Shouldn't Kitchens be Accessible to All? Some Cabinet Ideas Show the Way!

Maybe that headline is a bit wordy, but it underscores the notion that universal design and barrier-free ideas are only for those who have disabilities or physical limitations. Contractors and designers trapped in this mindset tend to plan kitchen remodels without properly considering (1) the future needs of all household members and (2) how beneficial it is to inject accessibility features into a kitchen design. Designing and constructing a kitchen for all ability levels is easy and, more importantly, helps everyone in the household live better without sacrificing good looks or style.

As we've emphasized in earlier posts, Universal Design is all about ease of use across the whole range of human activities. In the kitchen, that means cooking, eating, and just hanging out. There are lots of ways to improve the use and access in this essential part of a home. This post will focus on how the standard closed-door kitchen cabinet, has evolved to help designers achieve maximum ease of use for people of all shapes, sizes, abilities, and ages. We know that the typical cabinet, located either above or below countertop level, does a fine job of storage, but can also be beyond the reach of individuals with mobility issues, whether age-related or otherwise. These traditional cabinets may fail to serve the rest of the population very well. Some areas in the cabinet can be hard to reach without bending or stretching, and they may become disorganized, and often lack stylistic interest. Fortunately, cabinet designers have risen to the challenge, creating a host of alternative designs that overcome all these shortcomings.

Pull out drawer systems are helping to lead the revolution that's reshaping the look of smart kitchen designs. They come in all shapes and sizes. 

Base cabinets with drawers are one option. For starters, they provide much easier access. No longer do you have to bend and reach into a deep cabinet; pulling out the drawer brings its contents to you. And these pull-outs are much easier to organize. You replace one large cabinet holding a jumble of kitchen items with drawers that can be stacked on top of each other and devoted to things that belong together. Specialty inserts can be added for pots and pans, dishware, or other kitchen objects and utensils.

It's also possible to stack base cabinets next to each other creating pantries that store spices, canned goods, or even pots and pans. These pull-outs bring stored items into open view and reach, again not just a benefit for mobility challenged members of the household, but a real convenience for everyone.

A smart approach for base cabinets is the use of pocket doors that open and then slide into the cabinet frame. It's a great look and removes the cabinet doors as an added barrier to access.  

Corner cabinet design is also changing with pull-out technology. Lazy-Susan's married to pull out racks offer vastly improved access and make organizing a far more straightforward task. They're also a surprising design element, adding a level of complexity to the overall look of the kitchen.

What about those upper cabinets that can be so difficult to reach? Several innovative designs are available to render even the highest cabinets readily accessible to all family members. Pull-out and down cabinets are absolute requirements for wheelchair users and others with serious reach issues. A broad selection of shelving inserts, including open racks, pegs and hooks extends its usefulness. It can bring variety to the overall kitchen appearance.

Another shelving option dispenses with the pull-out feature but maintains a more straightforward pull-down mechanism. This cabinet has an insert that slides up and down with the cabinet frame. It's an excellent choice for families with smaller children who may find these cabinets easier to use than the pull-out and down system.

Improving functional storage cabinets are just a small part of the overall strategy to achieve universal design in the kitchen. This post previews some possibilities. Future blogs will cover other kitchen accessible features, including appliances, shelving, lighting, and many of the other ingredients that enter into the creation of a genuinely accessible home kitchen. 

Small Changes Can Have a Big Impact on Home Safety

As a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, we take a "whole house" view of planning and building. We are not only focused on significant home modifications; but we know that often it's the small changes that have the biggest impact on the comfort, safety, and ease of access for our clients. The "art" of making homes work better as aging in place environments comes from years of experience and training, and in-depth knowledge of universal design and barrier-free concepts. We want to pass along several of our hard-earned lessons on the "little things" of aging in place. 

Lever Up: Swap out door knobs! As we age, doorknobs can become difficult to turn or twist. Lever handles, on the other hand, are always easy to manage, even when carrying packages. They're inexpensive to install and substantially improve the convenience level of your home.

The subject of handles. We like to get rid of cabinets knobs too and replace them with D-shaped handles. They're so much easier to grip. 

What about rocker-type light switches? Why deal with an up and down flip switch when a simple push on a rocker switch will do the trick.  

How about some lighting? Nothing improves safety like a little more light attached to a dimmer switch or motion sensor. Low lighting at night eases the path to a bathroom or kitchen; motion sensors can automatically turn on a lamp when entering a room. They're inexpensive to buy and install 

What about bathroom and kitchen faucets. Yes, there are lots of simple solutions. We like lever, touch, or sensor style faucets instead of turn knobs. And a recent innovation is color sensor technology for water temperature alerts. Water too hot: you'll see a red light warning! 

Still climbing stairs but not ready for the "lift." Consider installing railings on both sides of the staircase. It's a small but beneficial way to reduce falls (and make climbing stairs a lot easier) 

While we're holding on, let's not forget grab bars that should be solidly anchored to the wall (no suction cups). Decorative/double duty bars are readily available and can be disguised as towel racks, soap holders, etc. 

Handheld showerheads. Here's a simple, low-cost solution that's useful when seated or standing in the shower. It can be installed on a sliding bar (or grab bar for added safety!) to move up and down. 

Don't have room for a wider doorway?  Consider a door with swing-away or swing-clear hinges to provide a larger opening. We have other solutions to create wide doors for increased mobility. 

Show them your address. Aging in Place sometimes means medical emergencies, and that's when you want responders to spot your home quickly. We recommend a highly visible street address that provides quick and unambiguous home identification. Often overlooked, it's a critical (and inexpensive) home improvement) that can save lives. 

Home-Tech. Home monitoring systems and medical alerts are "dollar-wise" installations that add a considerable measure of safety and peace of mind. Automatic fall detection and activity monitors are just a few of the features offered; we consider this a must-have if you're living alone.   

Put some color on the walls! Use different paint colors for walls, floors counter edges, and stairs to help identify transitions. The cost is low; the visual benefit is significant.

We enjoy discovering home improvements that are inexpensive but add safety and comfort value to our clients' homes. Aging in Place doesn't have to be expensive, and with thoughtful planning, smart, cost-effective solutions can often rule the day. The above suggestions are just a sample of ideas that we bring to clients when meeting to design and build aging in place improvements. 

Universal Design: The Beating Heart of Aging in Place

Most of our clients are familiar with the term "aging in place" and know that it represents the idea that remaining in one's house and community can be a highly satisfying and financially smart choice...especially when combined with improvements tailored to increase home safety, convenience and accessibility. But what many don't know is that while aging in place is a robust descriptive label, the real power behind it is a concept called Universal Design.

Universal Design is the simple concept that all the things we make; structures, furnishings, appliances, vehicles, all our products, and environments, should be easily usable by all people without the need for adaptation or specialized design. It's based on a set of seven core principles, such as flexibility and simplicity that are applied in ways that result in maximum safety and access for everyone. Young, old, disabled, or healthy, the design mechanism is meant to support all ages and abilities in ways that enable everyone to live together in the same place.

The seven principles of Universal Design are:

PRINCIPLE ONE: Equitable Use

PRINCIPLE TWO: Flexibility in Use

PRINCIPLE THREE: Simple and Intuitive Use

PRINCIPLE FOUR: Perceptible Information

PRINCIPLE FIVE: Tolerance for Error

PRINCIPLE SIX: Low Physical Effort

PRINCIPLE SEVEN: Size and Space for Approach and Use

One of our favorite examples of universal design is the story of the old-fashioned vegetable peeler, a clunky appliance that felt uncomfortable and was challenging to use. One day, a guy named Sam Farber was watching his wife, who has arthritis, struggle while peeling apples, complaining about how the device hurt her hands. He thought there had to be a better way, and together with a team of enlightened designers produced a new line of kitchen hand appliances called Good Grips. His idea was basic and straightforward; attach thick rubbery handles to existing kitchen tools, and suddenly what was difficult for folks with arthritis to suddenly became a much better tool for everyone to use. Sam had designed a handle that could be used for all sorts of applications, pushing, pulling, using like a paintbrush. He made it bigger, shaped it better to fit in hand, and gave it a unique rubber material for improved grip. We know now the brand as OXO Good Grips, with a vast line of kitchen tools used by everyone. This improved utensil is the underlying concept of Universal Design: create a product that erases the distinctions among its users and brings ease of access to everyone.

 So, how does this all apply to home environments for our aging in place or mobility clients? Well, as we've said in past blog posts, we take a "whole house" view of aging in place and try to design and build spaces that work for everyone in the household. When we create no-step entrance ways, we aren't just thinking about improved access for wheelchair users; no step entrances are just a better way to get in and out of homes. The same is true of storage and shelving projects. Easy reach designs make sense for everyone, not only those with limited movement or flexibility.

Universal design is the shining beacon that guides all our planning, design, and construction work. We help clients in a variety of situations, design and consulting to age in place, or an improved space to accommodate a physical disability, or just a cost-effective remodel. As always, we're glad to share our knowledge with you; please don't hesitate to give us a call. 

Planning to Stay in Your Home: Hire an Expert

We are proud to be a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), trained in the nuts and bolts of aging in place planning and construction. We're proud because it means we're among the small group of contractors, planners, and designers that have completed the comprehensive curriculum of "aging in place" training and continuing education offered by the National Association of Home Builders, one of industry's premier trade group. We are also a Certified Living In Place Professional (CLIPP) and a Senior Home Safety Specialist (SHSS). These additional designations are offered by other certifying institutions, providing aging in place education to further enhance a professional's' knowledge and skills in the aging in place design.

Aging in place is a big life decision; that's why you need an expert team in place to create and build a safe and accessible home environment. Not every contractor and planner has the knowledge and experience to meet this standard. Few have decided to focus on aging in place and universal design and pursue the necessary training to qualify as an expert in the field.

As a "CAP" or “CLIPP” specialist, we are trained in the unique needs of older adults. We know the kinds of modifications that improve access and safety, and we focus on solutions to the problems that make living in your home more difficult as you age. The educational programs developed by The National Association of Home Builders includes techniques and strategies that cover every aspect of designing and building aging in place and universal design modifications. We have the expertise to guide you through the transition to an accessible and welcoming home environment.

Most homes are not well suited for the disabilities that accompany aging. For example, less than 4% of all homes have entrances without steps, single-floor living, and wide hallways and doors. Fewer still meet design standards for proper lighting, safe floors, door handles, and accessible electrical sockets. Making a home "aging in place" compatible with all the safety, accessibility, and convenience features demand skill and expertise that few planners and contractors bring to the table.

We are here to help you plan the most cost-effective modifications and implement the necessary strategies to provide home safety and comfort. The goal is always to enable you to spend many happy years in your home. Please don't hesitate to give us a call or drop an email with your questions or comments. We are glad to share our expertise and knowledge with you and are always pleased to be talking about "aging in place" solutions.

Aging in Place Means Good Health: Get Your Flu Shot

We're taking a bit of detour from our usual aging in place blog post to talk about a medical imperative, one that's particularly important for those of us over the age of 65. A few days ago, we saw in the news that last year's flu season was the most dangerous in years. And the spike in infections was primarily due to a significant drop in people getting flu shots. The sobering truth is that over 80,000 people died from the flu last year, and 9 out of 10 fatalities involved seniors. That's simply unacceptable. We care about our clients and want to do our part to make sure that there's no repeat of last year's unfortunate statistics.

Here's what you need to know. People over the age of 65 are at far higher risk of severe complications from the flu than younger adults, so it's critically important that they receive the flu vaccine each year.

There are three types of flu shots for seniors. The regular is the vaccine given out generally. If you're under 65, this vaccine is administered through a nasal spray or the traditional injection. If you're over 65, only the injection will do.

A "high dose" vaccine is also available that's specially prepared for those of us over 65. It contains four times the punch of a regular shot and does a much better job of protecting against flu infection than the standard dose. Older adults who received this vaccine showed a 24% drop in flu cases over those receiving the regular vaccine. High dose vaccines are a recent development, and you should be sure to speak to your doctor about its benefits.

An even newer vaccine, called the adjuvanted flu vaccine, is also available. It's more effective than the "high dose," with a 63% reduction in flu infections. Again, this is something to discuss with your physician.

What's the cost of the vaccine? If you're a Medicare beneficiary, the flu shot is covered by Part B. The price is also an included benefit if you've got coverage under the Affordable Care Act; there are no copays or coinsurance.

The flu can strike at any time, but the "flu season," when activity begins to increase, starts in October and can stretch into May. So the time for action is now. Get yourself vaccinated and also take some common-sense preventative measures like covering coughs, washing your hands frequently, and, of course, staying away from people with the flu.