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AGE-FRIENDLY-HOME
ALL-INCLUSIVE DESIGNS
FOR TODAY  & TOMORROW

the age-friendly-home above enjoys a touch of creativity-
DEMOS CONSTRUCTION ~ ASHEVILLE, N.C.

aging-in-place, age in place

Are you longing for a lifelong home? If so,  make it BOTH functional and beautiful. Discover the benefits of choosing functional modifications and helpful technology to "spruce up" your home. You can get started here with answers to frequently asked questions.  Scroll on down for a  basic CHECKLIST.

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CREATE A FEATHERED NEST

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aging-in-place, age in place

You don't have to be OLD to live in an age-friendly evolving home. But with luck, you will be old some day. Are you planning a place to live in comfort and style?

Think about this: A home (whether your rent or own it) must be organized to meet your needs today and tomorrow.  It makes sense to use creative ideas and resources for independent living - regardless of age or physical ability-a plan of action for all stakeholders - an ACTION PLAN for creating feathered nests that are accessible, functional,  beautiful and incorporate  universal design elements.

3  age-friendly-home questions and a quick quiz

1.   Would you prefer an “institutional image” at home- Example: A cold  "sanitary-looking" bathroom.- or an all-inclusive and beautiful design?       

2. You are beginning to notice an "ageist attitude"  in the media, and even with family and friends now that you are Post50. 
Are you really ready to be categorized as an  O.P. , unable to control your own destiny and dependent?        

3. Do you like the idea of an Evolving Home that works with you, family, friends and visitors to supply comfort as well as  age-friendly features ? 

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the age-friendly-home

If you answered "NO" to the above questions, you are not alone. For many Post-50 People who responded to our surveys a home that has a sterile, institutional feeling poses a problem. Here are three (3) actions steps you can take.

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3  take action steps

1. USE YOUR BUYING POWER
Age-friendly-homes are in demand

To quote Senior Resource  “A significant concern as people grow older is that they may have to leave their home. This would mean leaving behind a comfortable setting familiar community and many memories. In addition a certain amount of control is lost when one leaves home. This 'control' provides the underpinning to our feelings of dignity, quality of life and independence. One's home is a strong element in that sense of security."

Use consumer demand for age-friendly products to your advantage as you consider the feathered nest and a many-faceted the  approach known as" aging-in-place."

2.  COUNTER AGEIST ATTITUDES
Consumer Power Means You Can Influence How Homes are Designed and Work- for EVERY ONE WHO LIVES THERE

In sustainable communities and  neighborhoods across the land, people are discovering that a feathered nest actually works in two ways: it is both functional and attractive. A change is in the works as “Boomers” apply buying power, demand product designs that not only function as needed but have stylish appeal.

Fact: As people with diverse abilities move into and through each new phase of life, we influence market trends- and this is especially true, in terms of sheer numbers, of “boomers”.

age-friendly-home
3.  SEE THE CHECKLIST THAT FOLLOWS

AARP RESEARCH: Eighty percent of older adults prefer to stay in their homes. That's meaningful. Powerful. The numbers reveal a trend. Here are two points of interest :1) More people desire interior and exterior environments that work for EVERYBODY- regardless of age or physical ability. 2) Advances in assistive and computer technology make a  redesign of age-friendly products a real possibility.

aging-in-place, age in place
age-friendly home

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 C H E C K L I S T

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 age-friendly-home
The Basic Integrated Design (Universal Design)

• Cabinet shelves no more than 10 inches deep
• Cabinet lights - under cabinets and over the counter.
• Closet organizer with easy pull-down rods, automatic LED lights-on
  Clutter-Less
• Cooktop-  controls on the front
• Counters - edges, rounded- Countertops smooth , easy slide
• Dishwasher is eight inches from the floor
• Drawers in home all are easy-slide
• Electrical outlets - 27 inches above the floor
• Front-loading washer and dryer-preferably on pedestals
• Grab bars-attractive and functional
• Hand-held shower - classy seat in  tub, shower
• Home Automation
  
• Kitchen -pull-down, pull-out shelving and multi-level counters
• Knee-space where appropriate
• Microwave installed no higher than 48 inches above floor
• Natural lighting throughout
• Oven doors swing to the side
• Side-by-side refrigerator
• Smoke detectors with strobe lights
• Spray hose- fill pots, rinse spaghetti at stove
• Ramp if convenient
• Toilet –review for appropriate size and need (possibly with heated bidet)
• Trash compactor
• Walk-drive-in bath and/or shower with assistive accessories
• Walkways, entrances well-lit with long-lasting LED lights
• Wide doors for huggers and those on wheels
• Wood and other smooth surfaces for floors
• Zero-step entrances- mainfloor living

age-friendly-home

People who desire to live independently at home have been thinking more and more about “aging-in-place” in terms of design. How can space, light and color maximize space and contribute a cohesive design within a “forever home”?  That is a question that seems to be popping up more and more these days. And it is the subject of the next segment.

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onward