Accommodating Special Needs for Life

The Baby Boom generation is redefining retirement. They compose 28 percent of the population and own 48 percent of all homes in the U.S.


Instead of selling their homes and moving into retirement villages or assisted-living quarters, a growing number of older Americans are modifying their homes to make them more user-friendly as they age.

The baby boomers now reaching retirement age tend to be healthier and more independent than previous generations, and are not ready to give up home ownership when they retire. The weak economy means fewer Americans can afford the move into retirement facilities — even if they manage to sell their homes in this depressed market. Three-generational homes are becoming more important as people are living longer.

The special needs of the aging and disabled population comprise of common design situations making mobility an issue. By accommodating their needs in a unique and thoughtful way, solutions are given and value can be added to their quality of life and the investment of their home.


Aging-in-place features should include:

•Wider doors, hallways and toilets

•Same-level transitions or ramps instead of steps

•Roll-in showers with wide, doorless entries, grab bars, non-skid tiles, built-in seats and hand-held shower units

•Walk-in closets, casement windows, lever-style door handles

•Waist-high kitchen appliances and storage drawers.

It should be noted that many retirement community apartments do no have these special amenities even though they are serving a market which will need them most and soonest.

Gina Nunes can be reached at (847) 997-2773 to help with your design solution.

Occupational Therapists Aid in Designing for Special Needs

It has been shown that an individual with a known medical condition will function better in a more independent, safer, accessible and health-sustaining environment. It cannot be assumed that individuals with special needs will adapt to their surroundings. Careful attention must be taken to provide products and structural changes which meet the needs of the user.

With the collaboration of a team of professionals consisting of occupational therapist, interior designer, architect and building professional, a partnership is created which provides the opportunity for users to be engaged within their environment.

The perspective of an occupational therapist provides a comprehensive profile of an individual’s activities of daily living. They can make an analysis of barriers in an environment and also provides knowledge on what kind of environment works best for the user. OTs are trained and have expertise in these areas.

By fitting the person with the environmental needs and assessing the activities to be engaged in, an environment is created which supports the interaction between the user’s abilities and the activities of choice, giving a person freedom to live in a place which is comfortable, secure and adapts to their needs.

Bathroom Trends

Historically, home sizes have shrunk somewhat during economic recessions, but an emerging consensus shows that in the coming decade, new homes will be smaller on average than they were in the past decade.


Trends in the number and size of bathrooms in homes reveal 17% of respondents showing that the number of bathrooms was still increasing, while 8% saw a trend toward fewer bathrooms in homes. Over the past three years the pace of growth has slowed significantly.

The greatest features in bathroom trends are:

• Radiant-heated floors, which are sparking growing interest due to energy efficiency and comfort considerations.
• Features that enhance accessibility and adaptability.
• Sustainable water-saving toilets in general and dual-flush toilets.
• LED lighting, due to the conservation of energy, gaining in favor even as households are generally scaling back on their investment in housing.
• Doorless and no-threshold showers, as well as handshowers, for their accessibility promotion.

Other upscale bath products are not faring as well in this new cost-conscious housing environment. Requests for steam showers and towel warming drawers/racks are reported to be declining in popularity by about a third of respondents.

While floor plans may be smaller, design considerations are getting bigger to encompass not only green products and practices, but also Universal Design.  

Call me for help in designing to meet your unique needs.

Contact an Expert When Dealing with the Great Unknown

For many people faced with a life-altering disability, the thought of returning home for the first time can be overwhelming.  Discovering that an injury is permanent may require having specialized equipment in your home to accomplish daily living tasks.  To promote as much independence as possible, an accessibility specialist can help by assessing your current home to determine which solutions will best address your needs.
In my role as an interior designer, specializing in disability and aging challenges, I can work with your health care provider to help ease your mind from the mind-filling thoughts of how you are going to maneuver with new limitations in an old environment.  At the point you know a disability is permanent or the condition is diagnosed as progressing towards needing home access features in the future an accessibility specialist should be contacted.   Your home can become a hindrance to independence.  I want to help maintain your home to remain your source of comfort, access and security when faced with any disability.

Baby Boomers accept Universal Design for Bathrooms

Plan for Future, Efficiency With Your Bathroom Design

American consumers are choosing to remodel their bathrooms in luxurious and efficient ways, according to a survey by The American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The survey found that Americans are interested in :

1. Water-saving toilets. Standard toilets typically require a family of four to consume more than 140 gallons a day by flushing alone, while a water-saving toilet only uses about 100 gallons per day per household.
2. Installing radiant heated floors, which are comprised of low voltage GFCI-protected circuits to power the systems. Hydronic radiant floors are a more traditional and popular approach to floor heating.
3. "Universal design," which means accessible for everyone.
4. No-step entry, wide doorways and halls, and main floor facilities.  Curbless showers are being installed in order to provide easy access for all users.
5. Finally, LED, energy-efficient lighting is also being placed in the bathrooms.

This completes my soapbox forum on universal design.  If you are in need of a universal kitchen or bath design, please call me. 


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Age-Friendly Cities Create Positive Outcomes

Research in the late 1990s showed that the needs of seniors were changing.  Seniors were demanding more choices and amenities, becoming more active and living longer, with a greater focus on wellness.  In response to these changes, there is a new building trend toward integrating neighborhoods into age-friendly cities. 
The goal is to have a variety of services available, such as health, recreational and shopping, so that many different lifestyles can be accommodated. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes this will help the elderly to have a high quality and independent life.

This will be accomplished by instituting the following:

• Maintaining pleasant and safe outdoor spaces
• Having sufficient, affordable public transportation
• Having housing located close to services
• Offering diverse, affordable activities which are easily found
• Recognizing the elderly for their contributions to the community
• Increasing community participation and training availability for post-retirement people
• Having better communication with large-print information in familiar language
• Better accessibility to health and social services

Strategic planning includes mixing public and social services within housing communities to support age-friendly cities.   The continued desire is to link public transportation and reduce travel distances while increasing foot and bicycle traffic for pedestrian uses.

Successful transition to a retirement community is created with strong social ties.  CCRCs, or Continuing Care Retirement Communities, provide supportive networks among residents.  Clusters of homes share walking paths, gardens, clubhouses, health clubs, and the like, reinforcing the sense of community. This is a positive approach to help the elderly to feel more attached.

There are many design options to choose in promoting the physical and emotional wellness of the aging population.  For those who are able, aging-in-place design is the best of both worlds, allowing seniors to remain in the comfort of their own homes independent of assisted living facilities.  This is possible by implementing modifications within the home which will last for years to come.

Working with a Designer on a Kitchen Remodel

The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home.  Because of that, current kitchens now must include space for many activities such as communicating, entertaining, homework centers, household management and, of course, food preparation.

There are many benefits to working with a designer when remodeling your kitchen. Following are some advantages: 

• Designers have a strong vision and the ability to carry that vision through for a cohesive and functional environment.
• Designers have a knowledge of how to work with contractors to direct them so you don't have to.
• A designer has knowledge on not only the latest trends but what trends have withstood the test of time and are considered time-honored innovations. 
• A designer also knows which door styles are more expensive than others, thereby keeping you on budget.
• A designer has knowledge about selecting the continually growing number of materials such as cabinets, counter tops, appliances, flooring, lighting and paint.
• Designers are all about the details.
• Traditionally, kitchen design focused on the "triangle" of kitchen, sink, and stove, to optimize work flow. However, we are now moving away from the traditional triangle and creating more individual workstations within the kitchen.
• Many people don't realize how important lighting is to any space.  A designer has experience in choosing the best lighting for the job.
• Designers can now help you to choose products which are environmentally friendly.
• When working with a designer, it is a good idea to have pictures of your likes and dislikes collected.

No matter what your concerns in your kitchen remodel, an interior designer is there to listen to your needs and walk you through the overwhelming process of choosing the right product so that the heart of your home becomes a beautiful and functional reflection of you.

I would love to help you design your kitchen for your unique lifestyle.

Not only Homes but Cars

Reading the paper this morning, I discovered another area of design which accomodates the elderly and disabled living--your vehicle.  Who hasn't tried to get into a low-riding car and moaned at the prospect?  Ever try backing up and not being able to turn your head enough to see out the small back window?  How about arthritic hands not being able to handle small dials or buttons?


The Daily Herald Health & Fitness section article, "Best Cars for Older Drivers" makes recommendations on what to look for when car shopping:

• Wide door openings and low thresholds
• Ideal seat height between mid-thigh and lower buttocks
• Crossover sport utility vehicles are lower than SUVs and easy to slide into and out of
• Adjustable seats with lumbar support
• 6-way adjustments; forward and backward, up and down, and seat-back up and down
• Tilting or telescoping steering wheel
• Thicker steering wheel
• Keyless entry
• Power mirrors and seats
• Larger buttons on the dashboards with contrasting text
• Wide-angle mirrors
• Large back windows with good visibility
• Adjustable pedals
• Simple, non-techy interiors
• Heated seats

Also, high-tech items such as parking sensors, backup cameras and blind-spot warning systems alert drivers to objects in the way.  Did you know that there are even cars which parallel park by themselves?

They also recommend roomy vehicles for visiting grandchildren and large trunks for holding mobility scooters or golf clubs.

Some cars they recommend:

• 2009 BMW 5 Series
• 2010 Ford Taurus
• 2009 Honda Civic and Civic Hybrid
• 2009 Honda Odyssey
• 2009 Lexus SL 460
• 2009 Masda 6
• 2010 Mercedes-Benz S550
• 2009 Toyota Avalon
• 2010 Toyota Prius
• 2010 Volvo XC60

Click on the title of this blog to see more specifics on vehicles which best meet the needs of seniors.

Desiging for All

Continuing on with my soapbox, I like to call "Designing for All."

My whole goal with designing for the aged and disabled is to improve the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants while still having a beautiful, harmonious and balanced space.

Just because grab bars are used in a bathroom doesn't mean it has to look like a hospital bathroom. New products are available to aid universal design which are highly functional, stylish and innovative. The key is to remain true to "form follows function." All safety measures must be put in place or it would not matter how beautiful your grab bars are if they are not reinforced.  They would fall right off the wall the first time somebody used them.

They must be placed in the proper position so they are convenient to use.  Guidelines for all these aspects  must be followed for functionality's sake. The job of a designer is to also create a beautiful, long-term solution to the problem at hand.

Of course, there is no typical project.  Every site and every challenge is unique and brings about an opportunity to create bold designs which meet the user's needs completely and facilitates their safety while maintaining an integral, cohesive design style.

Remodeling Benefits to Age in Place

Nobody likes to think of themselves as "old." But the fact is that the aging process begins from the moment we are born. Ugh, I know, I don't wanna go there. I'm kicking and fighting every day.

As I said in my last blog, there are numerous benefits surrounding design integrating mobility for all from the very beginning of construction. Besides the convenience and safety afforded to the disabled, the process of integrating universal design preserves a home's usefulness for all people. It is forward-thinking to use aging-in-place practices in all homes.

Take the curbless shower. I have always loved a curbless shower and just recently discovered its accessibility benefits. They are UNIVERSAL. Everyone can enjoy a curbless shower. It is actually the latest European trend. Oh, and I will never have or design a shower without a shower seat. It is a necessity for all, including me!

It takes some thought to design a home to be barrier free for all but it can be accomplished if the right rules are followed. The ADA, the NKBA, National Kitchen and Bath Association, and many other organizations provide guidelines for barrier-free living. Architects and designers are all aware of these guidelines but only use them to their full potential when forced to facilitate universal design. I say implement these strategies in all homes, thereby increasing the likelihood of all people to have the ability to remain in their homes long after their bodies begin the process of aging(groan). It is a fact of life nobody wants to face but it is inevitable.

"Boomers are looking for homes that will serve them well today and meet their needs in the future. Many see the challenges that their parents and older relatives are facing, and they want to avoid those as much as possible. They are also thinking about making the most of their later years. Now is the time to show them how good design can give them the best of both worlds." From the ASID Icon, Designs for Senior Living, November/December 2007

New Construction Benefits to Age in Place

As I said in my last blog, I am going to continue to educate you on the concept of remaining in your home even after being physically challenged in any way, disabled, and the ability to age in place.

Following up on accessibility for the mobility challenged, I have attached a link which shows the financial implications of building a new home to facilitate aging in place versus renovating an existing home. If one were to renovate an existing home to create accessibility, it would cost almost as much as it would to build a new home implementing ADA guidelines. Therefore, every new home construction should integrate ADA guidelines for the future of universal design.

Since our aging population is growing steadily, these modifications can aid an elderly person to remain within their own home as they may decline in health, thereby saving them close to $80,000 per year, as I shared in my last blog.

Using these guidelines is not difficult but it does take thought on the part of architects, designers and builders. According to this study, "Given that a vast majority of people prefer to stay in their homes as they age, it will be necessary for the housing industry to facilitate aging in place."

Change in Direction

I am changing direction at this time in my blog from my home to your home, from the ease of full mobility which most of us enjoy, to the possible lack of mobility and future wheelchair/walker use or other health issues which can cause daily activities in your home to be challenging issues. Did you know that it costs an average of $79,000 per year for a private or semi-private room in a nursing home? At this point the cost is increasing approximately 3% per year. That means that, depending on your age, you will be facing a long retirement spending your life savings up in a short amount of time. My thinking is this: Unless you are severely disabled, wouldn't you want to remain in your home as long as possible? I live in a ranch home. You would think that any person who is up in age or facing possible health issues would look for a ranch home to ease their mobility. What I have found is that my ranch home is in no way accessible for anyone with a physical disability. A myriad of obstacles face the physically challenged. There is one step going into every entry doorway. My hallways are too narrow for wheelchair access. My bathrooms are cramped and circuitous. My laundry room is too narrow. My outlets are too low. My thresholds between floor changes are too high. My master bedroom is at the end of a narrow hallway and the master bath is in a small closet-sized room. The list goes on. My long-term goal in my home is to make it as handicap accessible as possible. I will be educating you in the process so you can do the same in your home. I will begin with my hall bathroom. The width of a wheelchair is 30". That means that a doorway must be a mininum of 32" for a user to be able to get their chair through. As you can see, my current doorway of 27" is too small for a wheelchair to enter. In order to enter the bathroom, one would have to turn a corner into the hallway which is only 38" wide. My plan is to change the doorway from the hall side to the lower side (in the picture). Since my bathroom is only 70" wide, wheelchair use is not going to be totally possible, as a 60" radius is needed for wheelchair turnaround. But I will get as close as possible. First things first, I must contact the necessary specialists to advise me if it is possible to change the doorway and all the plumbing I want to change around to have a less circuitous path in this bathroom. Stay tuned...