Costco Connection - July 2005

for your
home

By Dave Carty

PHOTOS COURTESY JANICE DONALD

WHEN SUSAN WOMBLE’S husband became ill, she was faced with a choice: Move herself and her wheel-chair-bound husband to assisted living or stay in their Maryland home. She decided to stay—but doing so meant a big change in living arrangements.

Like most homes, the Wombles’ residence hadn’t been built with senior or handicapped access in mind. So she contacted a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) contractor, Louis Tennenbaum, for advice. After an extensive question-and-answer session, Tennenbaum went to work. Among other improvements, he widened the hallways, made a step-free entrance and installed a barrier-free shower.

“It’s just wonderful,” Womble says. “It doesn’t look like an institutional house in any way.” In fact, she was so delighted with the improvements that when her husband passed away she decided to stay put—for the rest of her life.

The CAPS certification, a National Association of Home Builders designation, is earned by contractors and designers who have passed a two-day course in the principles of universal design. These principles encompass home modifications that remove access barriers.

before

This bathroom remodel demonstrates some of the modifications that make the space more accessible for those who have challenges getting around. These changes include adding an open shower, grab bars for tub safety, improved access to storage, wider floor area for wheelchair maneuverability and lighting for better visibility via fixtures and a glass-block wall.

It’s an issue that is becoming critical for more and more Americans. According to the U.S. govern- if that isn’t an option, minor modifications can have ment’s Administration on Aging, 70 million baby an immediate and welcome impact. boomers will be heading into retirement soon, and Across the country, seniors are taking the prin-if there’s one thing this vast assortment of individu- ciples of universal design to heart and hiring con-als has in common—healthy and disabled alike— tractors to transform their homes. One of those it’s an aversion to nursing homes. contractors is longtime Costco member Greg

Home

“You have to look at it like this,” says Tennenbaum, Miedema of Tucson, Arizona. who is on the CAPS board of governors. “What’s the Miedema doesn’t like the idea of senior-only competition for aging in place? It’s assisted living.” designations. “The more we do this, the less a resi-

Remaining in your own home “is about choice, is dence should look like a senior-friendly house and about dignity, is about independence and the values the more it should become simply a friendly house,” people hold dear.” says Miedema. “For instance, bathtubs are great until you’re about 10 years old, and then no one uses

Fixing the problems them anymore. So we do a lot of tub-to-shower

Although the typical home has dozens of areas conversions. Also, you don’t need a step to get out-where improvements can dramatically improve side the house—all you need is enough slope to accessibility, three primary activities cause the most drain away the water.”

problems: ( 1) getting in and out of the house; ( 2) getting in and out of the bathroom; and ( 3) getting Universal design is … universal up and down stairs. In the long run, it’s probably “It’s got to work for everybody,” adds CAPS easier to build a home from the ground up that consultant Maria Henke, a Costco member in Los already includes stepless entryways, one-level living Angeles. “There’s nothing about this [universal areas, wide hallways and curb-free shower stalls. But design] that should stand out as looking institu-

resources

WELLComeHome www.bsu.edu/wellcome home/ is a Web site with pages of information on home improvements for seniors and the disabled.

The Helpful Home

A CD distributed by the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles; call (213) 740-1364 or fax (213) 740-7069