Example of a step-free shower and Universal Design bathroom. Photo by Chris Usher.

ST. LOUIS — I’ve spent the past two days here attending a conference dedicated solely to Universal Design. Una-what? In spite of what it sounds like, Universal Design isn’t a Carl Saganese approach to designing the cosmos.

The definition of Universal Design, some shorten it to UD, is a process of designing spaces — cities, streets, buildings, homes, rooms – “that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation,” according to Edward Steinfeld and Jordana Maisel of the University of Buffalo’s IDEA Center.

So, why should you care about UD? Well, you’re getting older. Sorry to break the news to you but it’s true. Take a look around your home and determine if you (or your parent) age there easily? Are doorways and hallways wide enough to roll a wheelchair through? Is there a kitchen counter low enough to sit and prepare supper? Are there grab bars installed in the bath or shower? If you answered “No” to any of these, read on.

I’m 41 and am a full-time caregiver for my parents who live with me in Florida. I can tell you my house is no where ready to have my them live in it. What I learned at this conference is that I’m in the majority of Americans who are getting or will get a huge wake up call when the times comes that you need UD amenities in your home and you’re in no position to install them. So why not do them now?

Here are some things to consider:

1. Think of the future you. Sure you’re healthy now, hiking the Andes or SCUBA diving in Belize. But it might not always be that way. Do your future self a favor: audit your house today. What needs to change now? In a few years? How can you do this, you ask? There are designers who focus on UD elements in your home and they’re called Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS). Use the CAPS locator here to find one in your area.
2. Think of your family. There are more multi-generational homes than ever before, if your grandchildren visit often or live with you, many of the UD amenities that appeal to older people are ideal for the little folks too. A lower countertop allows a grandchild to help you bake cookies but is also very useful if you need to sit while preparing supper. Hallways wide enough for a stroller are wide enough for a walker or wheelchair. Get the gist?
3. Think safety. Everything about UD has safety as an underlying factor. Properly lighting rooms and walkways are ideal for aging eyes are key. Fall prevention is key: ditch throw rugs, have a step-free shower, build in ramp into your home, all these can be designed to where it’s not noticeable and doesn’t look institutional.

OK, so I’ve truncated the list (see resources below) but you get the idea of what you need to do. Understandably, it’s likely you can’t afford a complete renovation of your home but some of the changes are no- or low-cost fixes that can be done by you or your handyman right now.

Resources:

• Check out some award-winning Universal Design homes here, along with room-by-room checklists at the bottom of the page.
• Download AARP’s HomeFit Guide, it’s free!
• UniversalDesign.com
• National Association of Home Builders CAPS locator

We’ve put our Caregiving Resource Center from our website into our AARP iPad app so you can have all the housing options, legal and respite care information you need at your fingertips.

How do you get it? Easy!

1. Grab your iPad and click here>> App Store for AARP.
2. Download (psst, it’s FREE!).
3. The first square you see in the grid should say Caregiving Resource Center (see image above).
4. If it’s not, just swipe left and you’ll see it (or click the Add Widgets button).
5. If you already have the AARP iPad app uploaded, to get the caregiving options on it you need to do an update.

Our tools, checklists, blog and videos are all there for you to use to help you provide the best level of care.

Let us know how we’re doing and what you’d like to see in future versions of the mobile Caregiving Resource Center in the comments below. And for all caregiving related news, be sure to follow @AARPfamily or subscribe to our TakeCare blog.

Also of Interest

• Games for 50+: Benefits Include Socialization, Activity
• Key to Longer Life? Fatty Fish Twice Weekly
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being
• Want to talk with other caregivers? Join our Caregiving Group

See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more

Let me give you the backstory: I’m a full-time caregiver for my parents, who live with me in Tallahassee, Fla. We live in a very quiet neighborhood full of houses built in the early 1980s. The homes are spacious, yards are well manicured and everyone waves at everyone when they pass by. Most of my neighbors are the original owners, including my next door neighbors, Jack and Diane (not their real names). They are, for lack of a better description, hoarders. Diane has dementia; Jack has chronic hip and back pain that has him confined to a wheelchair. They’re sweet as can be. However, after Jack’s latest spill and subsequent hospitalization, their children, from my take as the newbie on the block, aren’t up to (or capable of) the responsibilities of caring for their parents. Diane called police, who came to their house just about every other day in November and December, when the children came over.

It was then one of the kids started to clean out the house. This is a good thing. Then they put all the trash in the front. This is a bad thing. Not knowing what was in the bags, I began keeping an eye out on what was going on. Weeks went by and none of these aforementioned bags made it to the curb for trash pickup day. In fact, the piles got as high as the cars parked in the driveway. Five weeks later I began the internal debate on what I should do. Since their cleaning started, I had seen an uptick in vermin activity in my yard. I increased the visits of pest control but there’s only so much you can do. But I worried about the home’s inhabitants. Jack and Diane need a safe and clean living environment. While I firmly believe their children (and one grandchild) were trying to give that to them, I couldn’t risk the health and well-being of my family — me, my parents, two dogs and a cat — with this trash sitting out front. The kids have been skittish about talking to neighbors, keeping their heads down when I’m out front working in the yard, avoiding any eye contact. I must admit that I was terrified to bring up the topic to the kids.

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I asked my brother, Steven, a huge civil libertarian, who visits my parents often, what he would do. I told him I wanted to respect Jack and Diane’s privacy as they’re dealing with significant family issues but I had to consider my family’s health too. Steven respected my desire to keep their family issue private but said above all else I need to think of my family first.

I gave it a few days then called the city. I spoke with a nice woman in the codes department and told her my quandary. She said they get calls like this all the time. People want to do the right thing but have guilt about it. She also told me that there have been incidences where tragedy could have been avoided had a third-party intervened. I just told her that I’d want someone to say something if it were my parents. She filed the ticket and said someone would be out to the house shortly.

So what happened? I return from a week-long work trip and discovered all the trash bags removed. The pine needles, which were half-inch deep throughout the driveway and a huge fall hazard, were swept up. I don’t know what happened inside the house. I haven’t seen or heard anyone for a while.

LAS VEGAS – The National Association of Home Builders says the future housing market will depend heavily on baby boomers.

Paul Emrath, vice president of survey and housing policy research for NAHB, expects the number of single-family housing starts in 55+ communities to increase 22 percent this year and an additional 20 percent in 2014. This demographic will also contribute to 50 percent of all multi-family housing starts in 2014.

“We expect to see an increased demand for 55+ housing as more baby boomers turn 55 and seek homes and communities that offer the lifestyle they desire,” Emrath said at the association’s International Builder Show here this week.

Shares of U.S. households age 55+ jump from 42 percent in 2012 to 46.6 percent in 2020, thanks to aging boomers, Emrath said while presenting the association’s What Home Buyers Really Want Survey. NAHB commissioned the survey to educate its members — both builders and remodelers — on the new trends homeowners are demanding.

The uptick reverses the trend that crushed the housing market over the past five years. “We are seeing more consumers overcome the inertia of waiting on the sidelines to buy a new home as they become more confident in their local market conditions.”

Why are they so confident? Because homeowners are now able to sell their existing homes at reasonable prices and make a profit that allows them to downsize or relocate near their children.

So what trends are they seeing? Golf course communities are no longer at the top of the list. In fact, they’re in the sand trap of least desirable amenities boomers and seniors want in their communities.

Click image to enlarge

Most wanted amenities in their community:

• Garden plots
• Walking/jogging trails
• Parks
• Outdoor pools
• Local drug/convenience store
• Public transportation

In their home:

• Energy-Star rated appliances throughout entire house
• Laundry room
• Ceiling fans
• Exterior lighting
• Bathroom linen closet
• Garage storage
• Table space in kitchen

Size also matters. According to NAHB’s survey, 68 percent of those ages 55-64 and 69 percent of those 65+ want a single-story dwelling.

“We are servicing the largest growing groups of buyers that we have ever seen in this age category, and it is a population that is dramatically different from what it was only a few years ago,” said W. Don Whyte, chairman of NAHB’s 50+ Housing Council. “That’s why it is so important to know what consumers are looking for in 55+ homes and communities.”

What about you? Do you agree with the survey findings? What do you want in your home? Community? Tell us in the comments below.

Remote controlled toilet-bidet. Maker: Kohler

However, I did manage to talk to some great vendors who have the aging in mind. As a family caregiver, I was keeping an eye out for anything that would help me make my loved ones more comfortable and safe while respecting their need for privacy. I found these items ideal for anyone who is also caring for a loved one.

So, here’s my short list of affordable items I think will help the 50+, 65+ homeowners and their caregivers:

1. The all in one toilet-bidet

Incontinence is a huge issue for the elderly and their caregivers. Cleanup of messes could be dangerous due to fall likelihood in showers and potentially embarrassing to you or your loved one. These all-in-one toilet-bidets are an ideal solution, since it’s not likely you have room for a toilet and bidet separately.

The bidet portion is controlled by a remote (different versions have it affixed to the rim or separate)  Options let you clean front, rear or oscillate. One version I saw has presets so you can store options for multiple users. There were high-end models, in the $6,000 range, but some that I saw were affordable around $1,000-$1,200.

Towel bar doubles as grab bar. Everyone wins. Maker: HealthCraft

2.  Decorative grab bars that don’t look like grab bars

Fact: The bathroom is the deadliest room in the house.

So, if you’re updating that bathroom ditching the circa 1978 wallpaper that’s slowly peeling off the wall, install these grab bars now, while you’re still making the mess.

There are tons of options that avoid the “institutional” look, you know what you see in hospitals and nursing homes. Functionality meets design, and who knows, one day it might just save you (or a loved one)  from a nasty fall.

Google decrorative grab bars and you’ll be surprised at what you see. Most are affordable, sleek and won’t advertise that it’s a grab bar. Shhh.

And looky here, we even have a video on how to install a grab bar > Click me

Pull down shelves are ideal as they are accessible for anyone in a wheelchair. Maker: Crownpoint Cabinetry

 3. Drop down shelves

Listen up foodies. Your kitchen is aging, just like you. Never fear, there are cheap and easy ways to give it a facelift.

I was impressed by the affordable options that would make your kitchen more accessible for all ages — such as the grandkid helping you make cookies or anyone in a wheelchair.

Installing pull-down shelves — either in new or existing cabinetry — brings the food to you and prevents spills from standing on step ladders. Ideally all cabinets would be a waist and shoulder level, but that’s impossible. Easy installation and affordability will help you (or the family member you’re caring for) maneuver around their kitchen easier.

Additionally, these drop down shelves are available for the bedroom and bathroom cabinets too.

Do you have any of these items in your house? Let me know in the comments section below. You can keep track of all things housing and aging in place on Twitter by following #ageready.

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post from Bob Stephen, head of AARP’s Home & Family portfolio, which focuses on caregiving and home technology. Bob will speak at CES this year. 

At AARP we know that family is a key driver of happiness for the 50-plus population and 9 of 10 Americans who are 50 or older want to stay in their home or community.  These facts are among those that drive what we look to achieve — and helped shape our experience at the Consumers Electronic Show (CES)  last year.

We were very interested in technology related to four areas:

• Enabling  those 50-plus to stay connected through consumer technology
• Helping the millions of Americans who care for an older family member
• Addressing the top two needs of grandparents relative to their grandchildren — i.e., increasing time together and helping to guide them in life
• Helping more Americans stay in their homes or communities (either through smart home products or technology that makes it safer for drivers)

Much of general consumer technology has the ability to meet needs related to caregiving, like connecting with grandkids and staying in one’s home.  Smart TVs are an example from 2012.  Just about every manufacturer was showcasing its “smart TVs.”  These have great potential, since the 50-plus population watches TV more than just about any other age group and these TVs enable people to use a familiar piece of technology to stay connected to their family and friends.  Unfortunately, the promise of smart TVs has not been realized; Wired recently highlighted problems with their complexity.  This year we’ll be looking to see if anyone has focused on the user experience to make it simpler for everyone to operate  a smart TV.

Among 50-plus consumers, tablet adoption continues to increase at a fast pace, so we’ll be watching for any advances that make tablets more accessible.  With a tablet, anyone is able to access the Internet for news, mail and fun and can use video chat to stay connected with a grandchild or older care recipient.  Several manufacturers attempted to produce specialized tablets last year — those just for kids or for care recipients.  We’ll be interested to see if this trend continues or if companies now recognize that consumers may be satisfying their needs with a general-purpose tablet.

3-D printing was one of the more intriguing areas last year.  It showed us that this is not just a printing method for large research organizations but could be used at home in the future.  We’ll keep up on advances in 3-D printing to understand the benefits for the 50-plus, but we’ll also look out for other emerging technology that could radically transform the ways in which 50-plus people interact with friends, family and their homes. It’s already started to change the lives of kids with physical disabilities – read this fascinating story for more. 

Given the millions of caregivers in this country, it is not surprising that several products are aimed at this market.  These range from full monitoring systems that check the health of a loved one to products aimed at a specific need, such as computerized pillboxes.  These inventions have faced several obstacles in the past: lack of awareness, reluctance among caregivers, complexity and cost.  This year we’ll be watching to see how companies are addressing the last two issues.

From a grandparent’s point of view, last year we noted items that might be valuable for grandparents to know about, either as a gift or as a way to stay connected with their grandchildren.  While we saw many products with promise, we did not see many that were explicitly aimed at multiple-generation use.  The exceptions were in the digital areas: games and books that promoted intergenerational play.  In 2013 we’ll again seek out products to highlight, but we’ll have our eye on the companies that understand the value of working with the more than 60 million grandparents.  Last year we encountered several companies that seemed to go out of their way to avoid talking to AARP; these were companies with solid products that would appeal to grandparents.

Finally, we want to see what advances have been made in both smart-house and safe-driving technologies.  Examples of both were in evidence last year. What we’re interested in now is the progress being made in making this technology more accessible.  For houses, has cost come down, and are products simpler to use and install?  For driving, cost and simplicity will also be key, but in addition, we’ll be looking for after-market products that are available for the millions of cars already on the road.

- Bob Stephen

I am a 17-year-old Florida high school student who has cerebral palsy from a brain injury at birth. I weighed 2 pounds, 14 ounces with severe lung dysplasia. Doctors feared I wouldn’t make it through the night and I spent six months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Today, after grueling physical therapy and numerous surgeries, I have gone from someone who doctors feared wouldn’t live 12 hours to someone who is not only able to walk with the assistance of crutches, but also can succeed in honors classes. But there is one challenge that I have been unable to overcome: tying my shoes.

Due to the fact that I use two crutches to walk, I need shoes that provide substantial ankle support to help me walk properly, but I didn’t want to sacrifice style. (I am in high school after all.) There are many types of these shoes on the market, high-tops and low-tops, all with different technologies that provide different levels of support and comfort. Despite all this variety, these shoes all seem to have one thing in common: laces.

Unfortunately, my cerebral palsy has left me with the use of only my left hand. As you can imagine, it’s virtually impossible to tie a shoe with one hand. After living with this for all these years, it came to a point where it was not only inconvenient, but socially embarrassing.  On Aug. 4, after talking to my mom, I knew it was time to accomplish what I set out to do the year before: Write a letter to Nike CEO Mark Parker addressing this issue.

I had tried to write this letter before, but could not come up with anything that I considered powerful enough to be read by Mr. Parker.  On this Saturday night, however, everything just came pouring out, and I was able to express what had been bothering me for all these years. I chose Nike because not only are they the largest athletic wear brand in the world, but year after year the company delivers some of the most innovative products in sports.

I did not want to keep this special letter just between my family and me, so I posted the rough draft as a status on my Facebook page. All of my friends were amazed at my letter, and began telling others about it. I received so many friend requests from people in my hometown who wanted to read my letter, I figured that it would make everyone’s lives easier if I just posted it on a public outlet, so I posted it on my sports blog, Against All Odds. This started the beginning of what I call the perfect accident.

Once I put it up there, so many people were inspired by it that they tweeted about it in order to share it with as many people as they could. My letter continued to spread, so I came up with the Twitter hashtag #NikeLetter to help people identify tweets about it.  Many people immediately caught on, and my cause spread to the Twitter accounts of Nike and its related entities, as well as celebrities such as Oprah and Justin Bieber. #NikeLetter began trending on Twitter, worldwide!

Three days later, my favorite sneaker website, NiceKicks.com, posted a story, “High School Student Writes Letter to Nike CEO.” I clicked on the link and was amazed to see that they wrote a story on my letter, which I had not even sent to Nike yet! After reading the article, I immediately checked over the letter and emailed it to Mr. Parker. What happened next has changed my life forever.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Matthew’s amazing story: A shoe without laces.

Editor’s note: The following is a guest post by Barry J. Jacobs, Psy.D., who specializes in helping families cope with serious and chronic medical illness.

The brothers and sisters who file into my office have tight-lipped, apprehensive looks. They’ve voluntarily chosen to meet with me for a caregiving consultation in order to find a way to better coordinate their efforts to help an aging parent. But they’re afraid of what might happen once we begin talking: Will old rivalries and resentments rear their heads? Will I judge them singly or collectively as bad children? Will the meeting inspire stronger caregiving or spark endless conflict?

I’ve seen the outcome of these types of sibling meetings hinge on three questions:

1. What does it mean to be loyal? I assume that any sibling who comes to my office is steeped in family loyalty. It’s just that there are so many different conceptions of what it means to be loyal. Some adult children believe loyalty to parents lies in taking over their lives as they age. Others seem to believe that it is their duty to deny that a parent has any limitations in order to protect that parent’s dignity. Some siblings are loyal to the family as a whole while others limit loyalty to their spouse and kids. What I’ve seen work best is when siblings are willing to balance nuclear versus extended family needs and are committed to a process of negotiation among one another in which differences of perspectives and priorities are worked out.
2. Does the old pecking order hold or are new power arrangements acceptable? As young children, sibs usually grew up in a political pecking-order in which the oldest had more decision-making power than the youngest. As adult children of aging parents, they often unconsciously revert to these old arrangements, even though that may not best reflect the capabilities of individual siblings now. I urge them to be cognizant of the old order but to consciously adopt a more egalitarian and fair arrangement now — the better to utilize everyone’s best talents.
3. Can they think long- as well as short-term? Many sibs are great in an emergency, ready to drop everything for the good of a parent. But I’m interested in whether they are farsighted enough to know that a parent’s decline over time will place new and different demands upon them. I want them to be able to develop a coordinated plan to address current needs but also be willing to fine-tune that plan as needs evolve.

My hope is that — through engaging these questions — siblings’ apprehension can be turned to appreciation that they are engaged in a common righteous cause: Help Mom and Dad live as fully and safely as possible.

Barry J. Jacobs is a clinical psychologist, family therapist and the author of the book, The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers — Looking After Yourself and Your Family While Helping an Aging Parent. You can read more about him here.

This is first in a series of guest blogs from professional genealogists Matthew and April Helm.

If you’re tired of the same old Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas gathering routine  — a large meal followed by cleanup then football —  perhaps introducing family history into your celebration is a perfect answer to spice up things a bit.

Breaking out those old photo albums and boxes is a surefire way to get everyone  interested in talking about the family and here’s how to get started:

• Find your photo albums and look for pictures of past holiday celebrations. Ask your family what they remember about that day, be sure to share your memories. Keep in mind everyone has their own perspective, so it will be fun to hear various memories of the same event. It’s important to make sure you include the grandchildren in the storytelling and explain who the people are in the photos. They will have fun looking at the way everyone was dressed or the silly things happening in the pictures. And, we bet you’ll be surprised how much of the stories they’ll remember after listening to older family members talk.
• Maybe you’re savvy with technology and want to take a more subtle approach? You can use a scanner to digitize some of the old family celebrations and load them onto a digital photo frame. One idea is to place the frame in a prominent place, perhaps on the dining table, and wait for the conversation to begin. You can normally find digital photo frames at a low cost in any store that sells electronic gadgets.
• If you have a photo scanner or know someone who can bring one along, have family members bring their favorite family photos. After the meal, scan the various photos, have everyone talk about why it is their favorite picture. Burn a CD of the photos for everyone to take home. By doing so, you not only get digital copies of photos you might not have seen before, you also produce a legacy for everyone who attended your celebration.

No matter which activity you choose, be sure to have a pad of paper, iPad or some other way to take notes about the stories that are being told. You’ll learn a lot through these conversations and might not be able to remember them all by the end of the day. Use these notes to create captions on the newly scanned photos or even some of the photos you had but didn’t know what they were!

Tell us your family traditions when sharing old photographs in the comment section below.

Matthew and April Helm are the authors of AARP Genealogy Online: Tech to Connect.

Photos by Lars Ploughmann via CreativeCommons.org

Editor’s note. This is the first in a series from Ford that will talk about older drivers, technology and the future of transportation. Today’s post is by Mike Shulman, Technical Leader for Ford Active Safety Research.

Like many fans of the NPR program Car Talk, I’ll miss the entertaining banter of brothers Ray and Tom Magliozzi (otherwise known as Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers). No one can turn a car calamity into comic relief quite like they can!

The idea of “car talk” is actually one auto companies are focusing on a lot these days — although not the kind made famous by the Tappet Brothers.  Instead, it involves cars sharing information with other cars and transportation infrastructure for the purpose of enhancing vehicle safety.

Related: AARP Driver Safety Program

This technology — known as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications — is viewed as one of the next big breakthroughs in automotive safety and is expected to have profound benefits for driver awareness and crash prevention.

How exactly does it work?  I like to think of V2V technology as a 360-degree field of safety that identifies hazards you don’t even see – such as cars approaching a blind intersection or drivers several cars ahead suddenly slamming on the brakes.  This happens through the constant transmission from each vehicle of their position, speed and predicted path of travel over a dedicated secure network. The driver is alerted if the vehicle detects a potential crash hazard.

In addition to the significant safety benefits, there are potential mobility and environmental advantages. For example, we’re studying how V2V could help manage traffic congestion by redirecting cars to less crowded routes. A V2V network could also be used to identify open parking spots and lead drivers directly to them.

Ultimately, in order to work, V2V needs to be on all cars – no matter what the make or model. That’s why auto companies are working closely with one another and with the federal government to develop standard technology and test operations and working towards making V2V available on all cars.

As part of that process, this group is currently collaborating to test 3,000 V2V-equipped vehicles on the streets of Ann Arbor, Mich., with the goal of developing standards that could bring this technology to cars in the next  five to 10 years.

During my 35+ years at Ford, we’ve seen significant advances in auto safety from improved airbags to active systems that help alert drivers to hazards on the road.  The idea of talking cars may sound like something out of the Jetsons, but V2V truly is a giant leap in automotive safety innovation. Now that’s something to talk about!

See how V2V works:

Photo by espos via CreativeCommons.org