Families that find themselves caring for loved ones who experience cognitive or mobility challenges as they age are seeking solutions. The founder and CEO of SR Fine Home Builders<\/a> in Rhode Island, Jeremy Sherer, has worked with more than one such family and has such solutions.<\/p>\n As a result of his work, Sherer has become convinced of the need to build homes that will be comfortable and nurturing for their inhabitants over the long run, not just during their current stage of life.<\/p>\n Of course, the specific needs of individual residents can come in a wide range of varieties. Nevertheless, based on his experiences, Sherer has developed a toolkit of strategies for creating houses that incorporate \u201cuniversal design\u201d: that is, houses that are meant to be safe, functional, and convenient for people with a wide range of physical and mental capabilities.<\/p>\n One homebuilding project Sherer headed up in Rhode Island, along with architect John E. Paquette, aimed to replicate the feel of the house where his client had lived the longest. Photo: Nat Rea, Nat Rea Photography<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n \u201cOne thing that\u2019s difficult for people who have any kind of cognitive issue is transitions,\u201d Sherer said. \u201cAny new transition creates trauma, and trauma creates a downward slide in ability.\u201d<\/p>\n One homebuilding project Sherer headed up not long ago in Rhode Island, along with architect John E. Paquette, aimed to replicate the feel of the house where his client had lived the longest.<\/p>\n That didn\u2019t mean making exact copies of the wall paneling and bathroom tile but instead generally reproducing the amount of light in the residence, the configuration of the windows, the colors, and the textures. By doing this, he said, \u201cyou\u2019re creating an instant sense of belonging and comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n All living spaces are on a single level. Photo: Nat Rea, Nat Rea Photography<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n In the Rhode Island home, the main entry and all other spaces the owner would require\u2014the principal bedroom and bath, the living room, the kitchen\u2014were built on a single level.<\/p>\n But, recognizing that there would eventually be a need for long-term caregivers, a separate entrance was included on a different level, along with additional bedrooms and a small area where someone could relax with a book or in front of the TV.<\/p>\n \u201cAt a certain point,\u201d Sherer said, \u201cyou become just as concerned with taking care of the caregivers as you are with the person needing care because it\u2019s exhausting work. So you have to have a space for them that\u2019s soothing and comforting as well.\u201d<\/p>\n A thermostatic valve for a shower with nothing more than a button\u2014very large and easy to read\u2014to turn it on and off is now available and makes life easier. Photo: Nat Rea, Nat Rea Photography<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n Some accommodations are no-brainers, such as curbless entry doors and bathroom showers that a wheelchair can eventually access if need be.<\/p>\n Lighting throughout the home should be simple to operate, with easy-to-find switches explicitly located in the places where they are logically wanted.<\/p>\n The selection of plumbing fixtures is less obvious: \u201cYou can now buy a thermostatic valve for a shower with nothing more than a button\u2014very large and easy to read\u2014to turn it on and off,\u201d Sherer said. \u201cAnd you never have to adjust the water temperature after adjusting it once.\u201d<\/p>\n Being aware of what products are available on the market, and installing them in the right place, can be a big step toward making someone\u2019s life easier.<\/p>\n Bathroom vanities can be designed so that a wheelchair will fit under them. Photo: Nat Rea, Nat Rea Photography<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want the place to look like a nursing home,\u201d Sherer advised. \u201cFor someone with Parkinson\u2019s, for instance, the disease \u201ccould progress over ten years, or seven years, or fifteen years. Eventually, the person might be in a wheelchair, but you don\u2019t want to make them feel that their condition is more advanced than it currently is.\u201d<\/p>\n Industrial grab bars can easily be replaced by other appropriate hardware (a sturdy oval shape, or a rectangle with soft edges, may be best for gripping). Bathroom vanities are another example: They can be designed so that a wheelchair will fit under them, if it\u2019s ever required, but kitted out with a removable apron to hide the underside plumbing and storage.<\/p>\n Swimming pool stairs with wide, gradual steps and rails on both sides make them easy to navigate. Photo: Nat Rea, Nat Rea Photography<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n As mentioned above, all entrances should be wide, curbless, and free of tripping hazards, with good lighting on the approaches for visibility. ADA-compliant access ramps are important, but they, too, can be made into a handsome design statement, executed in materials that harmonize with the architecture and landscaping.<\/p>\n For one recent SR project, that meant Ipe wood and a stylish cable railing with glass and stainless steel. The homeowner\u2019s parking spot should be on the same level as the bottom of the ramp for easy in and out.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if you want to have a pool,\u201d Sherer added, \u201cyou can set up stairs with wide, gradual steps and rails on both sides that make them easy to navigate but don\u2019t impede the automatic pool cover\u2014which you will also want so you don\u2019t have to worry about fencing everything off.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, giving some thought to universal design and aging in place isn\u2019t just for seniors.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re in your 40s or 50s or 60s and you\u2019re building, you should consider how your life could change,\u201d is how Sherer summed it up.<\/p>\n \u201cIdeally, it should be a collaborative effort between an architect, a designer, a builder, and the owners\/family members. You\u2019re creating something aesthetically pleasing now, but that can be adjusted very easily down the road,\u201d Sherer said as your journey through life continues.<\/p>\n Ideas for aging in place even with changing health issues<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12451,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[154,155],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-summer-2022","category-spring-summer-2022-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12405"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12783,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12405\/revisions\/12783"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/home-exterior.jpg\")
1. Familiarity is an important goal when designing for someone with dementia or similar impairment.<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/single-level.jpg\")
2. Equally important is a layout that is carefully considered and easy to navigate<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shower.-article.jpg\")
3. Sweat the details<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/bathroom.-article.jpg\")
4. Functional can still be beautiful<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/swimming-pool-grab-bars.-article.jpg\")
5. Accommodations are just as necessary outdoors as indoors<\/h3>\n
Builder: SR Fine Home Builders<\/a>\nArchitect: John Paquette, John E. Paquette Designs\nPhotographer: Nat Rea, Nat Rea Photography<\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"