Keeping the FUN in life at every age

Staying in your house and out of a senior's community saves tens of thousands of dollars a year. It costs $77,745 annually to live privately in a nursing home. That’s a jump of $17,520 per year compared to 2005, according to the Genworth 2011 Cost of Care Survey, which sees prices continuing to rise.

Renovating both the interior and exterior of your home is the way to go if you're healthy and fit. Furniture and design ideas that conform to your active life. Way beyond grab bars and scooters and power chairs.  Eat when you want. Play when you want. See who you want. Your life, your independence, your way. Senior Wellness Specialists, keeping the FUN in life at every age.

Wide Open Plan For Ease of Use with Low Windows and Good Lighting is Functional and Great for Entertaining

Contemporary and Cool Defines Today's Boomerized Home: Increases Home Value While Saving You Tens of Thousands on Long-term Care

Universal design meets style at bath, kitchen show in Las Vegas

Boomers 50 years old and up account for 45 percent of remodels done in The U.S.A. today, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.  The money to remodel the kitchen, bath or the whole house in many cases comes courtesy of the equity in a home in which one has lived at least 20 years. The method by which this happens is called reverse mortgage. The person taking out the equity is the owner/occupant of the house. The cash allows Boomers to age in a cool place until such time they decide to move.  Meantime, the home continues to go up in value thanks to the visit-ability created by the renovations, and opens the door to other Boomers looking for unique home features that suit their vibrant lifestyles and frees them up to pursue life's other passions with the huge savings realized by not having to be in a restrictive environment like assisted living or nursing home.

View our photo galleries of accessible bathrooms, accessible kitchens, accessible laundry, work rooms and offices, accessible living spaces and outdoor living and access.

Accessible Bathrooms to Age in Place

Every year, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Unites States Department of Health and Human Services, thousands of seniors injure themselves in their own bathrooms. Many of those injuries occur while bathing or showering. Seniors report it's gotten to the point they dread going into their own bathrooms. A curb to access the shower must be stepped over. Some experience claustrophobia in the shower area and now avoid taking a shower. Slipping and falling and not having anyone there to pick them is a major fear. Once not a problem, turning on the water or lights are reported difficult tasks for them.  If you live alone and don't have plans to go into an assisted living facility, you should consider making your bathroom safe and functional without sacrificing elegance.

Companies that specialize in retrofitting bathrooms can recommend a variety of solutions such as non-slip tiles, curbless entry to your shower, in-shower, built-in bench, specialty showering apparatus, wide doorway for easy access, touch-only sensor faucets and a wide variety of other solutions to make your bathroom more accessible.

View our photo galleries of accessible bathrooms, accessible kitchens, accessible laundry, work rooms and offices, accessible living spaces and outdoor living and access.

WHAT IS UNIVERSAL DESIGN?

Universal design refers to broad-spectrum architectural planning ideas meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to both the able-bodied and the physically disabled.

Blending aesthetics into core considerations that offer broader accessibility movement and barrier-free concepts, Universal Design is not only pleasing to the eye, but helps people stay in their own home as long as possible.

According to an AARP survey, almost 90 percent of adults 50+ prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible.

While the homes of many older adults have some accessibility features, a great number lack features that make a home universally designed or even visitable.

Homes that lack important ease of use and convenience features may make it difficult for older residents to bathe, use stairs, enter and exit, or meet other daily needs. Such barriers may precipitate an unwanted or premature move to an assisted living facility or to an institutionalized setting, which can limit independence and be emotionally taxing and financially burdensome. Through home modifications (i.e., custom remodeling for a specific resident’s needs) or the adoption of improved standards in new home construction, universal design and visit-ability features can enhance functionality, independence, and safety for everyone. These features thus enable older adults to age in place and allow people with disabilities to remain involved in family and community life.

View our Universal Design Photo Gallery.


What areas of your home do you think could be improved?  
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