A Senior Housing Daily reader recently contacted us looking for a reference for a firm that specialized in new construction senior housing architects that did projects on a smaller scale around his geographic location. We spoke with some of our contacts and put them in touch and this made us consider what we’d put into a new design for aging baby-boomers and we came up with a list of items:
- Larger Hallways and Rooms for Walkers and Wheelchairs
- Separate Bathtub and Shower in bathroom(s)
- One floor of living or having master bedroom on main floor with guest bedroom on other level such as a ranch style home
- Lower touch light switches
- Door Handles instead of knobs
- Specifically designed appliances
- Lots of storage in closets
- Adjustable shelving in kitchen, bath and closets
While none of these items are earth shattering, we’re finding inquiries like this more and more as smaller developers begin new developments for senior housing or attempting to restore homes to make them more ‘senior-friendly’. While the US housing market continues to struggle, renovations of existing home inventories maybe an interesting way to give the housing industry a push towards recovery.
