‘They’ say that 10,000 Americans per day are reaching age 65.
What does this mean to you? Think accessibility. If your grandmother has to move in with you, can she use the shower safely? If you want to remain in your home and YOU are the one reaching/ waving as you pass age 65, can you use that bathroom safely?
It’s called “universal design”; that is, designing a bath (or the whole house for that matter) with accessibility in mind. Thanks to the increasing demand for such products, you can design for accessibility and you don’t need to fear that your home will look like a nursing home.
The colors and tile selected make this shower look warm and inviting.
Housingzone.com has published an excellent article “Next-gen universal design for bathrooms and kitchens” to help with ideas and solutions for accessible homes. I like this definition of universal design:
“Ron Mace, an architect and advocate who influenced thinking about design on an international level, is credited with creating the concept of universal design. According to Mace, the formal definition of the concept is the use of products, spaces, and aesthetics to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life.”
And why should you consider universal design in your new home? The baby-boomer generation has made most of us more aware of the need for mult-generational construction (ie – universal design), and who is there that when approaching “that age” says “I can’t wait to move into a nursing home.” When that time comes, most prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible; it even has a term – “aging in place.”
“The recognition of the importance of universal design is growing as homeowners come to terms with its impact in both a personal and general sense. The baby boomer era has accelerated the recognition, as a larger percentage of homeowners find aging-in-place more desirable. The drive to reduce our burden on the environment has also helped promote universal design. If new homes are built for a variety of users by incorporating support, flexibility, and ease of use, then they are built to last longer.”
So go to the website of Housing Zone dot com and find out all the info available there. Rose Construction has our own DyLon McClary, CAPS certified – (Certified Aging in Place Specialist).
