Creating designs for homes that permit people to remain in a residence despite a temporary or permanent disability or provide baby boomers with the freedom to remain independent, living in a home of their choice as they age, is the backbone of the aging-in-place movement.   But as we are finding out, there is actually much more to this design philosophy than just "aging."

After two decades of "aging in place," it is clear from conversations with boomer clients and consumers that many would rather not talk about "aging."  Some call it age denial. And after preaching the benefits of universal design to as many who will listen, it still takes a lot of effort to get them to understand and accept the benefits of accessibility.  For example, as a client well into her sixties said to me, "That kind of design is something my parents need. I am not that old to need a grab bar in the bathroom."   Perhaps we have been getting it all wrong.  

It is time to rethink these concepts in accessibility.

A change is needed in the message.   

We need to create a new definition. 

Since efforts to create barrier-free environments result in additional safety and security in one's living environment, what we are really talking about has actually less to do with the aging process and more to do with sustaining one's independence.  After all, one can be playing tennis at 30 years of age and break a knee cap or elbow, or be skiing down the slopes of Aspen at 40, fall and break a leg bone or two.  It is only after some incident like that does the individual realize the need for a "balance" bar and a European-entry to the shower, wider doorways and halls and door handles rather than door knobs.  

Add the baby boomers to the conversation.  

With boomers living older yet much more active lives than any previous generation and with life expectancy now well into the eighties, the concepts that aging and retirement have been permanently altered. No longer do they think about retirement as someone being in their recliner for the rest of their lives, just sitting around.  "That" is the definition of aging in place... one static solitary place.     

So I propose that we change our thinking.  

This "aging in place" movement that many have been pushing for years, including myself, should be less about the aging process and more about creating home and work environments that expand the definition of sustainability, that is...creating healthy, safe, secure and accessible spaces that sustain the quality of life.

And that is the thinking behind the Design Alliance for Accessible Sustainable Environments (DAASE).  Providing design professionals, Realtors, builders and contractors, occupational and physical therapists, reverse mortgage specialists with the tools to inform and educate that universal design, accessible environments and sustainable spaces are the age-wave of the future. 

Want to join the growing membership of DAASE?.... just CLICK HERE. 

Submitted by Michael A. Thomas, FASID, CAPS, president of DAASE, a past national president of ASID, and an interior designer who is passionate about sustaining personal independence. 

The American Society of Interior Designers publishes a regular news magazine for its members.  Recently, an article in ICON magazine by Michael Behrens highlighted the marriage between aging-in place, universal design and sustainable environments.  


Here's some of what Michael had to say....and thanks for the shout-out !! 

Like trains running on parallel tracks, sustainable design and Universal Design have been coursing their separate ways through the A&D community, gradually picking up steam over the years.  At last, they have caught up with each other at a crossroads called Design-for-Aging, and the timing couldn’t be more fortuitous.

Although few would have thought much about it 20 years ago, sustainable design and design for aging are ideally suited for one another.  What’s more sustainable than helping someone to remain in their home rather than move to a new building or facility?  Beyond that, many of the features and products available today complement both sustainable and universal solutions.  Add to the mix the aging of the eco-aware baby boomers and you have a match made in design heaven.

SHADES OF GREY AND GREEN

Despite the obvious benefits, selling older homeowners on green and sustainable options does not come easy. Surveys of homeowners 50 and over show that the plurality of older Americans do not place a high priority on green or sustainable design features when considering purchasing or remodeling a home.  At the same time, when asked what they do want most, they give a very high ranking to saving on energy and water costs, a healthy environment and ease of maintenance.  In other words, what has been true of universal or accessible design for older clients for years is also true of sustainable design:  They don’t want to pay for the idea, but they will pay for the benefits.

Surprisingly perhaps, this also holds true for baby boomers.  Boomers did not invent the environmental movement, but they grew up with it through the 70s and beyond, coming of age during the gas shortages, energy crises, blackouts and brownouts, oil spills, global warming, and so on.  Nonetheless, boomers as a group say they are not more inclined to pay extra for a green home unless they can be shown that the cost will be offset by energy or other savings later on or that the home will increase in value as a result.

This past October, the ASID California San Diego Chapter participated in a daylong “Green Retirement” workshop — “a retirement planning event with an environmental twist” — along with AARP California and Revisions Resources, a local nonprofit agency that provides information and support to older San Diegans.  In this case, “green” stood for sustainable and, yes, dollars.  The pitch:  Get financial planning and management advice AND learn how to save money while saving energy. “Interior designers from ASID will discuss how to make your home safe, comfortable, and sustainable,” declared the announcement on the AARP website.  For retirees living on a fixed income, money talks louder than environmentalism.

FUNCTIONAL AND FRUGAL

When dealing with older clients, therefore, it is important to focus on the monetary, health and design benefits of green and universal solutions.  States Michael Thomas, FASID, co-author of Design for Residential Aging in Place and president of the Design Alliance for Accessible Sustainable Environments (DAASE), an organization that promotes independent living through the design of safe, secure and sustainable environments, “By making a few simple choices such as high efficiency appliances, solar-supportive power sources, low-maintenance fabrics and furnishings, and interior finishes that support good indoor air quality, boomers will be able to live in their own healthy places for a much longer period of time.”

Want to read more?  CLICK HERE