Growing older at home
As more baby boomers retire, many are spending on aging in place
They never wanted to call it retirement, but for Susan Farnsworth, Leigh Hough and JeanPhilippe Jomini, a throuple — a romantic partnership of three people — that has lived together as an intentional family for over 15 years, it felt important to get a head start on finding a home that would accommodate future needs for aging in place.
Three consultants in their mid-60s, they share a home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but decided a few years ago to look for a second home in southern New England, where they have friends and family.
A string of open houses and home tours turned up nothing truly satisfactory. So on a whim, they checked out a “land for sale” sign during a day of driving around Guilford, Connecticut, and there it was: an unimproved 1.7 acre lot of restored tidal marsh that had the allure of ever-changing scenery, natural light and an array of wildlife.
They purchased the land for $320,000 in the summer of 2016. When it came to design, a few things were nonnegotiable: enough privacy to allow for plenty of windows, tidal marsh views, and an easily maintained home and yard that would also be eco-friendly.
Their individual wishes became diplomatic discussions — was there room for a workshop for woodworking and gardening needs? How about a kitchen garden? These made the cut, as did a small salt-chlorinated pool. But being able to live comfortably there as they grew older together was their primary concern.
“This is the first time we have worked for a three-person couple for whom gracious aging
— of materials and occupants — was part of the discussion from the outset,” said Rustam Mehta, a founding partner of GRT Architects, the New York City firm that designed the 3,300-squarefoot house.
The one-story house embodies universal design principles that are also senior-friendly, like versatile open spaces, minimal stairs, and wider doorways and hallways. The three-bedroom home is also wheelchair accessible and barrier free — there are no steps or thresholds across the entire principal floor. And there’s not a tub in sight: All three bathrooms feature zero-threshold showers.
For the country’s swiftly growing older population, this safety-focused attention to detail is essential to healthy home life. More often than not, changes are hurriedly made in response to a fall, accident or medical diagnosis. The website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that for adults 65 and older, $50 billion is spent annually on medical costs related to nonfatal fall injuries and $754 million is spent related to fatal falls.
As baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 continue to age, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that people over the age of 65 will outnumber those under the age of 18 as soon as 2034. To address the needs of this rapidly growing population, AARP encourages its members to carefully consider ways to make their homes places where they can comfortably and safely age in place.
These kinds of upgrades can start with simple things like installing task lighting in kitchens to accommodate fading eyesight and multiheight countertops to allow people of all abilities to both stand and sit while working in the kitchen, investing in nonslip tiles and grab bars in bathrooms,
and relocating select electrical outlets to be 18 to 24 inches high, up from the more typical 12 inches off the floor, to make them more accessible. Bigger changes can include enlarged doorways to allow for wheelchair access or a walker, and ramps to eliminate stairs.
AARP recently introduced HomeFit, a free augmented-reality app on iOS that can scan a room and suggest improvements to help turn a house into a “lifelong home,” free of safety and mobility risks. It is an extension of the organization’s extensive HomeFit Guide, which is available online.
There are also certified aging-in-place specialists, professionals including remodelers, designers, architects and occupational therapists, who can recommend modifications to help people live independently in their home. This designation was developed in 2002 by the National Association of Home Builders in collaboration with AARP. Specialists can be searched by state at nahb.org, which offers a three-day certification program.
Even the smallest safety updates can potentially be lifesaving.
Ted Porter, a co-chair for the Design for Aging Committee for the New York City chapter of the American Institute of Architects, said making an apartment or home aging-friendly can be relatively easy, inexpensive and done gradually over time.
Simple upgrades include professionally installing grab bars along long corridors and replacing toggle light switches with glow-in-the-dark rocker switches that are easier to turn on and off.
Porter also suggests increasing the output of available electric light sources by using larger wattage or lumen bulbs and recommends contrast between wall and floor colors, and between floor hues or finishes wherever height levels change.
Sharon Sherman, an interior designer from Wyckoff, New Jersey, often promotes design elements that are senior-friendly but also appropriate for residents of any age, even young couples. In recent projects, Sherman incorporated a pullout microwave drawer and dish drawers into a kitchen island, saving clients the effort of constantly reaching overhead.
Where balance and stability is a concern, wall oven units with French doors at eye level eliminate any need to lean over a hot oven door. Sherman also recommends induction stovetops for clients, especially useful for those with memory problems or young children.
“As soon as the magnetic connection is broken, the heat disappears,” she said.
“Aging in place starts at birth,” said Florence C. Macauley, founder of AgeWise Home, a nonmedical consulting company that also provides concierge services to elderly and disabled people in Washington, D.C.
Macauley, an aging-in-place specialist and dementia practitioner, launched her business in 2019 following abdominal surgery and weeks of strict medical orders not to lift, bend or walk stairs.
At the time, the elevator in her building was out of commission. Her sister flew in to assist her in her recovery, but the whole experience got Macauley, who is 42, thinking, “If I needed all this help, what would my elderly patients do?”
At a minimum, anyone considering their forever home should prioritize dwellings with limited steps, widened doorways, doors with lever handles, and elevator access, she said.