If you were designing the perfect home for an elderly person, you might first want to get some tips from William K. Wasch, a man who has spent years thinking up ways to build a home that’s safe and convenient for seniors.
In 1991, Wasch opened a business called Adapt Your Home. The idea was to advise older homeowners on modifications they could make to their houses so they didn’t end up sleeping in the dining room because they could no longer negotiate the stairs.
Business didn’t take off like Wasch thought it would. He thinks the problem was that Americans are in denial about aging.
Most often, it’s a crisis that spurs a change in living arrangements, and, as Wasch explains it, he was trying to get people to think ahead and plan home remodeling projects before they were actually needed.
That didn’t deter Wasch, who shut his business but started doing consulting work for multi-unit senior housing developments. He also kept noodling out plans for a senior dream house.
He began with the premise that seniors want to remain in their own homes, a fact backed by research from a number of sources that generally agree that about 85 percent of older people want to stay put. But to remain in their homes, older people eventually need some help; so Wasch thought about how the dream house could include separate space for a caregiver.
“There are many situations where a family can find someone who would like an apartment instead of just a room. That caregiver can then stop by several times a day or be nearby in the evening to help the older person,” said Wasch.
Wasch felt he needed more than talk, though. So he took an old house in Middletown, Conn., near his home, and redid it.
“We wanted to show what could be done with an existing house,” said Wasch, who also got help from his architect daughter Christina E. Wasch.
The biggest challenge was changing a single-family home into what was essentially a two-flat. The first floor was reconfigured for the senior. A 1,200-square-foot addition was built for a new kitchen, dining room and living room. The old part of the first floor was reserved for the bedroom, bathroom and laundry room.
Wasch is most proud of the bathroom he built. It has a walk-in–or roll-in for a wheelchair–shower area with seats. Grab bars are strategically placed, but can be easily moved depending on the person’s particular needs. Wasch picked what he describes as a “creme de la creme” toilet. It gives a warm water douche and blow dry. It also has a $4,000 price tag.
“Even though the toilet costs a lot, it reduces strain on the caregiver and allows a person to remain independent. So it may not be a bad trade-off,” said Wasch.
The kitchen has easy-to-reach cabinets and appliances, accessible to wheelchair heights. Skylights were put in the kitchen to provide more natural light, thus reducing the glare of artificial lighting. Non-slip floors were installed in the kitchen and bathroom. Wasch put in a special noise-retardant ceiling to help reduce clatter from the upstairs caregiver’s apartment.
The caregiver’s apartment got its own kitchen and bathroom. A separate outside entrance was designed for the apartment, which also was connected to the first floor by an interior stairway.
If Wasch were constructing a new dream house, he thinks he would build it on a slopping piece of land. Ideally, he would put the caregiver’s apartment on the lower level to help reduce noise. Building the house into a hill would still give the caregiver’s apartment plenty of natural light, while allowing the occupant easy access to the outside.
Wasch thinks an elderly person could stay in the senior dream house until he or she was quite frail. He adds that even though his dream house involved a complete rehab job, small modifications can be made to most homes to make them more usable as we age.
“Each house is different. But there are an infinite number of ideas,” said Wasch.
Wasch has put those ideas in a book, “Home Planning for Your Later Years” (Beverly Cracom Publications, Pasadena, Calif., 1996). The book not only covers home modifications and new construction, but also has tips on selecting a retirement community and how to finance different living arrangements.
Resources
Falls are the leading cause of injury to people age 65 and older, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In response, the group has just published a brochure called “Don’t let a fall be your last trip.”
The pamphlet includes a room-by-room home safety checklist on how to avoid falls. For a free copy call 1-800-824-BONES (2663).
The American Association of Retired Persons, or AARP, has a home equity information center that provides material on reverse mortgages. The center’s 44-page book, “Home Made Money: Consumer’s Guide to Home Equity Conversion,” is free upon request to AARP.
For more information call the AARP Reverse Mortgage Line at 1-202-434-6042. The AARP Web site address is http://www.aarp.org.
The AARP also has some materials on home improvement ideas for seniors. Call the AARP at 1-202-434-2277.
If you already know how you want to modify your home, the local hardware store or home improvement center can usually help you figure out how to get the job done. And if knowledgeable, they should know which manufacturers are making senior-friendly home items.
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Jane Adler is a Chicago-area freelance writer. If you have questions or information to share regarding housing for senior citizens, write to Senior Housing c/o Chicago Tribune Real Estate Section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., 60611. Or e-mail adler@megsinet.net.
