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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!

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.

We’re proud to announce that Home Evolutions is being prominently featured in a series of AARP’s Aging-in-Place videos on its Web site.

The 3-part series of short video clips showcases Ross and Anna, a couple in their 70s who are making changes to their home so they can age in place. AARP invited me and Patricia Nunan, CEO of Philadelphia-based Lifestyles Design, to visit the home of this couple to make some simple kitchen, bathroom, and home interior/exterior fixes at low-to-no cost.

Seniors should start thinking about making these changes in a home now before they lose their independence. A properly modified home will allow a senior to live in a safe, comfortable home environment while maintaining their independence and quality of life.

In the Kitchen Makeover Video, we made simple changes to the kitchen for a price tag of under $235, including the installation of:

• Cabinet and drawer pulls
• Organizing bins for medication
• Three under-cabinet lights
• Wind-up timer
• Fire extinguisher
• Silicone pot holders and trivets
• Auto shut-off electric teapot

In the Bathroom Makeover Video, we installed these items in the bathroom to make it safe:

• Two grab bars for the bathtub
• One portable grab bar
• Non-slip textured strips for the bathtub
• Handheld shower head with glide bar
• Anti-scald lever shower control
• Single lever handle faucet

Including the services of a handyman for 4 hours of his time, the total cost for these minor modifications was $609.

We always pay close attention to the bathrooms because there are over 200,000 injuries a year in a bathroom, a majority occurring among the senior population. Even with a limited budget, you can still make many minor changes that can decrease the incidence of accidents and injuries.

Another video showcased safety additions to the interior and exterior of the home, such as the adding of hand rails, lever handle door knobs, and step stool.

Take a look at the videos and let us know what you think. We appreciate your feedback.

It seems like more and more home tours these days are featuring universal design homes as part of the tour. This gives potential homeowners the opportunity to see just some of the ways that a universal design home can allow them to age in place.

Even if you are not looking to buy a new home, I highly recommend going on one of these tours that has a universally designed home to get an idea of what can be done with universal design. Remember, even if you’re not in the market, you can modify your home with universal design. By going on a tour, you can see what you like or dislike.

This past weekend in Owensboro, Kentucky, visitors at a local “Parade of Homes” were able to explore a universal design home at the 51st annual Owensboro Parade of Homes, sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Owensboro.

Those touring the two-story home at 3161 Spring Ridge Parkway, built by Martin Custom Building, were able to see how a home can be built or remodeled using universal design features. For instance, they got to see a walk-through shower in the master bedroom.

Another home on the tour also featured universal design aspects. Built by Homes By Benny Clark, this universal designed home has no steps (zero-step entry), no thresholds, wide door openings, microwave and dishwasher drawers, hand-held shower heads and knee space beneath cooktops and sinks.

According to the article, Clark described the home as being a “house for the future. The home’s design makes it is easily accessible for seniors and people with disabilities.”

One of the visitors, Ruth Brown, who lives nearby, visited this particular home because  her family is considering building a home, and her daughter, an occupational therapist, recommended a universal design.

Other people, like Ashley Bruner and Jason English of Owensboro, aren’t looking to build a home—but Bruner wanted to get ideas for the future as they begin to age. That’s something that we recommend that you do the next time there’s a home tour in your neck of the woods.

Are you following us on Twitter? We’ll 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.

When making the decision to age-in-place, many seniors and people with disabilities focus on remodeling and renovating their bathrooms so that they can have safe and accessibly functional facilities in this very important personal space of the home.

With years of statistics reporting long incident lists of bathroom accidents, it is no surprise that so many people emphasize upgrading these areas in order to remain living comfortably, safely, and independently.

The International Conference on Aging, Disability, and Independence (ICADI) has identified that numerous examples of bathroom designs fail to provide the appropriate amount of safety protection. In fact, the ICADI notes that many studies suggest that in general, bathrooms pose the most threats to personal safety in the home.

The following fatality statistics are related to bathroom accidents:

• Over 100 people die of bathtub-related burn injuries every year.
• One person dies every day from using a bathtub or shower in the United States.
• Bathroom deaths exceed those due to handgun accidents, ladder and scaffolding falls, and ignition of clothing.

In addition, thousands of injuries occur in bathrooms each year (estimated numbers):

• 140,000 due to bathtubs and showers;
• 43,000 because of towel bars
• 35,000 from toilets;
• 21,000 due to sinks
• 6,000 because of faucets;
• 2,000 from laundry hampers.

Slips and falls are the most frequent types of bathtub accidents. This can be even more of a danger and problem for seniors who have decreased vision, balance, or flexibility. In fact, one out of three Americans over 65 will suffer a fall. These accidents generally occur while entering and leaving the tub, or while changing between sitting and standing positions.

A recent article on the Age-in-Place website, described that renovations to a bathroom can not only greatly increase home safety for seniors who choose to age-in-place, but the remodels themselves can also be stylish and aesthetically pleasing.

Here are a few bathroom modifications that can greatly increase home safety and decrease the incidents of accidents and injuries:

• Replace standard toilets with a comfort-height version. Comfort-height toilets are several inches higher and are easier to use.

• Install grab bars in the shower, tub, and toilet areas. Double rows in tubs and showers are ideal because they assist both standing and seated bathers. Grab bars and hand grips are now available in many of the same fashion finishes as faucets and other bath accessories.

• Replace knob-style faucets with lever-handled faucets. These are much easier to grip by someone with arthritis, Parkinson’s, or diminished strength.

• Replace wall-mounted shower heads with ones on slide bars.

• Replace pre-code shower valves with non-scald versions. Scalding is one of the most serious bath injuries and can be avoided by using pressure and temperature-balanced shower valves.

• Add benches to shower stalls. This is helpful for users who need to sit while showering and works best with slide bar shower heads.

• Increase bathroom lighting and color contrasts. This can offset decreased vision.

• Remove sharp edges on countertops.

• Check that vent fans are working properly to help avoid mold. Vent fans should ideally vent outside the home. Modern vent fans that turn on and off automatically when they sense moisture in the room are ideal.

• Replace smooth, slick flooring with textured tiles. Textured tiles provide more traction. Floor treatments to existing smooth surfaces can also improve traction.

• Remove steps in front of tubs. Commonly found in master baths, these are high-risk slip hazards.

A Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) like Home Evolutions can help you design and remodel your bathroom to be even safer—as well as more accessible and beautiful than ever before.

Take the next step toward your independent future. Now through May 31, 2009, as part of our outstanding service to our customers, Home Evolutions is offering a free in-home assessment. We’ll conduct a thorough evaluation of your current lifestyle and home to identify what can make your home safer and more accessible. Please note:  This limited time offer is currently available only to residences within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

If you, or someone you know, are interested in this free, limited time offer, please fill out our contact form today and one of our representatives will be in touch to schedule a convenient time to visit you in your home.

What are some of the things you would change and modify in your own bathroom that would make it a safer and more livable space for you as you age-in-place?