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In a recent article by Michael Chandler for Green Building Advisor (GBA), he discusses a design trend that combines green or environmentally conscious and sustainable considerations with aging-in-place inspired modifications. He explains, “I see a trend toward working with what we have come to call ‘empty-nesters.’ These are usually couples with older children who are ready to make a fresh start with a smaller, more energy-efficient, ‘green’ and low-maintenance home to which their kids only visit for family reunions.”

He adds that these empty-nesters are also considering the fact that older grandparents may come to stay for extended periods. Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) designated remodelers like Home Evolutions can help people plan for their aging-in-place needs by making certain assumptions—like the fact that the owners may gradually begin to lose their sight and mobility.

According to Chandler, sometimes such foresight goes unrecognized until these modifications for independence are needed. “One of the kindest compliments that I have received was, ‘Your design solved problems we didn’t know we had.’ As designers, we can best serve our clients by helping them address future needs that they may not be considering going into the design process.”

Chandler believes that when designing a sustainable home, it is arguably more important to focus on aging-in-place and handicap “visitable” design than payback or resale value. For example, visitable design may include a sheltered, step-free entry, and guest rooms that can accommodate a children’s play area or a study, as well as a mother-in-law suite plus a walker-friendly master suite. “Our goal is to present all the potential lifestyle options they may need in their home in the future. An aging-in-place design can accommodate all age groups.”

In addition to the many benefits of aging-in-place design, combining it with green or sustainable modifications offers another bonus—long-term financial savings. Chandler explains, “When clients question us about green payback calculations, we ask them to consider the probable cost of fuel in five or ten years and also what they picture their lifestyle will be at that time. We do this to drive home the advantage of knowing they will have more financial security in the future by minimizing their energy costs now, as well as to open the conversation to how their needs will evolve over time.” He adds that looking at the “big picture” during the design process can help identify low- or no-cost options that will save big in the years to come.

Adding aging-in-place sensibilities to the green design process means that in addition to the resource efficiency, durability, and indoor air quality standards, home modifiers will be adding some design criteria to the mix. Chalmers concludes that a big part of aging-in-place design is helping people feel the emotional security that they are still in control of their lives and can continue living at home.

Read more about green design and aging-in-place modifications in the next and upcoming issue of The Forever Home.

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.

An article by John P. S. Salmen in the October 2009 issue of the Universal Design Newsletter discusses the greenness or eco-friendly possibilities of universal design.

It is a well known fact that the public’s general awareness of green practices is growing at an almost fever-pitched rate. This is a result of the now more accepted reality of the dangers and undeniable negative effects that global warming can have on our future. In addition, there has been an expansion of political and social pressures on us to modify our overall consumption behaviors.

Salmen believes that students and implementers of universal design see green universal design as a natural result of the growing movement of green design practices. His article considers how green design and universal design can ultimately and effectively relate to one another. Valerie Fletcher and Elaine Ostroff of the Institute for Human Centered Design, along with Eric Mikiten, AIA, of the Bay Area Committee on the Environment (COTE), all believe that the two concepts of universal design and green design are both directly connected to the sustainability movement.

Offering support of this contention, the Department of Public Works of Queensland, Australia (DPW) designed a logo for its “Smart House” program that communicates how these three universal design leaders actually visualize the “three–legged stool of sustainable design.”

The DPW’s educational logo is divided into three triangles of sustainability:  environmental, economic, and social. It illustrates how universal design is a basic element of sustainable design as it relates to resource efficiency and economic empowerment under the umbrella of these three areas (triangles):

• Environmental Sustainability relates to the green movement, natural resource conservation, and efficiency.

• Economic Sustainability relates to concepts of life-cycle costing, equity, and fair-trade value of products and services.

• Social Sustainability relates to systems that support people by creating safe, secure, and independent communities.

Salmen goes on to explain that just like green design, universal design must also be an integral part of design programming and the imaginative design process. In other words, it cannot simply be left as a minimal add-on for compliance or as an afterthought.

He also states that aging-in-place independence can be naturally extended by universal design. “The obvious example is aging-in-place, which is facilitated by universally designed homes and communities.”

Remodeling companies like Home Evolutions can incorporate green universal design into aging-in-place home modifications. This can allow you to remain living comfortably, safely, and independently in your home for as long as possible—while living an environmentally-sustainable lifestyle! Contact us today for an assessment.

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

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.

Business Week recently published a special report on how today’s innovative technology is helping seniors and people with disabilities age in place, and how it’s also saving billions in health care costs.

The report discusses technology like the Intel Health Guide, a device that let doctors monitor his health remotely.

According to the report, which features Ronald Lang, a 63-year-old patient who suffers from congestive heart failure and multiple sclerosis, who was pilot-testing the Intel Health Guide, a device that let doctors monitor his health remotely:

“Each day after he woke up, he’d step on a scale and strap on a blood-pressure cuff that were attached to the Health Guide. The device collected his vitals and zapped them to his doctor’s office. From there, nurse Marie DiCola scoured the data, and if she noticed anything amiss, she dialed up Lang and chatted with him over Health Guide’s videophone.”

Aging-in-place equipment like this is placed in a person’s home, monitors symptoms on the spot, and sends reports to doctors and family members in real time. This device can drastically cut the rate of medical complications that force seniors into hospitals and other intensive-care facilities. “That, in turn, could shave millions of dollars a year from U.S. health-care bills—a tantalizing proposition at a time when health reform is at the top of the political agenda.”

This past spring, both Intel and General Electric announced they would spend $250 million over the next five years to co-develop products that will help seniors manage chronic conditions from home. The overall market for technology to assist older patients is expected to grow to $20 billion by 2020, according to consultancy Aging in Place Technology Watch.

Besides Intel, the aging-in-place market has attracted the likes of General Electric, Philips Electronics, Honeywell, Bosch, and dozens of technology startups are also leading the way by developing technology that can watch over senior homeowners, spot signs of trouble, alert doctors, and even teleconference physicians into the living room when there is a problem.

Read more about some of these exciting new technologies that will allow you to age in place, such as beds that can monitor patients’ vital signs as they sleep, stoves that can turn themselves off when their owners forget, and video games that can detect early signs of dementia.

Let us know what you think about some of these new devices in place to help you 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.

Every so often, we like to spotlight other companies in our industry doing wonderful things to help people age-in-place. During some research last week, we came across the SCOOTER Store, a Texas-based company in the business of changing people’s lives by helping those with limited mobility regain freedom and independence.

The company has locations in 48 states plus Puerto Rico and service specialists nationwide. It is considered to be America’s leading supplier of scooters and power chairs for people with limited mobility. The SCOOTER Store offers a full line of durable medical equipment, including power wheelchairs and scooters, lifts and other accessories. It has worked with more than 100,000 physicians, providing expertise and quality service to their patients, and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care.

Its mission is to provide freedom and independence to people with limited mobility and to provide power mobility for those people, liberating them from those physical limitations and allow them to lead a more fulfilling life.

To date, it has been able to affect the lives of nearly a half million people by enabling them to live with more dignity, and to be free and independent from their mobility limitations. It has also made a significant economic impact. For every power chair that Medicare or private insurance approves (at a cost of about $4,000), it saves the Medicare system and private insurance about $15,000 in the period of two years in fall-related injuries and hospitalization.

In 2007, The SCOOTER Store founded its Alliance Seating & Mobility division to help customers who are unable to rely on traditional power mobility equipment to meet their needs. Alliance Seating & Mobility provides patients and clients high-quality rehab equipment, service and support. Products include customized rehab equipment, custom power and manual wheelchairs, and many other products to help clients lead a better quality of life.

It also does some great work across communities in the United States. For instance, earlier this year The SCOOTER Store donated two power wheelchairs to members of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. The power wheelchairs were donated from the company’s “Gift of Mobility” program, which provides mobility equipment and assistance to those who do not have the resources or insurance coverage to purchase power wheelchairs and scooters.

The company’s founders, Doug Harrison and his wife, Susanna, started the Gift of Mobility program in December 2002 to help people improve their quality of life by improving their freedom, independence and mobility. Since then, the outreach program has worked with organizations around the country to donate power wheelchairs, scooters and manual wheelchairs valued at more than $200,000 a year to individuals and community service organizations, enabling them to provide freedom and independence to people with limited mobility.

The company has an ambitious goal as it looks ahead to its future. Its goal is to provide every elderly American the ability to choose to live at home for the rest of their life, as opposed to living in a nursing home. That’s an endeavor we aspire to at Home Evolutions as well.

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.