child baby boomer , or the 75 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 , are bring old , with the first wave of boomers turning 65 in 2011 . Baby boomers will have a very different kind of retirement , though . They ’re more likely to work longer , pop out a second career , volunteer or take classes than their parents ' generation . And while former generations headed for Florida and breast feeding homes , child boomers want to stick around put .
In a 2000 view deport by the AARP ( formerly the American Association of Retired Persons ) , 71 percent of Americans aged 45 and older said that they " strongly agreed " that they wanted to stay in their homes . This phenomenon is known asaging in place , with intimate environment and objects replacing the institutional walls of a nursing home .
This very dewy-eyed desire to stay in their own houses may deepen the way homes are designed . The base - building industry thinks that aging will be the secondly - biggest influence on home blueprint in the next few age , 2nd only to finding enough skilled jack to complete the piece of work [ source : NAHB ] . While baby baby boomer do n’t want to move to a retirement home , they ’re mindful that their home will postulate to accommodate the decreased mobility and power that sometimes come with honest-to-goodness age .
At the same time , boomers are n’t quick for their house to reckon like a nursing home , even if they do already have aging parents living with them . Boomers want to contrive for the opening of being in a wheelchair without spending years in a rest home that take care like it was designed for a wheelchair . That ’s why so many baby boomer are embracinguniversal design , a design that allows social occasion and aesthetics to coexist .
Universal conception was developed by a wheelchair - bound designer who thought that construction should be design for everyone , disregarding of power or geezerhood . The concept has been around since the 1970s , but it has gain ground a crucial fan : the AARP . The AARP promote universal design to its members , and as a effect , 75 per centum of contractor polled by the National Association of Home Builders report an increase in the phone number of requests for work related to aging in place [ source : NAHB ] .
In this clause , we ’ll take a face at the features of cosmopolitan plan , and how will they help babe baby boomer . But do n’t turn away just because you ’re not on the boundary of retirement ; universal innovation can gain everyone . On the next page , we ’ll take a look at what a home with universal pattern looks like .
Universal Design Features
Universal design is based on several concept :
[ root : Connell et al . ]
To see what this front like in practice , let ’s take a practical tour of a home that incorporates universal pattern . Stepless ingress is a stylemark characteristic of a universal design family ; it ’s easy for anyone to infix . When you get to the door , detect the lever room access address . It ’s much easier than a door knob when your hands are full of groceries or if you have arthritis .
On the background floor , you should find everything you need , from the kitchen to a bathroom , but most notably , at least one bedchamber should be on the ground floor . It will probably be the victor sleeping room , so that when the occupants ca n’t climb stairs any longer , they ’ll be able to live on just the first story .
Just because everything ’s on one floor does n’t mean that baby boomer wo n’t have two - story menage ; rather , guest sleeping room or home base office staff might be upstairs . If a home does have more than one grade , steps should be tarnish slightly different colors to aid someone with poorvision . Another choice might be to put in stacked cabinet , which can be converted to install anelevatorwhen you involve one to get from storey to level .
No matter which room you head to first , you ’ll be walk in across-the-board hallways – everything should accommodate a wheelchair ’s turning radius . Not in a wheelchair yet ? Everything will just look spacious and open . You ’re belike walk on hardwood floor as opposed to apparent movement - bound carpet . luminance should be abundant throughout the home , and light switches , as well as outlets andthermostats , should be no higher than 48 inches ( 1.2 metre ) off the trading floor [ source : Perkins ] .
In the kitchen , everything is placed for easy use by both a mortal in the wheelchair and a support person . Themicrowaveis on the counter as opposed to mounted within the storage locker , and the countertops and locker are a bit lower than in some houses .
Nature ’s calling , so countenance ’s check out the bathroom . Thetoiletis higher , and the countertops are set at different levels to suit different users . Instead of a bathtub , there might be a take the air - in cascade , which could become a " wheel - in " shower bath if necessary . The wall of the shower bath has been reward so that a grab bar can be added for someone who needs service getting in and out of the shower . And do n’t think that a grab bar will look straight out of the breast feeding habitation – many company are now making more fashionable accessory for senesce child boomers , admit designer lavish chairs and grab bars .
On the next Thomas Nelson Page , we ’ll learn about incorporating world-wide intention .
Incorporating Universal Design
comprise world-wide blueprint may only add about 5 percent to the monetary value ofbuilding a home , liken to building a alike home without general design features [ root : Taylor ] . Sometimes there may be no toll difference at all , representing a tremendous saving from a retirement residential district .
It is , however , much more expensive to remodel an live abode to incorporate universal intention than it is to build up a world-wide innovation home from the ground up ; some feature article put in as part of a retrofit may cost 20 times more than if they ’d been put in at the start [ root : Dupes ] . For example , establish a wider doorway during home construction may only be $ 6 more than a ceremonious home , the price of a bigger doorway . If done as part of a remodel , it may cost $ 650 , to describe for the reworking of the doorway [ reference : Burney ] . Installing anelevatorin a home with stacked cabinet could cost about $ 20,000 ; the same task from scratch is closer to $ 50,000 [ source : Burney ] .
But whether you ’re building a new house or remodeling , you should n’t look until you call for general design feature article to start incorporating them . If you ’re interested , it ’s time to set off planning – it ’s too late if you ’ve fallen and your home does n’t fit a wheelchair .
It ’s never too former to start thinking about world-wide intent , either . As you might have find fault up from our place tour on the previous page , not just the aged will do good from the features , and they ’re not obtrusive unless you need them . A wide hall will help a young mother with a stroller and lowered light transposition will be approachable for child .
incorporate the features may also increase the value of your home , because anyone can live there . By 2030 , 70 million masses will be over 65 – that ’s 20 percent of the U.S. population [ source : Gardyn ] . Neglecting universal design features may cause many likely buyers to leave out your home , and as more baby boomer demand these feature , worldwide design may become mandatory . Already , the state of California has a voluntary universal pattern code , and some city and counties are create zone category to promote universal invention construction .
If you ’re not certain which features you ’ll take , serve is usable . While more contractor are becoming conversant with these concepts , you might look for one that ’s been specially civilise . In 2002 , the National Association of Home Builders ( NAHB ) created the Certified Aging - in - Place Specialist ( CAPS ) program in association with the AARP . The program trains professionals on how to design and create a home that run across the needs of the aging . During the course , contractors and designer step away from the drafting board to see moving through a home in a wheelchair and trying to open a door while harbour tennis ball to simulate arthritis . To find a CAPS professional , mark off out the NAHB ’s directory .
you’re able to find more stories and links on ageing , baby baby boomer and housing on the next Thomas Nelson Page .
