Personal Design vs Universal Design

One of the things I've observed is that with all the attention on Universal Design there is becoming a certain dogmatic stance in some areas or by some people. Sometimes we seem to forget that UD is a set of seven principles to help guide decision making, not an enforceable code. When you are dealing with residential housing and a person's living space, universality can take a back seat to something tailored to the individual. We aren't talking about public buildings here, rather individual living spaces. Here are a few examples from work we did this summer.

• The aging-in-place bias in redoing a bathroom for a senior would be to expand the shower and make it zero threshold in the event that a wheelchair is in their future. But we had two customers (both smaller women) who really wanted smaller showers--they felt more secure and stable in the small shower, the walls providing an envelope that makes it easier for them to maintain their balance. The new showers will accommodate a small shower chair if needed in the future, so there is that provision for flexibility. But never will a wheelchair be practical in the bathroom (in one of the homes, a wheelchair will never be practical anywhere.) So, while this might not live up to UD principles of equitable use or size and space for approach and use, for these particular homeowners it was the right design for now.

• We like wall ovens over ranges--less bending and lifting, easier to see into. Separate cook tops allow for storing pots and pans where they are needed or even the ability to sit and cook. But for one customer, the wall often was wasted space that was better put to storage. So, the wall oven came out and the oven cavity was fitted with pull-outs. Separate cabinets were modified for a freestanding range. This resulted in an overall more functional design for the customer, even though we had to go with a less UD appliance. Sometimes the practical issue is how and where to apply the UD principles. In remodeling, there are typically trade-offs.

• Split level counters are seen as a good idea to accommodate people of different heights or who need to sit. They find their way into a lot of kitchen designs these days. But for someone with a severe visual impairment, misjudging where one height ends and the other begins can result in spills and broken dishes. A common height counter, or one where the height differences are in distinctly different areas of the workspace, is the better solution for the individual.

Don't get me wrong, the attention on UD is great. Even in these designs, we employed UD principles where we could--lever handles, hand showers on glide bars in the shower, grab bars instead of towel bars that offer no support if grabbed, materials and designs that provide visual cuing, task lighting, storage that minimizes reaching, etc. But let's remember that it is a set of principles to help shape a design, not a set of routine solutions. Often in residential remodeling the design dictates are very personal.

A funny thing happened at Aging in Place week

Last week was national Aging In Place week. If memory serves (a risky assumption at times) this is the fourth such event, fostered by the efforts of the National Aging In Place Council. As one of the first members of the NAIPC, we've participated in the events. Typically, they have been a forum to network with others involved in providing services to older adults and have been poorly attended by people actually interested in their own aging-in-place efforts.

This year was different. It was odd. It was surprising. There were actually seniors or their families in the seats! We spoke or exhibited at three events durng the week and two of these were very well attended with approximately 30 attendees at one and around 60 at the other. The events are getting better organized and that accounts for some of the draw I'm sure, but I also think more and more people are interested in the topic and, from their comments, are happy to find knowledgeable resources to advise them.

Our topic (modifying/adapting the home) also plays well because it tends to be a more positive or upbeat message than some of the other aging related topics. But the third talk was at a home and garden show (which was just a coincidence and not related to AIP week.) It was poorly attended--as I have seen other AIP talks at such venues be. I suspect that it's a topic that plays well to the right audience but does not yet draw well against all the booths and trade displays--its not why the attendees are there. But it is great to see the momentum building and more and more people acting practively to set a plan and maintain their independence.

Here comes the bandwagon

It's been a very busy summer for us at In Your Home and I haven't posted for awhile. Lots of new customers, we've grown our crew, business is about double last year. While we like to believe this has a lot to do with how we run our business, it is partly a reflection of the growing demand for services to support folks choosing to "age in place."

This growing demand for services has been noted in a variety of recent industry reports and news stories. Combined with the slump in new home construction, lots of people are targeting residential remodeling and especially "aging in place" as a more robust segment of the housing market. All the attention is good because it will hopefully lead not only to better solutions but greater awareness and willingness throughout the population of how modifications can improve our lives as we age. But there is also a big risk in this goldrush mentality. Here are a few examples:

• Untested products. Over the summer we discovered a new walk-in tub that had some nice features making it a great solution for a particular client. It was offered by a reputable company so we decided to give it a try. A week after the order was scheduled to ship, we were informed that something had gone wrong with the manufacturer relationship and the product could not be delivered as promised. We had to go to plan B, delaying the project for nearly a month, an inconvenience for our customer. But at least it was discovered before we had a situation with a faulty product. As more and more people target these sorts of solutions, we are likely to have many products that do not work or can't be delivered as advertised--experience and the remodeler's willingness to stand behind the work will be very important.
• Supportive business practices. It's one thing to know how to replace a tub with a shower, it is another to have the work practices that protect the customer in other ways. For example, we currently have two customers experiencing the onset of Alzheimers. They have tried to hide our supplies and give away their belongings to our crew--things that we are accustomed to and have strict policies regarding. This is just one example where a true aging-in-place specialist will have the experience and work practices that meet the needs of this customer base, beyond basic remodeling skills.
• Real Focus. It is increasingly easy for remodelers to say they do aging-in-place projects, but how many do they really do? I've spoken with CAPS designees who admit that aging-in-place work is only a small percentage of the work they do. Admittedly, we are doing more and more projects that are outside the aging-in-place marketspace--family members who want us to do work on their home, referrals from Angies List just looking for someone they can trust, etc. But our focus and the core of our business is on the senior population and it creates a very different reality for our team than for someone who doesn't focus there.
• Informed solutions. Not focusing on this market space can also impact the quality of the solution--we sell as many or more aluminum ramps as we build wood ones because in many cases they are the better solution. One of our customers couldn't find a contractor who knew anything about accessible shower pans--they had designed a ground floor bathroom and living space with the idea that it would be accessible for visiting relatives, but everyone they dealt with kept trying to install a traditional shower pan because that is all they knew. A true specialist can address the full range of solutions and won't force fit inadequate ones.

These are a few examples that underscore the need to people to be aware of what it really takes to be a viable resource for senior homeowners.

Beware the easy fix for increased lighting

One of the common issues we experience as we age is that we need more light to see clearly--especially the print of important things like medicine bottles, food packages, and, in my case, the daily crossword puzzle. The best way to get this additional lighting varies by what we need it for and by the condition of our eyes. But one solution that is never a good one is to shove higher wattage bulbs into fixtures that are not rated for them. Doing this can cause burns and fires.

I say this and many people scoff--what can be the harm of a brighter light bulb? Mountain out of a mole hill, they say. Well, witness this customer we helped out last week who called to have some water damage around a light fixture repaired. When our handyman got there, he found not water damage but heat damage. The owner had installed 100 watt bulbs in a closed fixture rated for 60 watt bulbs. Not only was the ceiling scorched and discolored, but the plastic junction box and wires were "crispy." The potential for a fire was very real.

Just a reminder that if more light is in your future, upgrade your fixtures to handle it. Also, consider putting them on dimmers so that you don't waste the wattage when you don't need it.

Study reinforces the value of home modifications

I came across this data at Cynthia Lebrock's website. Cynthia does us all the favor of reviewing a lot of academic articles and providing a synopsis of the findings. The data came from a longitudinal (meaning data collected and tracked over a period of time) study by the university of Michigan. Researcher Kyung Sook June showed that while disabilities increased the likelihood that the person will relocate into an institutional setting, the presence of basic home modifications like shower bars, ramps, lifts, etc. decreased that likelihood. Interestingly, the presence of a caregiver did not decrease the likelihood of relocation to an institutional setting. Since this data set was collected a decade ago, a reasonable hypothesis would be that improved product and design solutions and increased acceptance of home modifications would make these findings all the more true today.