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Aging-in-Place a Growing Force in Remodeling Market
By
Stephen J. Baetge
Staff Writer
The
trend of home remodeling to age in place — a stated key desire
among senior homeowners — is increasing as the ranks swell
to include non-seniors who are planning ahead or wish to make their
home more comfortable for older relatives.
According to recent data gathered by the National Association of Home Builders
(NAHB), 74 percent of the remodelers surveyed reported higher numbers of universal
design home modifications, a significant increase from the 60 percent reported
just over three years ago.
“Homeowners are asking for remodeling improvements to make their homes
more comfortable as they age because they don’t want to move or lose their
independence,” stated NAHB Remodelers Chairman Greg Miedema. “These
modifications can make a home more stylish and convenient for the aging population.”
According to the remodelers, bathroom modifications lead the list of the changes
most commonly requested by older homeowners.
Seventy-eight percent of homeowners request to have grab bars added in their
showers as part of an upgrade to an existing home. Almost as many, 71 percent,
want to have higher toilets installed. Sixty percent include an upgrade to curb-less
showers as part of their age-friendly home modifications.
General home modifications most commonly include widening doorways (57 percent),
constructing ramps or lowering thresholds (45 percent) and enhanced lighting
(45 percent).
The National Association of Home Builders’s survey also found an increase
in aging-in place options among the surveyed consumers, with remodelers saying
that 84 percent of homeowners have at least some knowledge of universal design
solutions.
Seventy-four percent of remodelers also noted an increase in requests for these
types of features.
Most remodelers stated that the bulk of requests for aging-in-place modifications
come from clients above age-55, but a growing number of younger consumers are
requesting changes for other family members.
Usually the improvements address the age-related disabilities of visiting older
relatives or modifications to make it easier for parents to share living space
with their grown children.
Seventy percent of homeowners started remodeling projects for aging-in-place
criteria because they were planning ahead for future needs.
According to data from NAHB, a comprehensive package is necessary in order for
a home to allow for successful aging-in-place needs.
Key features should include a master bedroom and bath on the first floor and
a low or no-threshold entrance to the home with an overhang. The main floor should
be free of level changes, and the main entryway should include non-slip flooring.
All areas of the home should include bright lighting and an open floor plan,
particularly in the kitchen and dining area. All steps should include handrails,
and doors should be equipped with lever-style door handles.
Techniques to ensure that aging-in-place design objectives are met feature multi-directional
lighting to minimize glare and shadows. Light sockets should include more than
one bulb to increase redundancy and keep areas well lit in case a bulb burns
out.
Contrasting colors should be used to aid in depth perception. Examples include
using a different color counter or edging around the counter rather than the
floor and staining the edge of stairs a darker color than the rest of the steps.
Convenience shelves in the entryways are recommended to allow homeowners the
opportunity to hold their grocery bags or other items while getting their keys.
In multi-level homes, “stacking” closets that can later be converted
to an elevator shaft are also considered a good feature.
To learn more about aging-in-place and home remodeling, visit the National Association
of Homebuilders Web site at http://www.nahb.org.
This page and its contents ©2010
Metropolitan News Company, Inc.
