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Our population is aging, but are our homes ready for it? Tucson-based interior designer Sharmin Pool-Bak, owner of Complete Dimensions Interior Design, offers some advice. Cover photo by Robin Stancliff.
Photo by Chris Mooney
Q: “I’m in my 50s and about to remodel my home again. Is it too early to be thinking about preparing it for old age?”
Sharmin says: "Your home is filled with family memories and traditions. Planning ahead to create an appealing home environment that is also safe, familiar and accessible is becoming a top priority for those 50 and older. One of the unique aspects of a remodeling consultation with Complete Dimensions Interior Design is designing those accommodations for you earlier rather than later in life. Whenever you start to think about a remodel, consider how you can incorporate aging-in-place products and standards.
Photo by Robin Stancliff
"The elderly population will more than double between now and the year 2050, to 80 million. According to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), “the aging of the population will affect every interior environment.”
"At some point you may have to make a decision on if and how long you can remain in your home. This may be a choice you only get to make once - so let the interior design of your primary home keep those decisions from being made as long as possible. A number of factors may start that process - from arthritis, dementia or other illnesses associated with aging. An accident or illness may also contribute to this sooner such as a broken leg from skiing or cycling.
"Overall, the common response from adults falls into the- "People who can stay at home, will stay at home" option. My advice is to prepare now to be one of those who get to be in control of remaining at home. And it’s not just about comfort and familiarity – it makes sound financial sense.
Photo by Robin Stancliff
"The average cost for a private one-bedroom apartment in an assisted living residence is $3,022 per month, according to research compiled by several nonprofit senior living organizations, including the Assisted Living Federation of America (2009 Overview of Assisted Living). Assisted living is often less expensive than home health or nursing home care in the same geographic area. That $3,000 could go a long way towards an accessible bathroom remodel. How long could you manage on your own in your home if you could not attend to the functions and needs of daily living?
"Some of the top aspects of a remodel to examine if you want to ‘age in place’ in your current home are:
* Step free entrances
* Lever door handles instead of knobs
* Electrical outlets with a higher placement from the floor
* Added task lighting for easier work
* Higher toilets
* Grab bars in bathrooms and showers
*Wider doorways
Sharmin Pool-Bak, owner of Complete Dimensions Interior Design
"Some of these options are inexpensive - such as the door levers or even the replacement toilets. Choices that are more expensive, ones that involve major structural changes, still provide an opportunity for you to keep living in your favorite place longer - in the comfort of your own home. And the happier, safer and healthier you are will reap a benefit of other savings for the future!"
* Contact Sharmin Pool-Bak and Complete Dimensions Interior Designs at www.completedimensions.net or call 520 403 1572
This makes a lot of sense. My mum lives in a 2 story, but has over the years remodeled it so that she can live on the ground level floor using a wheelchair. The bathroom is wheelchair accessible too. Great info.