Ask about . . . Universal Design Features and Home Modifications
As people get older, they may experience declines in their mental and physical abilities, as well as in their social networks. Much research has been done to identify living environment design features that help people accommodate these declines. These features make a housing environment easier to use and allow people to live more safely, more independently, and more self-managing for longer periods of time.
Such an "accommodating environment" flexibly adapts to the needs of residents as those needs change over time. In contrast, a "fixed environment" (with few or no universal design features) cannot adapt to changing needs, forcing residents to become isolated, or to purchase costly personal assistance, or to move to alternative options.
When making a housing decision, residents can assess their own existing homes and can consider home modifications and incorporating universal design features as a strategy for successful and safe aging-in-place.
When deciding to relocate to another housing alternative, you should take a close look at the grounds surrounding the housing option, the entrance to the home or development, the common areas of the building, and the individual living units. You can judge to what extent the exterior and interior are characterized by features that will make your living environment safer, easier to navigate, easier to use, and more livable over the longer term.
Examples of universal design features include:
- Single-lever faucets in the kitchen and bathroom;
- "D" shaped door and cabinet handles;
- Adjustable-height counters;
- Stove burner control panel located on the front of the stove;
- Automatic turn-offs for stove burners;
- Sit-to-work space in the kitchen;
- Non-skid floor surfaces;
- Ground fault interrupted (GFI) electrical circuits;
- Contrasting colors between floors and walls;
- Audio/visual/sensory smoke alarm system;
- Non-glare lighting;
- Task lighting in work areas;
- Bathroom entry doors that open out;
- Adequate storage space;
- Maximum of 5 lb. of force required for opening doors and windows;
- Uncomplicated arrangement of common corridors and activity rooms, for ease in way-finding;
- Pull-down ceiling light fixtures for ease in cleaning;
- Maximum of 8 feet between electrical outlets;
- Resident-controlled heating and cooling;
- Thresholds between rooms that are flush to the floor;
- Well-lighted building entryways;
- Air conditioning;
- Banisters on both sides of stair cases;
- Wheelchair accessibility in and out of the building, in and out of living units, and in bathrooms and in kitchens;
- Hand grips along corridors;
- Broom-finished, clean, and unbroken sidewalks;
- Benches in outdoor areas;
- Some parking spaces located close to the building entrance;
- Covered bus shelters—close to residential areas;
- Many more.
Examples of home modifications include:
- Bathroom on the first floor;
- Walk-in or roll-in shower, with a seat;
- Adaptive interior design of the living unit to allow space to be converted into a first-floor bedroom;
- Clothes washer and dryer installed in or near the kitchen area on the first floor;
- Landscaped front entrance to allow a no-step entryway.
Resources for learning more about universal design:
Following are additional resources and information about features and modifications that can help make your housing environment safer and easier to use and live in:
- J. P. S. Salmen (1988). The
Do-Able
Renewable Home: Making Your Home Fit Your Needs.
Available free from: Consumer
Issues Section, AARP, 601 E Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20049. - Vera Prosper (1990). Design Features: Housing Older New Yorkers. Albany, New York: New York State Office for the Aging.
- J. Bostrom, Ron Mace, and M. Long (1987).
Adaptable Housing: A Technical Manual for Implementing Adaptable Dwelling Unit Specifications. Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Center for Universal Design (1997). A Blueprint for Action: A Resource for Promoting Home Modifications. Rockville, Maryland: HUD User; also: Raleigh, NC: Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University.
- Rosemary Bakker (1997). Elder Design: Designing and Furnishing A Home For Your Later Years. New York: Penguin Books.
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