Survey after survey confirms that most older Americans would prefer to age in place. Seniors don’t want to downsize.
Relocate to Florida? Forget it. They’d simply rather stay put, even if that means climbing a flight of stairs several times a day, or not being able to reach high-up kitchen cabinets.
That desire to stay home has created a growing demand for products and services designed to help older people function better in their current houses. Elevators, ramps and handrails are a few of the devices widely available to make a home more accessible.
Fortunately, the number of building products designed to improve the quality of a senior’s life at home is growing quickly.
How about the Toilevator? Lots of older people have trouble with standard toilets that are rather low to the floor. A raised, or tall, toilet makes it easy to sit down and stand up.
The Toilevator, produced by LCM Distribution Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, is a kind of elevator for your toilet. Really a block of porcelain that sits under the toilet, the Toilevator makes your toilet stand tall.
You needn’t buy an expensive new tall toilet. Instead, you can install the Toilevator and get the same effect.
The Toilevator is just one of the products highlighted in this year’s Directory of Accessible Building Products. Each year for the last 11 years, the research center of the National Association of Home Builders has produced the directory.
The directory is a good resource for anyone trying to improve the accessibility of a home. Though primarily intended for builders, the directory is packed full of useful information about the manufacturers of accessible products, accessibility resources and products.
You can find products for the kitchen, laundry and bathroom. There are listings for special appliances, fixtures, windows and doors. Information includes specific measurements, model numbers, pictures, product descriptions and contact information.
New in the directory this year is a section on home automation. Many of the automated products can increase safety in the home. For instance, new power locks are available for doors. Much like the remote control locks now used on cars, these door locks can be operated by pushing a button on a small keypad.
Another neat product is a vertical platform elevator that attaches to the outside of the house. The outside elevator bypasses the sticky issue of where to put an elevator or bulky stair lift when there’s no room for one.
Of course, much of the directory is devoted to products that can be used in the kitchen or bathroom. These are the places that often cause the most trouble for seniors.
Hand-held showers are one of the most popular items in the directory. Hand-held showers are available in a variety of colors. They can be operated by the left or right hand. Some have controls that maintain water pressure and temperature to prevent injury from scalding.
Barrier-free showers are wheel-chair accessible. Some of these showers are available in modular pieces that fit in the same spot as a traditional shower or bathtub.
Manufacturers are intent on making their products look good. You can get custom-looking cabinets made for wheel-chair heights. Fancy faucets have easy-to-use lever handles. Even unsightly grab bars now come in a variety of colors and finishes. A unique sink has two small grab bars attached on either side. The bars double as towel racks. Most people would never notice the bars can also be used to steady yourself at the sink.
Ramps usually fall into the unsightly category. Ramps that zigzag in front of a house can kill curb appeal.
A portable ramp is a relatively new product (not listed in the directory). Made by American Ramp of Boston, the portable ramp can be installed easily and also moved. This can be a big benefit if you’re trying to sell a house and don’t want a permanent wooden ramp cluttering the exterior.
Small ramps also are available. Threshold ramps are designed for doorways. Seniors who use a walker or wheelchair can have trouble navigating doorways with a raised threshold. The threshold ramp solves that problem. Single-piece ramps can be used in places with one step; for example, outside where the patio joins the driveway.
Many of the products in the directory incorporate universal-design principles. This is a philosophy, of sorts, that attempts to make rooms as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.
Dishwashers, stoves, washers and dryers come in a variety of configurations that make them easy to reach. For instance, one company makes a refrigerator that sits in a drawer. Compact washers and dryers are available that can be loaded from a seated position.
Some of the products that improve life the most are also the simplest. The directory lists a handle that fits over a standard doorknob, turning it into a lever, which is easy to open.
Resources
– The Directory of Accessible Building Products is available for $10, and can be ordered by calling 1-800-638-8556. Or write the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, 400 Prince George Blvd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20774. The book can also be ordered online at the organization’s Web site: www.nahbrc.org.
– To find a sales location for the Toilevator, call 1-888-726-4646.
– More Illinois residents now qualify for assistance in paying home heating bills. In January, the state raised the income eligibility level for grants from the Low Income Home Energy Program (LIHEAP). Under the new guidelines, a single person can have an income of $1,044 ($870 was the old cut-off); a two-person household can have no more than $1,406 (compared to $1,172). Benefits are provided directly to the household’s gas or electric utility or delivered fuel dealer. More information is available by calling the toll-free LIHEAP information number at 1-800-252-8643.
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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., Chicago, IL 60611. Or e-mail adler@corecomm.net
