Senior-friendly design for at-home living
No one wants to be shunted off to a seniors’ home. (Note to my daughters: no one wants to get sent to a seniors’ home!)
And, increasingly, health-care professionals are seeing the benefits of enabling people to stay in their own homes, surrounded by the neighbours, shops and parks that are familiar and mean so much to them. Whether you’re planning on renovating a few rooms, or building from the ground up, there are a few construction and design elements you can incorporate so that you can enjoy living in home-sweet-home well into your retirement years. Bathrooms: When you step back and think about it, the bathroom can be a pretty dangerous place, with a mix of water, electricity, and plenty of sharp corners and hard objects. The first step in any seniorfriendly renovation process should be to try to minimize slipping hazards. Which is why you’ll increasingly see people opt to carpet their bathrooms instead of going with slippery, hard tile.
When replacing fixtures, longlevered handles are easy for arthritic hands to operate. In the shower, hand-held shower heads on adjustable rails are ideal in case one family member needs to use a seat while washing.
If a loved one is already facing accessibility issues there are a number of options for helpful fixtures, ranging from tall toilets that make mounting and dismounting easier, to walk-in bathtubs. There are also stylish grab bars now available, so that your bathroom doesn’t have to have an institutional look.
For wheelchair accessibility, forego the vanity cabinet and install a wall-mounted sink, with a tilting mirror above it.
And, of course, if they haven’t already been upgraded, any electrical outlets in the bathroom should have GFCI breakers. The kitchen: One of the most important modifications to make in the kitchen is to install plenty of lighting, particularly task lighting. Contrasting colours and tones — such as a white enamelled sink set into a dark stone counter — also make it easier to distinguish the difference if vision is poor.
As with the bathroom, opt for levered handles on faucets and, if you can, mount it at an accessible side of the sink rather than at the rear. Installing large D-shaped handles on cabinets and drawers is another way to ease arthritis issues. That said, if someone in the home suffers from Alzheimer’s or other debilitating mental disability, you might want to consider adding childproofing locks to cabinets and drawers containing sharp objects or toxic cleaning supplies.
Another consideration is investing in appliances with automatic shutoffs so that a moment of forgetfulness doesn’t lead to tragedy.
If a member of the household is already using a wheelchair, there are motorized kitchen cabinets and counters that can be lowered to wheelchair height. While you’re wiring those, adjust switches and electrical outlets to be accessible from a seated position. Primary living areas: While carpeting is the best option for anti-slip flooring — and a softer landing — remember that area rugs are tripping hazards.
If you’re opening up walls — or building new — door frames that are 36”-wide (or wider) allow for easy access with wheelchairs or walkers.
Ask your electrician to wire rooms for additional ambient and task lighting, and place electrical outlets and light switches within wheelchair height. Security systems and hardwired smoke and CO detectors provide piece of mind for homeowners and their families.
If you’re in the market for replacement windows, seek out ones that are designed to open and close easily, and have door handles and locks that can be manipulated with arthritic hands. Exterior: There are very specific building code requirements for entrance ramps, so you’ll want to consult with your local building department before installing one. But, essentially, they need to be wide enough to allow clearance around a wheelchair, not too steep for someone to be able to wheel themselves up, and have wide landings to break up any long runs. At the top and bottom there should be large landing areas to rest and, again, a wider than normal exterior door will make entry via a wheelchair easier. If a ramp isn’t required, ensure that all stairs have sturdy and easy-to-grasp railings.
Covering the entryway with a roof or canopy will provide both shelter during the rain and help keep snow and ice off the landing.
Ensure walkways and porches are well lit, ideally with motion-sensor lighting, both for security and ease of finding the right keys.
Finally, if you’re doing some landscaping, in-ground irrigation systems will eliminate the need to haul around a heavy hose that can become yet another tripping hazard. Renovation rebates: Depending on your specific needs, these renovations can be quite costly. Luckily, Ontario residents 65 and older (or those who have a senior living with them) can apply for up to $10,000 in tax credits for senior-friendly modifications under the province’s Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit. Visit Ontario.ca/page/ healthy-homes-renovation-taxcredit for full details.
Also, one of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent campaign pledges was to reintroduce a federal renovation tax rebate program. But we’ll have to wait to see how the election goes before we learn any real details about that. Jim Caruk’s column runs every two weeks in New in Homes & Condos. He’s a master contractor, editor-in-chief of Renovation Contractor magazine, renovation editor for Reno & Decor magazine, and founder of the Renos for Heroes program and Build It Yourself Learning Centres in the GTA. Sign up for his e-newsletter at renocontractor.ca.