Downsizing: Aging
in Style
By
Leslie Shankman-Cohn,ASID
The Boomers are aging and
Gen X is moving out, hopefully. Mom and
Dad don’t want all that space (and
yard work). Their idea of a yard is the
beach on a small deserted island or a beautifully
groomed golf course. Today the elderly and
“mid-lifers” are healthier,
more active, and better off financially
than at any other time in history, and they
are living longer. Consequently, they will
need a suitable and accessible place to
live, whether they remain in their own homes,
move into a smaller space, or opt for assisted
living.
The majority of homeowners are likely to
remain in the home where they currently
live into their retirement years. Most people
don’t view their homes as posing any
particular impediment to living there as
they age. However, making the home easier
to get around in and to maintain are high
priorities. The mature market wants modifications
to their homes that increase efficiency,
convenience and comfort.
Think about your physical needs as you
age and what you will be able to do. What
is it about your home that concerns you
the most when you think about living there
as you get older? Is there something about
your home that you think could make it more
difficult or uncomfortable for you to live
in as you age and your physical needs change?
The first thing that comes to mind is
the stairs. If the master bedroom is located
upstairs, you might want to think about
remodeling or reassigning a room downstairs
that would better accommodate you. If the
stairs become a problem, it’s easily
solved by installing a stair lift. This
apparatus is simply installed in up the
existing stairwell on the side of the wall.
It leaves plenty of room for regular access
up the stairs when it’s not in use.
It’s electrified and has many safety
features. Besides, it’s sort of a
fun ride!
Falling is one of the biggest worries
for the aging population. Just adding a
few grab bars in the bathrooms located near
toilets, baths, and in showers, alleviates
some of those worries. Another problem is
the floor coverings. Heavy pile carpets,
soft padding, and lots of small area rugs
are potential hazards to those who use walkers
or wheelchairs. It’s best to use short
pile rugs with commercial grade pads, hardwood,
tile, cork, or linoleum, and keep the area
rugs to a minimum, making sure that they
don’t slip or bunch. Do not, I repeat,
DO NOT use polished marble floors in your
bathroom! I don’t care what age you
are…they may look great, but they
are slick are dangerous when wet! There
are many beautiful alternatives out there
that have some texture incorporated in them
to prevent that “ice rink” effect.
I know that we don’t like to admit
it, but our eyesight tends to diminish with
age. The quality and quantity of lighting
is especially important, as improper or
inadequate lighting is also commonly linked
with falls in the home. Simply increasing
the wattage of the bulbs around the house
will help immeasurably. Consider adding
floor lamps to increase ambient lighting,
brighten dark corners or illuminate areas
where table lamps are not feasible. You
might want to avoid halogen-style torchiers
or other high-heat lighting that could easily
tip over and start a fire. Also, ensure
that work areas, such as kitchen counters,
sinks, and stove tops, are adequately lit
and that the lighting doesn’t cast
shadows. Think about installing automatic
sensors that turn lights on in baths, stairwells,
closets, etc. Remote controls on lighting
and ceiling fans are a great idea. (Now,
if I could just remember where I left them….)
You might be thinking “Now that the
kids are gone, this house is just too big!”,
or “This house just doesn’t
fit my lifestyle anymore”. The answer
might just be to downsize by buying a smaller
home, zero lot line, or condo. There are
many “plus sides” to this decision,
such as lower maintenance, usually a more
open floor plan, and an exciting fresh start!
However, it can also be a little depressing
and traumatic. The hardest thing that you
will be faced with is trying to decide what
you REALLY need to move and take with you.
This means letting go of some items that
might have memories attached. It may even
mean leaving some friends behind. However,
once you work your way through that, you
will feel liberated! (Face it; you really
never liked that dresser that belonged to
Great Aunt Bessie, anyway.) Downsizing is
often an excellent time to call on an outside
source to help wade through what possessions
are important and what can be discarded
or dispersed to other family members. Friends,
family or even designers can help you with
this task.
Whether you plan to stay where you are,
or move to a smaller space, it’s good
to keep some of the following in mind….
Reduce the amount of furniture to make
it easier to get around. As always, “less
is more”.
Select furniture that is sturdy, easy
to move and to get in and out of, and doesn’t
have any sharp edges.
Use paddle handles on doors and faucets
in place of knobs; they’re easier
for arthritic hands to grip.
Make sure that hallways and doors are
wide enough for the possible future use
of wheelchairs or walkers.
You might even consider removing a few
doors if the area is congested, such as
hallways with several doors that aren’t
necessary for privacy.
Replace basement laundry rooms with smaller
washers and dryers that fit into the bathroom
or a utility closet.
Consider installing phones in every room,
including bathrooms and garages.
As longevity increases, so will the likelihood
of chronic health conditions and the need
for regular assistance. Moving into some
form of assisted living housing provides
the security of frequent monitoring and
the availability of medical assistance in
the event of an emergency. This is done
not only to provide peace of mind to their
family members, but also to themselves.
When the decision has been made to opt
for assisted living, don’t be surprised
by the negative reaction your loved one
may project to you at first. “You
call this an apartment? It looks more like
a motel room!” or “How am I
ever going to get my stuff in here?”.
Let’s face it; assisted living apartments
are historically small and cramped places.
Moving at this stage in life is already
stressful and sometimes confusing, and now
they feel like they must give up what feels
like everything that defines their lives,
memories, and home. How do you create an
environment that makes Mom and Dad feel
comfortable, secure, and “at home”
in unfamiliar surroundings?
Sit down with your loved one and talk to
them, but, more importantly, LISTEN to what
they feel are their most important possessions
and work around them. It may just be an
old rocking chair, a nightstand, dresser,
or the breakfront that great-grandma brought
over from Europe. But these are the items
that define who they see themselves as,
and are comfortable and familiar in a life
altering, and often, depressing move. This
is a time when we are forced to acknowledge
that this will probably be the last place
that they will ever live. You will be surprised
how fast someone can adapt if there are
just a few cherished items around.
In the future, we may be totally reliant
on computer technology for “assisted
living” at home. The Aware Home project
at Georgia Tech takes a focused look at
the home, itself, as an assistive device
for the vastly increasing aging population.
It incorporates an embedded technology that
becomes a full partner in promoting “aging
in place” for boomers and their parents.
With the combined use of wearable computers
and intelligent environments, the house
itself, allows the delivery of convenient,
personalized information and entertainment
services at almost any time in any context
to the occupant (Grandma and Grandpa) and
a remote location (You!). The Aware Home
infrastructure will obtain general information
about a user while at home and a wearable
computer can gather data wherever the user
may go. In other words, the home “knows”
who is where and what they are doing. It
will be able to “find” lost
objects such as your keys or the remote
control. The home is constantly monitoring
the occupants’ whereabouts and activities,
using audio and video observation methods,
and even tracking its inhabitants’
medical conditions. The premise here, of
course, is if the occupants were able to
keep that “peace of mind” while
still living in their own homes, they would
not be forced away from the familiarity
and friends to which they are accustomed.
I don’t know about you, but somehow
I feel that if the kids aren’t watching
my every move, big brother might be. I say,
let’s ditch the wearable computers
and I’ll race you in my electronic
scooter to the drive-in!
Whether you remain in your own home, downsize
to a smaller place, or move to an assisted
living facility, comfort, convenience, and
efficiency are key. Most of the next generation
expects to either have an elderly family
member move in with them in the future,
or at the very least, be responsible for
their care on some level. I don’t
know about you, but the older I get, the
nicer I’m going to be to my children!
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