Designed for Life

by Jon Minnick
Created:

With a longer living, aging population, universal design opportunities only get bigger.


New to the universal design category is a joint award between AARP and NAHB to recognize creative and unique home and community projects. The Livable Communities Award will be presented annually for both a large and small project in each category with cost being the determining factor for remodelers’ categories. For more information on the awards or to download an application, visit www.aarp.org/livablecommunitiesaward.

With all these resources available, along with education and the popularity of designations like Certified Aging in Place Specialist, there is no reason why a remodeler couldn’t get into this very lucrative market. What makes it easier for remodelers these days is the understanding by manufacturers that is becoming less of a want in the industry and more of a need. In order to continue making consumers happy it will necessary to appeal to their issues and address their concerns with being comfortable in the home.

Family Design

When Robert G. Bell’s, CGR, CAPS and 2005 NAHB Remodeler of the Year, sister-in-law was diagnosed in January 2006 with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, he knew he would need to step up to make it possible for her to continue living at home.

Bell spent months traveling two hours away to work on the house. He did things like fit the doors with swing-away hinges; put in an accessible-height toilet and bidet seat; built in a shower stall with lower valves and grab bars; and took out a wall between the kitchen and living room since maneuvering around corners would be a problem for his sister-in-law.

The biggest difficulty for this project, Bell said, was getting them to change things for what she would need instead of what she needed right away. When trying to come up with solutions for the house, Bell turned to the ALS occupational therapist to go over the plans. She was helpful in suggesting additional changes to the layout to make it better.

“In my mind some of the things should have been done even sooner, but they didn’t want to listen and I almost had to force their hands sometimes to get them to understand,” says Bell. “Instead of asking, I had to say, ‘I’m coming down this weekend and I’m going to do this.’ ”

Because this disease is so aggressive, Bell’s sister-in-law passed away in November of the same year she was diagnosed at the age of 56. With his charitable heart, Bell was able to make his sister-in-law’s final days special by allowing her to remain at home with her family, rather than staying in a hospital.

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