Transcript Document

AGING-IN-PLACE
AND
UNIVERSAL DESIGN
A LOOK AT THE HOME
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Presented by:
Alissa Boroff, MN-AS, COTA/L, CAPS, CAASH
Access Solutions
Centrex REHAB
George Cundy, A.I.A, CAASH
Cundy, Santine & Associates Architects.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
50% of the people in the world have never made or
received a phone call.
On average 90% of Dutch teenagers can speak
fluent English.
Only 80% of American teenagers can speak fluent
English
DEMOGRAPHICS MATTER
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Generational Identity
Generations reflect not
only the characteristics of
the generation they were
born to, but also are
influenced by their
generational bookends –
their parents and children.
• groups of individuals born over a 15 to 20 year
period who share similar experiences, values,
and attitudes during their formative teen and
young adult years.
• influenced by economic, political and social
events of their period.
• Each generation includes all kinds of people
merged together under a common factor – their
age.
• Each generation produces a collective “mind set”.
• Some are more homogeneous while others have
diverse sub-sets with different outlooks and
experiences.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Generational Identity
Important to understand the differences and
similarities in the generations and subgroups.
This insight helps to better communicate with
these groups.
Generations and their generational markers
GI’s: Born 1901-1924
5.5 million alive today
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America’s first Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
America’s first “Senior Citizens”
Content to put trust in government
First to benefit from government programs for
jobs, education, pensions and health care.
• Insist their present phase of life is the best
Silents: Born 1925-1945
36 million alive today
• Labeled as born either 20 years too early or 20
years too late
• Described as overprotected by their parents
• Not expected to achieve great things
• Excel in personal communication
• Proved good at accumulating wealth
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Generational Identity
Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964
More than 77 million alive today
• Taught to become critical thinkers
• Think they are the biggest and best thing to hit
town.
MORE ABOUT THE BOOMERS IN A MINUTE
Gen Xers: Born 1965 – 1976
50 million alive today
• Characterize their parents as self-immersed
• Many from split homes due to the spike in the
divorce rate.
• First “latchkey” kids – learned self-reliance, and
independence
• Culture shift from “G” rated to “R” rated
• Family ties remain strong and open
Millennials: Born 1977 – 1994
More than 76 million alive today
• Exercise a great deal of influence over a family’ s
purchases
• Not just good kids – they are thought of as terrific
kids
• Like security, stability and family – much like the GI’s
• Parents obsessed with “parenting”
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
MORE ABOUT THE BOOMERS
• One in four adults are 50 years old or older.
• In the United States over 3.65 million people
will turn 65 this year. That is over 10,000 per
day or about 1 every 8 seconds and this will
continue for the next 19 years
•
1.7 million people over the age of 65 die every
year but this is expected to diminish as medical
science progresses.
• 77.3 million American children were born
between 1946 and 1964. They are known as
the Baby Boomers.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
A LOOK AT OUR COUNTRY & THE BOOMERS
Born between the years 1946 and 1964.
The first of the baby boomers turned 65 in 2011.
By the year 2031 they will turn 85.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
ESTIMATED AVERAGE NET WORTH
OF THE BABY BOOMERS AT AGE 65
Source: Calculations based on data form Federal Reserve Board of Governors,
“2001 Survey of Consumer Finances,” updated April 29, 2004.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Where the Baby Boomers Live
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
While we refer to the Baby Boomers as if they
were a monolithic whole, they are, in fact, very
different. The Baby Boomer generation is made
up of 77.3 million individuals.
The “Leading Edge Boomers” have had a
very different life experience from the “Trailing
Edge Boomers”.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Leading-Edge Boomers: Born 1946-1955
About 37 million alive today
Leading Edge Boomers cultural experience includes:
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
The assassination of JFK, RFK and MLK Jr.
Political unrest
Walk on the moon
The Vietnam War and anti-war protests
The Sexual revolution
Recreational drug use
The Civil, Environmental & Women’s Rights movements
Woodstock, Motown, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix
They inherited or will inherit significant wealth and
financial optimism from their parents.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Trailing-Edge Boomers: Born 1956-1964
About 40 million alive today
Trailing Edge Boomers cultural experience includes:
 Watergate and Nixon’s resignation, The Cold War
 Oil embargos, gasoline shortages along with Raging inflation
 Witnesses to protests not participants. They were Wide-eyed
not Tie-dyed. They heard about Woodstock.
 Serious heavy drug use and prosecution
 Disco & The Bee Gees to Punk Rock and the start of MTV
 Often see themselves as a separate overlooked generation or
the younger less appreciated siblings of the leading Edge
Boomers
 They inherited reduced wealth and financial pessimism from
their parents
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Rural vs Urban - The Reality
• Commonly refer to the 7 county metropolitan area
as an urban area.
• Reality is that much of this area has more in
common with rural factors than urban or
metropolitan factors.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Rural vs. Urban Demographics
The Reality
 For much of the 20th century, most rural
communities experienced population loss as
millions of rural residents left for the opportunities
in cities. Population losses were common where
the agricultural, forestry and mining economy
employed fewer workers because of productivity
gains.
 Currently, 17 % of the U.S. population and 75 %
of the land area is classified as nonmetropolitan.
 Nonmetropolitan America is extremely diverse
with a population, labor force and economy that
encompasses far more than agriculture – in fact
only about 6.5% of the labor force is engaged in
farming
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Rural vs. Urban Demographics
The Reality
Net migration to and from rural areas has always been
age selective.
•People in their 20’s leave; older people tend to stay or
return to rural parts of the country.
•The typical result is that the average age of residents in
rural areas has grown faster than that in urban areas.
•This migration trend has produced an age structure in
many rural areas that includes few young families and
many older adults with a greater need of services.
Now throw into the mix the new reality of destination
communities.
•Many non-metro areas are seeing, and will continue to see,
significant population growth because of scenic landscapes,
mild climates and recreational opportunities.
•This type of growth has seen an accelerating rate of migration
among those in their 50’s and 60’s.
•Not only does this type of growth increase the percentage of
older residents in an area they are quite likely to stay in their
chosen destination community compounding the burden of
services that will be needed as they age.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Rural Demographics- The Reality
Rural and urban areas differ in terms of
demographics, services and social aspects.
1. Demographic and settlement pattern differences
• Low density population and housing
• Higher proportion of older residents
• Older population is healthier, more able than urban
areas
• Lower education levels than in urban areas
• Lower incomes than in urban areas
• Fewer children
• Out-migration of 18 to 34-year-olds
• In-migration of older adults
2. Service differences
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Greater distances for services
Higher population homogeneity - less social mixing
Fewer housing options
Limited public transportation
3. Social differences
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Higher dependency on smaller group of people
Communities more closed to outside influences
Resistance to change may be higher
Income and education opportunities are lower
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Aging
Demographics of
Minnesota
According to the 2010 census Minnesota’s
population was 5,303,925 people.
1.5 million Baby Boomers live in Minnesota.
Minnesota had 2,347,201 housing units with
almost a 75% ownership rate.
 Currently at 12.9% the 65 and older population is the
fastest growing segment of our population.
 Minnesota’s senior population is expected to double
within the next 20 years. From 600,000 to 1.2 million
 From 2,000 to 2,050 the 85 and older population will
nearly triple from 90,000 to 250,000.
 By the year 2031 nearly 25% of Minnesotans will be
over the age of 65.
 More will be over the age of 65 than are 14 or younger.
 60% of older adult households include only one
adult – leaving them potentially isolated and
vulnerable.
Demographic information from Transform 2010 Data Report –Baby Boomer Survey
November 2010 and the state demographer.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Where the Minnesota Boomers live
 88% live in a single family home.
 90% are satisfied with their housing.
 93% own their homes and plan to continue
owning.
 73% have lived in their current home for at least
10 years (39% more than 20 years).
 72% have lived in their current community for at
least 10 years (51% more than 20 years).
If they were to move…
79% of leading edge boomers and
73% of trailing edge boomers said they would
look for a home with single level living.
Demographic information from Transform 2010 Data Report –Baby Boomer Survey November 2010
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
How long do the Boomers plan
to stay in their current home?
Nearly 25% of the Boomers plan to remain in
their current home for 20 years or more.
• In the metro area it is 19%
• in greater Minnesota it is 35%
The numbers are slightly higher when asked about how
long they plan to stay in their current community.
Conclusion?
Minnesota Baby Boomers
like where they live!
Demographic information from Transform 2010 Data Report –Baby Boomer Survey November 2010
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
BABY
BOOMERS
IN AMERICA ...
 Have enormous impact on communities and
the work place.
 Boomers now in their mid 60’s to 50’s have no
interest in traditional retirement: the “65”
number is meaningless.
 have good health, enjoy what they are doing,
feel that they are good at it and are still adding
value to their lives and community.
 want to take advantage of this time in their life
to explore careers, travel and studies and be a
positive force in their world.
 They are not moving out of their communities or
work place. They are here to stay and demand
attention.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
So how old is old?
According to a MetLife Mature Market Institute
study when Boomers were asked to define “old”
the respondents
 set the bar for “old” at an average of 79
years – a year older than what was said in
2007.
 said that men are old at age 77
 women wouldn’t be old until they were 80.
 Most men over the age of 65 are married.
 Most women over the age of 65 are not married
 80% of elderly women live alone
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
What is Aging-In-Place ?
Being able to remain in your home and
community safely and as independently as
possible, using products, services and
conveniences to enable you to not have to
move as your circumstances change throughout
the maturing years of your life.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
AGING IN PLACE
When people speak of aging in place
 they do not necessarily mean in the
current home they are in
 What a majority of them mean is they
prefer to stay in their neighborhoods if not
their specific homes as they age.
 Often they want to stay where they are
rather than relocating to facilities away
from familiar areas
 When mobility becomes a problem, they
prefer services be brought to them rather
than moving
 Don’t want to feel isolated
 Want to feel safe
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
AGING IN PLACE
The housing stock in the United States was built to
accommodate the average twenty-five year old healthy male.
The average American home
 is over thirty years old
 reasonably well constructed
 but energy inefficient
 often its design presents challenges for even
the most able-bodied individuals.
 find that we are adapting to our ill-fitted homes
rather than making our homes work for us.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
AGING IN PLACE
Many in the 50+ age group are seeking a home
that will allow them to live there as long as they
wish. Aging-in-place features in housing help
assure that we maintain control over where
and how we live, the way we eat, bathe, and
sleep, not to mention who visits our home.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
AGING IN PLACE
Why do people move?
The 3 D’s that cause a Non-Discretionary move
Divorce Disease Death
People often are forced from their homes due
to a change in health. Good design of an
appropriate environment can help people avoid
or mitigate these changes.
Incorporating design features into a home that
allow for aging-in-place isn’t complex, difficult or
expensive.
Aging-in-place features do not require special
trades or unusual techniques.
All that is required is thoughtful design that
utilizes everyday items properly installed.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
The differences between rural and urban
areas lead to differences in service delivery
and policy making that affect aging in place.
1. Rural differences in service delivery
• Smaller range of types of services available
• Cost for service delivery higher
• Expertise lower
• Fewer young people to provide services
• More need to share services
• Regional planning needed
• More need for technical and remote innovations in
delivery of health services
• Critical gaps in housing and transportation important
2. Rural policy differences
• Historically, there has been less concern by
policymakers for rural aging in place issues
• There typically has been lower funding levels
• The focus has been on provision of health services
• Zoning regulations often prohibit higher density
housing
• Policy makers need to factor in higher cost/time for
delivery of services
• Policy needs to encourage regionalized sharing
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Residents of rural areas tend to value
independence, self-reliance and individualism.
Although these are positive values, they also contribute
to a reluctance to seek help when help is needed. This
factor makes it difficult to assess the need for aging-inplace housing in rural areas.
Transportation to health-related services is
particularly problematic for rural people who may
live hours from the nearest service center, clinic,
hospital or day program.
Nearly 1/3 of the 91 million people in non-metro
areas eligible for government transportation
funding are transportation dependent, meaning
that they have no personal transportation.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Research for AARP’s Beyond 50.05 Study on
Livable Communities shows that the most
important predictor of successful aging in
adults is community attachment.
Older adults reporting that they are “strongly
attached” to their communities are more likely to
say they are satisfied with life and have a strong
sense of self-control and quality of life.
Attachment is stronger for home owners than
renters and increases with time.
Correlates with staying healthy and active, with
working and volunteering, organizational
memberships, civic participation, attendance at
community events, and, for some, religious
involvement.
The study also found that levels of community
attachment and engagement are strongly
affected by home and community features.
Homes that are accessible in their original
design or through modification improve
satisfaction, and community stability
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
The satisfaction of successful aging is also
determined by how well home and community
are linked through mobility options, including
driving, accessible public transportation, and
walking and bicycling. Walking and bicycling
must be facilitated by provision of safe streets
and sidewalks.
Aging in Place Score Card
1. Community is friendly to people of all ages
2. Health and Human Services
3. Transportation and Mobility
4. Public Safety
5. Housing
6. Finance Services
7. Workforce Development
8. Civic Engagement and Volunteer Opportunities
9. Culture and Lifelong Learning
10. Public Policy and Zoning
11. A Good Place to Grow Up and Grow Old
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
As the population ages, the demand for
affordable, accessible housing is growing -but the supply of suitable homes has not kept
pace with the demand.
 Local efforts in rural areas to build new accessible
housing or make existing homes accessible, are
gradually increasing the rural stock of homes that
meet the needs of the aging population.
 But zoning restrictions and lending policies are slow
to change, and often present obstacles to building or
financing homes with what are considered by some
as "unusual" features.
But even when zoning and financing are not a
challenge, people looking for a home in which
they can age-in-place have all too often found
find the designers and builders are not aware
of -- or interested in -- design elements critical
to creating an such a dwelling.
Builders often don't understand that relatively minor
changes in the design of a home, for example; widening
doorways, providing a roll-in shower or replacing a step
with a ramp can make a home suitable for a person with
a variety of abilities.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
If people are going to age in place we
need to do a number of things.
We need to provide housing and
communities where they can live a
safe, secure, healthy life style.
We need to acknowledge and
understand that they will need more
and more services as they age.
A key decision to be made is
whether we
1. bring aging people together to
deliver services OR
2. we modify where they live and
deliver services to them.
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most likely will be a decision driven by
economics as the overwhelming needs
fall to the government to meet.
urban areas may be less expensive to
deliver services while in rural areas it
may be that we need to gather people
together to make service delivery
affordable.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH
UNIVERSAL DESIGN ?
It is the changing health and abilities of the Baby
Boomers that is driving the implementation of
Universal Design.
 this group of people may differ in experiences, they
are used to having things their way and expect
places, products and services to accommodate their
needs.
 They want to live where they are until they decide to
move, they want that move to be discretionary.
 They think of themselves as young, healthy and vital
and do not want their environment to cause them to
think otherwise
Universal Design (UD) goes a long way to
providing them the freedom to live where
they want and how they want.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Universal Design (UD)
Defined
Universal Design is an approach to design
of all products and environments to be as
usable as possible by as many people as
possible regardless of age, ability or
situation without the need for adaption or
specialized design
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
7 BASIC PRINCIPALS OF
UNIVERSAL DESIGN
1. Equitable Use – the design is useful and marketable
to people with diverse abilities.
2. Flexibility in Use – the design accommodates a
wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
3. Simple and Intuitive – use of the design is easy to
understand, regardless of the user’s experience,
knowledge, language skills, or current concentration
level
4. Perceptible Information – the design communicates
necessary information effectively to the user,
regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s
sensory abilities.
5. Tolerance for Error – the design minimizes hazards
and the adverse consequences of accidental or
unintended actions.
6. Low Physical Effort – the design can be used
efficiently and comfortably with a minimum of effort or
fatigue.
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use –
appropriate size and space is provided for approach,
reach, manipulation, and use regardless of users
body size, posture or mobility.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
or if you prefer -
5 BASIC PRINCIPALS of a
Universal Design Home
1. Usable – Designs are uncomplicated, safe, well
suited to their purpose, and can be easily used by
people with differing abilities.
2. Adaptable – The home can be cost effectively
and simply adapted to meet people’s changing
needs over time, or to suit different users.
3. Accessible – Everyone can easily access the
home and move around freely within it. Particular
attention will have been given to transition points
such as pathways and doorways, and access to
and from transport.
4. Inclusive – The design accommodates everyone
regardless of age, size, or ability. Groups are not
segregated by the design.
5. Lifetime Value – Homes incorporating Universal
Design are not expensive, but they are valuable and
remain so over time. They save the user money, time
and energy through effective design.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
UNIVERSAL DESIGN (UD)
Confusion and misperceptions concerning
Universal Design have come about in part
because of a linkage with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and in part because of
linkages with high-tech and very expensive
ways of making items adapt to different users.
UD accommodates young people, older people, tall
and short people, thin and stout people, and others who
are non-average as well as people with disabilities.
UD is often low-tech, simple and inexpensive. The
most successful universal design means that neither
items nor users need to adapt for successful use.
Universal Design makes homes and communities
livable for people of all ages and abilities.
Universal Design helps make a home a more
pleasant place to live now and helps avoid
unnecessary hassles and expensive changes in the
future.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Clarifying what Universal Design is NOT
• Accessible design – building or housing units that
meet prescribed requirements for accessibility.
Requirements vary by the applicable code.
• In public/commercial buildings – must comply with
ADA accessibility guidelines.
• allows full wheelchair access.
• ADA guidelines do not apply to single-family
residences.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – a major civil
rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of
disability in the public and private sector. It covers
employment, public services, public accommodations,
and telecommunications.
• Adaptable design – includes features that can be
easily modified by removing barriers and/or adding
accessible elements to meet the changing needs and
requirements of an individual.
• VISIT-ability – includes a level, zero-step entry to a
home, and maneuvering space within the ground floor
of the home. Access to one bathroom or powder room
on the ground floor
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
Designing for Aging in Place
Older people with
age-related changes
• Tend to not have one severe disability – but many
difficulties that cause different problems at different
times.
• May have a chronic condition that has led to a
disability.
• Tend to utilize traditional channels for care.
• Tend to seek direction from their physician or service
provider
• Are reluctant to appear less than able.
• See themselves as active and healthy but may have
difficulties with daily tasks.
• One of the reasons they resist adaptions that are
assistive in nature may be the desire to continue to be
perceived as healthy and active and not in need of
assistance
-Most importantly they
DO NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES DISABLED!!
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
 The average person can expect to
experience a disability at some point in
their lives.
 Chronic conditions such as obesity,
diabetes, arthritis and over/under use of
medications show no age boundaries and
affect both young and old.
 By virtue of getting older all of us are
confronted with a variety of diminishing
abilities.
In order to successfully implement Universal
Design for our aging population it is helpful to
understand the physical changes they are
undergoing and the effects those changes can
have on their life style.
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME
A brief
look at the
Aging
Process
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Promoting Aging in
Place
What if we
incorporate rather than modify?
• The Pro-Active approach
• Accommodates permanent or occasional
limitations
• Limits dependency
• Is easily adaptable
• Is cost effective
• Stark (2004) found that after receiving
modifications, participants experienced
significant increases in participation and
satisfaction
• Cumming, et al. (2001) found that
environmental changes (e.g. leaving the
light on at night) decreased fall risk
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Promoting Aging in
Place
What if we
incorporate rather than modify?
• Outcomes
• Reduce future health care
costs
• Prevent/reduce falls & injuries
• Promote active living
Aging in Place & Universal Design are not
Accessible Design, it is
smart design for
long term Living
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Universal Design can Promote
Independence and Prevent Accidents
• Often times poorly designed and
maintained environments are hazardous
and contribute to falls and injuries.
• Home modification and repair can help
prevent accidents and falls. The National
Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests
that 1/3 of home accidents can be
prevented by modification and repair.
• UD features can enhance comfort, increase
safety, prevent injuries, and facilitate
ongoing access to community support and
services.
• Removing barriers and safety hazards also
helps reduce stress associated with
reduction in physical capabilities as people
age.
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Considerations for Aging and
Special Needs
• General Aging Impairments
• Progressive Disorders
• Sensory Impairments
• Touch
• Pain
• Smell
• Hearing
• Vision
• Cognitive impairments
• Decreased judgement
• Decreased sequencing / organizing skills
• Motor impairments
• Wheelchair users
• Ambulation device users
• Fine motor skill impairments
• Gross motor impairments
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
How we use sensory
information
• Info gathering
• Warning mechanism
(protective sensation)
• Communication
• Pleasure/enjoyment
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Olfactory (Smelling)
Changes
• Age-related changes
• Related to exposure
over lifetime rather
than age
• Sense of smell can
fatigue (becoming
accustomed to a
constant smell)
• Medical conditions
that can affect smell
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•
•
•
Dementia
Parkinson’s
Sinus infections
Other
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Hearing
• Our ’24-hour’ monitoring system
• Excess noise can cause irritability,
raise blood pressure, decrease
problem solving skills
• Individuals with hearing loss may
withdraw from social activities, are at
higher risk for personal safety and
increased risk for depression
• Hearing loss
• Thought to be due to accumulation of
noise damage over the years
• Elders in less technologically advanced
cultures do not experience hearing loss to
the same extent as in our society
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Hearing Impairments
• Age-related changes that
can affect hearing
• Collapsing of the
auditory canal cartilage
• Earwax thickening
• Decreased ability to
hear high frequency
sounds
• Increased auditory
processing time
• Decreased auditory
discrimination
• Medical conditions that
can impact hearing
• Measles
• Meningitis
• Ear infections
• Lengthy antibiotic use
• Lengthy diuretic use
• Other
% percentage of individuals
with significant hearing
impairments
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Balance
An average of
35% of seniors
fall each year!
• Individuals with
decreased balance may
limit participation in
mobility/activities due to
fear of falling
• This leads to inactivity,
thus increased risk of falls
• Age related changes
• Increased reaction time
• Decreased ability to
interpret position in
space
• Increased postural sway
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Medical conditions
that can affect balance
• Diseases/disorders
•
•
•
•
•
CVA
Parkinson’s
Alzheimer’s
Multiple Sclerosis
Other
• Generalized weakness
• Ear Infections/UTI
• Low vision
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Limitations in
Activities of Daily Living
Source: Profile of Older Americans: 2010
www.aoa.gov
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
General Aging Process
Musculoskeletal System changes
• Narrowed intervertebral disks
• Decreased bone mass
• Decrease in muscle mass & regeneration of
muscle fibers
• Increased latency/contraction time of muscle
• Increased hip/knee flexion
• Tendon & ligament stiffening
• In joints: cartilage erosion, increased bone
overgrowth & calcium deposits
Implications
• Gait and balance instability
• Risk of osteoporosis & fractures,
osteoarthritis
• Decreased muscle strength & agility; slowed
reflexes and reaction time = fall risk
• Decreased endurance
• Joint stiffness with decreased mobility
• Risk of injury, pain on range of motion
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Floor
Coverings
• 300,000 hip
fractures
annually in the
U.S.
• Surface glare
and poor
acoustics
increase
confusion
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Vision
• Primary method of info gathering for
most adults
• Decline in vision may cause decline in
ability to engage in almost any
activity, role, or occupation
• May be unable to meet the
environmental demands without
design features to increase lighting
and contrast, or provide other sensory
feedback
• Estimated that the average 60 year
old needs 3-4 times the amount of
light as the average 20 year old to
perform the same seeing task with
the same accuracy and speed
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Normal Age-related changes
• Less light reaches the back of the
eyes
• Pupils get smaller
• Lens inside the eye becomes thicker,
absorbing more light
• Lens scatters more light, adding a
‘luminous veil’ over images on the
retina
• Reduces the contrast and
sharpness of objects
• Reduces the vividness of colors
• Reds can look like pinks
• Difficult differentiating blue
colors
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Visual Impairments
Changes in vision can be due to:
• Age related changes
• Decreased pupil size
• Decreased elasticity of
lens
• Yellowing of lens
• Thickening of lens
• Decreased depth
perception
• Medical
conditions
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Macular
degeneration
• Diabetic
retinopathy
• Stroke
• Alzheimer’s
Disease
• Other
% of individuals with
significant vision loss
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Cataracts
• Blurry
• Glare
Macular
Degeneration
• Blurring at
central vision
• Color
perception
diminishes
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Glare
• Retinal scarring can
produce black spots
in visual field
• Glaucoma
• Tunnel vision
• glare
• Stroke
• Field cut
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Visual abilities
that diminish with age
• Visual acuity – ability to resolve
fine details
• Coarse stereopsis – ability to
recognize 3D depth, to judge
relative distances, and to
appreciate the relative distance
between two objects
• Color discrimination – ability to
distinguish an object that is poorly
contrasted with its visual
surroundings
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Important considerations for
how we ‘see’ the built
environment
• Most interactions are ‘dynamic
seeing’ activities – the eyes, head
and body are all in motion
• Seeing activities are significantly
affected by surrounding conditions
• Glare
• Excessive brightness
• Dim lighting
• Divided attention – people are often
moving about while listening, reading,
talking, etc.
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Design Guidelines
• Assure that surfaces (location and
finish) don’t add unnecessarily to
glare
• Window and doors
• Glare controlled
• Located to minimize effects of
glare and contralight
• Effects of age and age-related
disease on color perception may
significantly diminish the visual
effectiveness of certain color
combinations
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Design Guidelines continued
• Make critical elements larger
and with high contrast to their
surroundings
• Contrasts provide useful
markers for stairs, floor
boundaries and other navigation
items
• Implement easily adjustable
task lighting
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Color and
Universal Design
• Applying color concepts to the
aesthetics of the home
• Can improve function
• Can improve safety
• Makes for a more satisfying
experience
• Makes for greater ease of
living for everyone, no matter
the age or ability
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Color and Contrast
for Navigation and Safety
• Color choice can make a home
safer to live in
• Can enhance utility and user
experience
• Serves a functional purpose
• Deliberate color use
enhances navigation,
recognition, wayfinding
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Navigation and use of Color
• Visual cues serve as guideposts for
the brain to navigate by
• Patterns on the floor can serve as
navigation cues
• Solid colors make depth
perception more challenging as
do dull, muted patterns
• Bold floor patterns make it easier
to determine when your foot will
touch the floor and gauging
distance easier
LET’S DEFINE UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN THE HOME
There is no limit to the creative
possibilities to integrate Universal
Design in a home.
UNIVERSAL DESIGN –
THINK ABOUT IT!
AGING-IN-PLACE AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN:
A LOOK AT THE HOME