Lynn Coleman, an
occupational therapist
at National Heathcare in
Greenville, SC, finds
that the first problem
that she runs into when
working with her home
heath patients begins
with exit safety. “Many
people do not consider
how hard it can be to
deal with immobility
when exiting a home,”
said Coleman. “Small
changes can be made that
won’t affect the
aesthetics of the home
like including railings
with stairs or making
sure that front lawn
landscaping gives enough
space around the main
exit door to accommodate
the possible addition of
a ramp.”
Doorway and hallway
widths are also
important to consider.
Accessible doors are 36
inches wide and will
preferably have flush
thresholds but a maximum
threshold of one-half
inch exterior and
one-forth inch interior.
Hallways should be at
least 42 inches wide.
Every room should have
an open space of 5 feet
by 5 feet for wheelchair
maneuverability.
Although every doorway
and hallway should abide
by these dimensions, the
bathroom doorway and
area should not be
compromised. Roughly
one-forth of all
in-house accidents occur
in the bathroom. “As a
person ages and is
required to use walkers
and wheelchairs, it is
incredibly important
that they can easily
maneuver with these
devices,” said Coleman.
“Walk-in showers, room
for railings around the
toilet and enough space
to allow for a
turnaround with the
wheelchair or walker are
must-haves.”
The building code
requires that bedrooms
have an egress window in
case of fires. A house
designed for aging in
place will have three
foot wide exterior doors
from the bedrooms
opening onto an area of
refuge, which might be
directly on grade or a
balcony large enough for
a wheelchair.
According to the AARP
Public Policy Institute,
approximately 43 percent
of indoor and outdoor
fall injuries among
older persons occurred
at floor or ground level
(that is, not from a
height). Fourteen
percent of falls took
place on stairs or
steps, 11 percent from a
curb or sidewalk, and
nine percent from a
chair, bed or other
furniture. Floor
material, adequate
lighting, and grab bars
are the keys to help
prevent these falls.
Floors should be smooth,
firm and slip resistant.
Carpet should be low
pile (less than one-half
inch) with a firm pad.
There should be plenty
of natural light as well
as both overall room
lighting and task
lighting. Particular
care should be given to
lighting stairwells,
showers, entry doors and
exterior walkways.
Stairwells should have
switches at both the top
and bottom and hallways
at both ends.
Stairwells should have
handrails on both sides
of the stairs. In
bathrooms, blocking
should be installed or
provided for future
installation of grab
bars in the shower,
bathtub and around the
toilet. Likewise,
homeowners might want to
install blocking in the
hallways for future grab
bars.
For greater convenience,
home buyers might
consider one floor
living, low maintenance
materials, and a
five-foot accessible
aisle in the carport or
garage for wheelchair
access. Lever door
handles and faucets are
easier for arthritic
hands to open. Finally,
the construction of a
separate guest house or
two master suites can
accommodate an aging
relative or a live in
nurse.
Recommended
Reading
Design Solutions from
a Builder
National Aging
in Place Council Website
Americans with
Disabilities Act Website
Center for
Universal Design Website
About the Author
Jane Frederick, AIA,
is a LEED AP-certified
architect and a partner
in Frederick + Frederick
Architects in Beaufort,
SC, and Charleston, SC,
with her husband,
Michael. She serves as
incoming president-elect
of the South Carolina
American Institute of
Architects and most
recently won Best Before
and After in Southern
Living’s 2009 Home
Awards.
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