in place but doesn’t need major modifications yet. In those cases, Kulinski places blocking and studs strategically in the walls to make it easy for a contractor to install grab bars later. Anything designed to support a person’s weight needs to be anchored properly to avoid damage to the walls or injury to the person.
A first-floor master suite. “If you convert a room on the first floor to a bedroom, there are minimum requirements for livability, including two means of egress,” May said. “Having a closet does not make a space qualified to be a bedroom.”
The first-floor master suite should eliminate unnecessary doors to closets, include an accessible laundry room nearby, and include a sitting area, too, Kulinski suggested.
Access between floors. In designing a new home or making modifications, many homeowners are requesting an elevator between floors or need mechanical lifts to get from one floor or area to another. In one home in Old Town, May created space for an elevator by taking out closet space and moving some walls. May said in some newer homes, some architects are intentionally stacking elevator-sized closets to allow for an easier installation if an elevator is needed in the home later on. An elevator, whether in a new home or retrofitted, can cost $30,000 to $50,000.
Door lever handles instead of knobs. As seniors lose dexterity in their hands due to arthritis or other issues, making doors easier to open can help improve their mobility in the home. Door lever handles are best to replace doorknobs.
Relocated electric outlets and light switches. Bringing electrical outlets up to an easily accessible level (instead of near the floor) and bringing light switches down so they can be reached from a wheelchair easily are small improvements that can make a big difference.
Older people may not be able to lift their arms up to reach a light switch or bend down to plug in or unplug an appliance.
Improved lighting. “As people get older, they lose their ability to see clearly, so adding more lighting is a really good upgrade to consider,” May said.
New plumbing fixtures. Like doorknobs, certain faucets may become difficult for older people to use. Consider purchasing Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant plumbing fixtures.
Bathroom modifications are key for most people planning on aging in place with nearly 75 percent saying they will make some sort of modification to their bathroom; be it adding grab bars and non-slip mats or larger things like a walk-in tub, according to the RetirementLiving.com study.
Considering moving a loved one into your own home?
Some local residents are making the decision to buy a home large enough for an in-law suite or a property large enough for an in-law (or senior) apartment addition. “Your aging parent doesn’t want to lose their independence any more than you do,” May said. “They want their space and privacy.”
If you decide to renovate or buy a home with space for elderly parents to live, it’s important to consider everyone’s activities, privacy preferences, noise tolerance and ways of living. “The very first consideration is asking what they want and finding out their needs,” May said.
Zoning codes vary between Alexandria City and Fairfax County in terms of what’s allowed — the style of kitchenette, how sep-arate dwellings are attached on the property and more. Again, working with an architect is strongly recommended to ensure code compliance, safety and smart design.
Hey, Whatever Happened to 'The Clapper'?
The Clapper inspired a million jokes, but it was actually one of the first successful ‘smart home’ products on the market. The sound-initiated device invented in the 1980s allowed people to turn on or off lights and appliances by clapping.
Today, an increasing number of seniors are incorporating smart home technology into their aging-in-place plans. “Home automation may be something that can help if seniors still have the mental acuity to use it,” Kulinski said. “There may be some reluctance or resistance to change, but there are a lot of my clients who have adapted to the technology rather readily.”
These gadgets may include multifunctional smoke alarms with speaker capabilities, strobe lights and more. Home automation will allow people to find out the weather without going outside and see who’s at the door before opening it, as well. “Amazon Alexa is the modern-day version of ‘The Clapper,’” Kulinski said.
In addition, more people over the age of 50 are growing used to such as UberEats, Peapod and other grocery delivery systems, online pharmacies and more, RetirementLiving.com reported.
See more articles in this series:
- How to Help Your Elderly Parent
- How to Assess Whether a Home Can Let Your Parents Age In Place
- Investing in Your Future: What to Know About Long-Term Care Insurance
- Estate Planning and Elder Law: Not Just for Seniors
- Silverado Memory Care Opens in Alexandria
Additional Resource: SeniorSafetyReviews.com
