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July 25, 2010 marked the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). A recent article for Enable America (EA) praised the great work by the ADA in furthering the rights of people with disabilities—while simultaneously calling for new actions that will be necessary to advance those rights in the years ahead.

The ADA represents the world’s first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities. On July 26, 1990, President George W. Bush noted, “With today’s signing of the landmark Americans for Disabilities Act, every man, woman, and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence, and freedom.”

Established in 2002, EA is a non-profit organization devoted to empowering people with disabilities to achieve independence through employment. The organization’s Community Connections, Business Connections, and VetConnect programs unite members of the disability community and business community to raise awareness and increase employment opportunities for the 54 million Americans with disabilities—including our nation’s wounded soldiers.

Through its research and outreach across the country, EA discovered millions of Americans with disabilities with employable skills, who want to work, but often face additional barriers to finding jobs. EA’s founder and CEO, Richard Salem, explained, “People with disabilities want what all of us want, an opportunity to pursue the American Dream.” Through employment advocacy, EA believes it is also strengthening the economy by adding to the diversity of skills and talents that people with disabilities bring to the workforce.

Salem personally understands that challenge because he lost his sight when he was a teenager. “The ADA represents an historic civil rights achievement, and we have much to be proud of as we look back at what we have accomplished over the past two decades.” He concludes, “At the same time, we must not rest on the past, when so much work remains. This anniversary is a time for celebration, as well as an inspiration for all of us to recommit our efforts to the work at hand.”

Advocacy groups like Enable America, groundbreaking legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and CAPS designated remodeling companies like Home Evolutions are all working diligently to provide people with disabilities more productive, safer, and independent lives.

Read more about this story in the next and upcoming issue of The Forever Home!

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Recent data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) continues to show that the trend of home remodeling to age in place is increasing as baby boomers get older. Statistics also show that non-seniors are also planning ahead or wishing to make their home more comfortable for their older relatives.

According to their most recent survey, 74 percent of the remodelers surveyed reported higher numbers of universal design home modifications, a significant increase from the 60 percent reported just over three years ago.

In this article, NAHB Remodelers Chairman Greg Miedema said in that “Homeowners are asking for remodeling improvements to make their homes more comfortable as they age because they don’t want to move or lose their independence. These modifications can make a home more stylish and convenient for the aging population.”

What’s at the top of the list for most requested home modification? Not surprisingly, bathroom upgrades are number one.

78% of homeowners want grab bars added to their showers as part of an upgrade to an existing home. 71% want to have higher toilets installed. While 60% desire an upgrade to curbless showers.

Other requested changes include:

• Widening doorways (57 percent)
• Constructing ramps or lowering thresholds (45 percent)
• Enhanced lighting (45 percent)

The NAHB survey also found an increase in aging-in place options among the surveyed consumers, with remodelers saying that 84 percent of homeowners have at least some knowledge of universal design solutions.

74% percent of remodelers also noted an increase in requests for these types of features.

According to the article, “most remodelers stated that the bulk of requests for aging-in-place modifications come from clients above age-55, but a growing number of younger consumers are requesting changes for other family members.”

Usually the improvements address the age-related disabilities of visiting older relatives or modifications to make it easier for parents to share living space with their grown children.

70% of homeowners started remodeling projects for aging-in-place criteria because they were planning ahead for future needs.

To learn more, visit www.nahb.org.

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The National Aging In Place Council (NAIPC), a national senior support network, recently identified the Safeway Step as one of its Top Ten Product Ideas for Practical Advice when aging in place. The NAIPC lists products that can make a person’s home more comfortable and their life simpler and safer. Safety Step has also been recognized by Today’s Caregiver magazine with the 2010 Caregiver Friendly Award.

The Safeway Step is a product and installation method designed to provide an economical renovation option for individuals and facilities interested in easier access into the bathtub area. It can be used to retrofit an existing bathtub into a walk in shower.

The Caregiver Friendly Awards are designed to celebrate products, services, books and media created with the needs of caregivers in mind.  According to Gary Barg, Today’s Caregiver magazine’s Editor-In-Chief, “This award is designed to help family caregivers recognize and reward those organizations who will care for them in as committed a manner as they care for their own loved ones.”

Through a press release statement, Chris Stafford, President of Safeway Safety Step, said, “We are very excited to have our product recognized with two such prestigious honors. We strive to provide products that aid seniors aiming to age in place.  Our walk in shower and walk in bath modifications are great alternatives to complete tear outs and other costly renovations.”

Safeway offers multiple bath accessibility products to provide easier accessibility to existing bathtub for a fraction of the cost compared to tearing-out the existing bathtub, including the Safeway Tub Door and the Safeway Step.

The Safeway Tub Door is a product and installation method designed to add a water-tight sealable door to an existing bathtub. Installation of the Safeway Tub Door includes cutting and removing a section of the existing tub and custom fitting the resulting opening with the Safeway Tub Door. The Safeway Tub Door is an important addition to Safeway’s industry leading line of bath accessibility products and builds upon the versatility provided by the Company’s initial core product, the Safeway Step.  The Safeway Step retrofits the existing bathtub into a permanent walk-in shower and has been installed in thousands of units.

Benefits of Safeway’s bathtub modifications include:

•      Makes existing bathtub more accessible;
•      Provides bathtub retrofit options with or without a door;
•      Installed in just two to three hours;
•      Reduces the possibility of falls;
•      Assists with rehabilitation and ability to stay at home longer; and,
•      Saves thousands compared to tearing out and removing the existing bathtub to install more costly renovation options, such as a walk-in shower or bath.

Have you used the Safeway Step? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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The growing marketplace for technology to assist aging adults is attracting a steady stream of new vendors to a market that will exceed $20 billion by 2020, according to the newly updated 2010 report by Aging in Place Technology Watch. The emergence of caregiving as a concern to baby boomers is driving new entrants into the market, according to Laurie M. Orlov, founder of the market research firm.

“At a time when we are seeing so many business opportunities shrinking, this market is poised for steady growth,” said Orlov, in a press release. “With the slowdown in the housing market, growing elder caregiving responsibilities, and emerging technology awareness of service providers means that more people will look for solutions that help older family members. This is a catalyst for innovation and opportunity for both new entrepreneurs and new business opportunities for existing companies.”

The industry projections from Aging in Place Technology Watch are part of the updated market overview report, “2010 Technology Market Overview.” The document updates which technologies matter to inform caregiving and enable aging in place, including categories for communication and engagement, safety and security, health and wellness, and learning and contribution. The report also explains how these tighten the connections between families, caregivers, service providers, and care recipients. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Orlov is the leading industry analyst describing the trends and technologies in the aging in place market at http://www.ageinplacetech.com. Headquartered in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Aging in Place Technology Watch provides thought leadership, analysis and guidance about technologies and related services that enable boomers and seniors to remain longer in their home of choice.

She spent more than 30 years in the technology industry, including 24 years in IT and nine years as a leading industry analyst at Forrester Research. Laurie is a recognized expert advisor to organizations like AARP and her blog is widely referenced and re-published. She regularly speaks at conferences like Aging in America, Connected Health, and the UCLA Conference on Aging.

Are you following us on Twitter? — Home Evolutions will give you real-time updates when our latest blogs are posted, as well as timely information on Aging-in-Place news from around the country.

According to a recent article by Laurie Orlov for Aging in Place Technology Watch, phone navigation will soon be a critical aging-in-place technology. Orlov believes that by 2013, phone-based navigation will be the dominant form of turn-by-turn navigation. In fact currently, more than one-third of North American consumers own or use some form of navigation services.

Today, surveys indicate that 21% of older boomers (aged 53-63) and 16% of seniors (aged 64+), are using dedicated, GPS, portable navigation devices (PNDs) for their navigation needs. “Moving forward, boomers and seniors should check for phone-based navigation capability in their cell phones when they upgrade. And enterprising vendors should consider designing applications (apps) that take advantage of it,” explains Orlov.

Here are some reasons why cell phone navigation technology can help seniors and people with disabilities age-in-place:

• Cell phone navigation is cheap—Phone navigation also offers voice recognition as well as screen capabilities that are available at multiple and very low price points. For example, the Verizon Wireless VZ Navigator and Sprint Navigation are available for a $9.99 monthly service fee. AT&T also offers the same capability for $9.95 per month.

• It’s available on nearly all cell phones and updates are immediate—Unlike PNDs, with cell phone-based navigation, updates to routes are immediate and happen over the same wireless network that becomes available when the phone is turned on. Plus, GPS-equipped phones will be largely available to the vast majority of phone subscribers by the end of this year. In addition, GPS-equipped phones can also interact with other location-sensitive applications—like current maps, real-time traffic reports, or apps that help people find gas stations or even restrooms in certain cities!

• Phone navigation can also help keep people from getting lost outside of their cars—Navigation will increasingly be as usable for walking around neighborhoods or on vacation as it is for driving. For example, the Nokia Maps application allows users to specify whether requested directions are for foot or car travel.

• FCC E-911 initiative drove vendors to incorporate location assistance—With so many people giving up landlines, the FCC insisted that carriers comply with this E-911 government regulation. Ensuring that cell phones can be located by police or firefighters is one reason that location-based services are now pervasive. For seniors and people with disabilities, this means that cell phone navigation capabilities can be used both to provide directions, as well as enabling a person with a cell phone to be located in an emergency.

Since the boomer and senior populations are swelling, Orlov states that technology vendors must continue creating new software apps that will be beneficial to people who choose to age-in-place. “Transportation apps are needed because as boomers and seniors age, they may remain longer within their own neighborhoods. As a result, they need access to services that make it appealing and feasible to leave the house, with or without a car.” So technology vendors should focus on apps that help seniors and people with disabilities find bus routes and their nearest stops, or identify available and nearby ride sharing.

She concludes that services apps are also needed. “Perhaps a medical map showing where a nearby pharmacy, emergency room, or walk-in clinic might be. Or perhaps even a ‘senior friend finder’ application that helps people participate in transportation buddy systems, helps them know what activities are in town, and who else may be going to a local event.”

Remember, CAPS designated companies like Home Evolutions can also help seniors and people with disabilities continue to live comfortably, safely, and independently as they age-in-place.

Are you following us on Twitter? — Home Evolutions will give you real-time updates when our latest blogs are posted as well as timely information on Aging-in-Place news from around the country.

One of the best resources on the Internet about aging-in-place is the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). As you know, our company is a member of the National Association of Home Builders and I hold a special and highly recognized designation as a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS).

But they are also a great resource for consumers too. Their Web site is chock full of information on living in one’s home independently regardless of age or ability.

A new fact sheet on their Web site includes some of the interesting facts, statistics, and information they’ve assembled for consumers just like you.

How big is Aging in Place?

• 89% of people 50+ wish to remain in their own homes indefinitely (AARP).
• 75% of remodelers have seen an increase in requests for aging in place work (NAHB).
• 60% of remodelers already perform aging in place work (NAHB).
• Over half of all 55+ households rate their current home a 9 or 10 out of 10 (American Housing Survey).
• The aging population is the number two issue to affect the remodeling industry over the next five years, only behind the availability of skilled labor (NAHB).

What is NAHB doing to help the aging population?

NAHB, in partnership with AARP and the NAHB Research Center, developed the CAPS program, the leading national educational designation designed to teach professionals how to modify homes for aging in place. Since 2002 more than 2,200 have completed CAPS, making it one of the fastest-growing education programs at NAHB.

What should my home contain if I want to age in place?

• A master bedroom and bath on the first floor.
• A low or no-threshold entrance to the home with an overhang.
• Lever-style door handles.
• No change in levels on the main floor.
• Bright lighting in all areas, especially places like stairways.
• A low-maintenance exterior.
• Non-slip flooring at the main entryway.
• An open floor plan, especially in the kitchen/dining area.
• Handrails at all steps.

What are some techniques CAPS-trained professionals use?

• Lighting from multiple directions – reduces glare and shadows.
• Light sockets with more than one bulb – redundancy in case one bulb burns out.
• Stacking closets for a future elevator shaft.
• Contrasting colors for depth perception – use a different color counter (or edging around the counter) than the floor, staining the edge of the stairs a darker color than the rest of the steps.
• Convenience shelf at an entry way to place your grocery bag while getting your keys.

NAHB Remodelers provides more information for consumers online at: www.nahb.org/aginginplace.

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Builder Magazine recently published its 8 hottest kitchen trends for 2010 and some of the factors influencing today’s culinary workspace design.

“Baby Boomers are hitting retirement age, lending standards have tightened, consumers have swallowed a slice of frugal pie, and the number of single households – particularly single women – is rising steadily,” writes the author. “All of those ingredients are feeding demand for smaller, more budget-conscious kitchens with a heavy emphasis on style and universal design.”

Builder gathered insights from a January 20 design workshop led by kitchen design gurus MaryJo Camp, Mary Jo Peterson, and Connie Edwards at the International Builder’s Show (IBS) in Las Vegas.

These are the trends they say we should be watching for in 2010:

Consolidated Activity: As houses get smaller, kitchens are carrying more responsibility. Today’s kitchen is still the hub of the home, and also a spot that’s big on multitasking — particularly now that many of the functions that previously had their own designated territory (e.g., laundry, dining, home office) are being absorbed into the kitchen/great room realm.

Ergonomics for All: The graying of baby boomers will raise important issues relating to functionality, user-friendliness and multiplicity. “Multiplicity acknowledges the variety of sizes, shapes, ages, and abilities of people who are in the kitchen,” according to Peterson said. That means not just older homeowners, but also kids, short adults, tall adults, and individuals with limited mobility.

Luxury for Less: Home buyers of average means must now pick and choose their luxuries strategically. As a result, builders and designers will be challenged to find interesting applications for modest materials, using the expensive stuff only for accents and memory points.

Small and Powerful: Notes the author, “Although kitchen square footage is less vulnerable to pruning than other rooms in the floor plan, many kitchens are getting smaller as houses get proportionately smaller.” To meet this need, many manufacturers have introduced new lines of streamlined appliances.

Planet Smart: Today’s buyers want green features with measurable benefits such as Energy Star appliances and Water Sense-rated plumbing fittings, as well as non-off-gassing finishes combined with good ventilation and air filtration.

Style-Conscious: Quartz and paper composites, glass and stainless steel work surfaces, large-scale (18” square) floor tile, chrome fixtures, and lightweight hulled concrete are becoming popular features.

Light Bright: Since aging eyes need good lighting, look for layered lighting for practical usage and visual effect. That includes a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting.

Devilish Details: In a small space, the entire kitchen becomes a focal point, so it’s important to attend to every detail. “Smaller spaces are less forgiving,” according to Camp. Refrigerators and other appliances should run flush with cabinet faces.

You can read more about these trends in greater detail at Builder.com.

Are you following us on Twitter? — Home Evolutions will give you real-time updates when our latest blogs are posted as well as timely information on Aging-in-Place news from around the country.

A recent article in the Pasadena Independent describes some of this year’s design trends to look out for in 2010. Prominent on its list was universal design.

According to the piece, since the real estate market remains uncertain, more Baby Boomers are making the decision to stay in their homes and spend their golden years right where they are.

They will continue to be more focused on the concept of aging in place, the author notes. “This means modifying the home so that they can spend their golden years comfortably, no matter what kind of physical restrictions they might have in the future,” she writers. “New designs, from touch faucets to better designed bathtub handlebars, are making aging in lace solutions better looking and easier to install.”

The Canadian Press also made mention in a recent piece, that aging-in-place is a trend to watch in 2010. With one in four Americans, turning age 55 or older, many designers and manufacturers are employing universal design principles, developed by engineers, architects and designers at North Carolina State University to make spaces and products user-friendly for everyone.

“For homeowners who don’t want to give up style for safety, think touchless faucets; trim kitchen drawers instead of cupboards; pullouts; task lighting and sensor cooktops. In bathrooms, look for non-slip floors, shower seats and grab bars with a sleek and stylish, not clinical, look,” the author writes.

2010 is gearing up to be another groundbreaking year for the aging-in-place movement as more and more seniors and people with disabilities choose to continue living safely, comfortably, and independently at home. CAPS designated companies like Home Evolutions can help you and your loved ones implement some of these upcoming trends and incorporate them into your aging-in-place home remodeling projects.

Are you following us on Twitter? — Home Evolutions will give you real-time updates when our latest blogs are posted as well as timely information on Aging-in-Place news from around the country.

Happy New Year to all of you. Hope you have a safe, healthy, and prosperous year.

For those of you thinking about aging-in-place, either for yourself or a loved one, we recently received a release from Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington about a book one of their professors recently published entitled, Elderburbia: Aging with a Sense of Place in America.

With the first of the Baby Boom generation well into midlife, the number of Americans at or nearing retirement age is both unprecedented and expanding, notes IU faculty member Phil Stafford in this recently published book.

Stafford, an adjunct professor in the IU Bloomington Department of Anthropology and director of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community’s Center on Aging and Community. The Institute is comprised of seven centers that work in partnership with adults who are aging with disabilities to promote their well-being, community-participation, self-determination and leadership. One of the seven centers is the Indiana University Center on Aging and Community which conducts research and provides training, assistance and information to individuals, families and professionals seeking to enable seniors to age-in-place.

In his book, Stafford writes that, “with so much emphasis being given to helping retirees maintain good health and active lifestyles, it also is important to think about where they live and how to make those homes and communities elder-friendly.”

His book suggests that aging is not about time and the body, but about place and relationships. Drawing on the multidisciplinary field of ethnography, it gives readers a deeper understanding of how the aging experience is shaped by where people call home, as well as a look at what makes a place well-suited for post-retirement living.

Elderburbia combines cutting-edge scholarship with practical advice and provides an introduction to pivotal research on the broad subject of aging and place, including studies of migration and relocation. It also takes readers inside innovative, elder-friendly community planning around the United States, particularly AdvantAge, an initiative to help counties, cities and towns prepare for the growing number of older adults who are aging-in-place, as opposed to moving to retiree-only communities.

What are some other books you’re reading or can suggest to our readers who are interested in aging-in-place?

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So what will 2010 bring in terms of Aging-in-Place? Laurie Orlov, founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, recently listed her top ten aging-in-place trends for 2010 that we’d like to share with you.

1.    Location-aware tech enables more info, greater safety. GPS became even more useful in 2009. Verizon replaced its Chaperone service with Family Locator, The Alzheimer’s Association introduced its ComfortZone (powered by OmniLink), several other tracking technology vendors launched.

2.    Home automation technology vendors see possibilities. Just as home remodelers see possibilities in aging-in-place retrofits (70% of NAHB builders in 2009), in a bad economy, home automation vendors also saw possibilities in the market.

3.    Mobile health app possibilities grow. Mobile web usage during 2009 got a growth spurt from boomers and seniors — and spawned new apps like LiveNurse from Jitterbug. According to Gartner, mobile health applications (along with location-based apps) are in the top 10 application growth areas for consumers.

4.    Virtual doctors’ visits and other health innovations. Orlov says that a quiet revolution is happening in health care delivery, from shared doctor visits, the video doctor ‘virtual visit’, and health care without the doctor — tracking and transmission of self-test results — like blood coagulation levels.

5.    Touch screens and eReaders. Touch screens became ubiquitous during 2009 for product demonstration computers used to demo software — like the Asus EEE, for example. And eReaders – particularly well-suited to the boomer/senior population saw the impressive Sony with touch screen as alternative to the Kindle.

6.    Big companies invest in monitoring and telehealth technologies. GE acquisition of QuietCare, Intel and its $250 million partnership with GE, and Bosch (VitelNet), all added to Philips as big firms intent on roles in the aging/health monitoring arena — limited impact in 2009, but validation of market importance in 2010.

7.    Broadband access and Internet use among seniors grows. According to Forrester’s research, 63% of 64-73-year-olds are online at least monthly. And Nielsen noted that 6 million more seniors are online today than five years ago — most likely because their broadband adoption has grown from 19% to 30% in the past year.

8.    Caregiver portals and tools blossom. 2009 saw the merger of Caring.com and Gilbert Guide, forging the market’s first million-views-per-month usage profile.

9.    Personal emergency response systems get a makeover. In 2009, we saw the emergence of Halo Monitoring’s fall detection chest strap and belt clip, mobile PERS entrant, Medical Mobile Monitoring, and then reflect on Jitterbug’s acquisition in the Mobile PERS arena.

10.    VCs show interest in aging in place technology. During 2009, there were several VC investments in the aging in place tech arena, including a $7.5 million investment in WellAWARE Systems from Valhalla Partners and .406 Ventures; Menlo Ventures made an investment in Wellcore; Shasta Ventures invested $10 million in Caring.com; Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Kleiner Perkins, and Physic Ventures are all examining the health, boomer markets.

Read more at Aging in Place Technology Watch.

Are you following us on Twitter? — Home Evolutions will give you real-time updates when our latest blogs are posted as well as timely information on Aging-in-Place news from around the country.