Everything You Should Know About Designing a Home for Aging in Place

Senior residents make up the nation’s fastest-growing inhabitants, in accordance with the newest U.S. census outcomes. They’re outpacing the expansion of the final inhabitants at a price of 15.1 p.c to 9.7 p.c, and the entire variety of people over 65 is projected to almost double earlier than 2050.

In anticipation of this development’s affect, New York Metropolis’s Division for the Aging launched an Aging in Place Information in 2016 outlining how easy design selections can enable seniors to securely dwell independently for longer. “The information is a part of an effort to make NYC a higher place to get older,” mentioned Zenovia Earle, director of public affairs for the DFTA, in reference to town’s broader-reaching age-friendly NYC initiative.

Karen Kubey, who edited the information in collaboration with the DFTA and AIA New York Chapter Design for Aging Committee, emphasised that design professionals have an necessary function to play alongside authorities efforts. “Whereas social and well being providers for seniors are essential, even the smallest residential design retrofits can have probably life-saving impacts,” she mentioned. “From stopping falls by one thing so simple as selecting the proper of carpet, to designing lovely, welcoming shared areas to assist handle social isolation, architects and inside designers have the prospect to enhance, and even prolong, the lives of seniors.” Kubey is an urbanist whose follow specializes in housing and well being.

Designer David Kleinberg added a pergola-covered walkway on the entrance of his Hamptons home.Oberto Gili

Aging in place is strongly linked to larger well being and happiness outcomes for seniors, significantly when social isolation considerations are addressed, however it has traditionally been perceived as a viable possibility solely for those that can afford residence well being aides or whose relations can present full-time care.

Susan Wright, managing principal at IBI Group, Gruzen Samton Architects and a member of the AIA New York Chapter Design for Aging Committee, recognized the problem. “That’s not the state of affairs for most Individuals. I would like to have the ability to keep in my home. I would like my mother to have the ability to keep in her home. It’s actually traumatic for individuals to be pressured out of their properties.”