Posts Tagged ‘universal design’
Peter Pan housing – for people who won’t get old
10/09/2011
NPR host Michele Norris explores housing options for America’s aging population in her interview with Jon Pynoos, a professor of gerontology policy and planning at USC. (Listen to the broadcast or read the transcript HERE.)
Pynoos describes the high costs of nursing homes and assisted living facilities and the insurance options that pay for them, including Medicare & Medicaid. He then promotes aging-in-place at home as a much lower-cost option, but most homes were designed for people who aren’t old. He calls them Peter Pan homes. They have stairs, inaccessible bathrooms, and inadequate lighting, and they lack many of the safety features that would help people avoid falls.
“I won’t grow up. I don’t want to go to school.
Just to learn to be a parrot, And recite a silly rule.”
To help you assess your home and make modifications, contact a certified aging in place specialist (CAPS) or, if you’re in Central Texas, click HERE to learn about our own assessment services.
National Demonstration Home for Universal Design, Part 1
09/08/2011
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. (used with permission)
Thirteen years after a freak accident left her paralyzed, Rosemarie found a new mission in life: sharing what she has learned about Universal Design. She founded Universal Design Living Laboratory and is building a national demonstration home that will be opened to the public this fall. I’ll be writing a series of articles about her project and start with this, her story.
About The Demonstration Home Project
My Story
On June 13, 1998 my husband, Mark Leder, and I decided to celebrate our anniversary by going on a bicycle ride. It was a beautiful day with a clear blue sky, perfect biking weather. I was riding down the path ahead of Mark, when he heard a loud crack and yelled, “Look over there something is falling!” I glanced back at him and suddenly a 3 1/2 ton tree came crushing down on me, leaving me injured on the bike path. My life was changed in that instant! I was paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury.
MIT Assistive Technology: Universal Access
08/07/2011
This video and the following text are from YouTube, where it was uploaded by assistivetechideas on Jul 31, 2011
MIT’s Assistive Technology Group is actively working towards implementing state-of-the-art solutions in order to make cutting-edge technology accessible to those who need it the most. The team develops low-cost and robust methods of plugging in any adaptive switch to fully access all software, apps, and functions on Windows computers and Android-based smartphones and tablets. These platforms, once unlocked, have the potential of becoming the ultimate assistive devices, allowing single switch access to a world of communication, environmental control, healthcare, entertainment, and other applications.
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Have you Boomer-proofed your Home?
06/19/2011
Your kids have grown, and they left you empty nested. You no longer need that big house and may have already considered downsizing. 77% of boomers have, considered it at least. But have you done anything about it? Less than 29% have a strategy for downsizing or modifying their home for aging in place.
Face it; you too are getting older, one day or one year at a time. You need to start planning for retirement, sometime. But like many boomers, you hate planning. Maybe it’s because you still feel young. Is that why you still don’t have a will or don’t manage your investments actively? Are you one of those people who don’t even open their 401k statements?
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An iPad for All Ages
06/11/2011
No computer skills required … and now no computer either
Flickr photo credits: Toddler by umpcportal.com, Senior by Courosa, licensed under Creative Commons
Everyone says the Apple iPad is intuitive, easy to learn, and easy to use. It almost seems tailored to toddlers and seductive to seniors. Grandparents and great grandparents with no prior computer experience can reconnect with family and make new friends online with email, social media, and video conferencing. But as easy and seductive as iPad is, it still required a PC or Mac in order to download or upgrade its software. Not any more. Apple changed that last week with its iCloud announcement and its latest iOS 5 operating system.
Need to Redo your Loo?
05/26/2011
Available in bookstores and at Amazon.com
Before remodeling, check out AARP’s free webinar, “Transform Your Bathroom Through Good Design and Innovative Products,” and their paperback book, “Guide to Revitalizing Your Home: Beautiful Living for the Second Half of Life.”
The webinar featured dozens of photos showing innovative ideas, many using universal design concepts. I selected a 21 sample photos to include in this article but encourage you to watch the webinar to see them all and hear the commentary.
Remodeling for accessibility can be quite attractive and increase a home’s value. Click on each image below to see the high-res version, and notice the design features, such as wheelchair accessible showers, folding shower seats and handheld shower heads, designer grab bars and mirrors, cabinets with knee space and storage, and smart toilets.
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Mini Eco-i-Lite: When a Great Product Review Turns Bad
05/25/2011
Being a digital home consultant and an advocate for universal design and simplicity, one of my favorite home automation gadgets is the nightlight with photocell. It improves the safety of moving about in a dark room, because it turns on when it’s dark and off when it’s light. Like magic, when you turn on the room’s light(s), the little nightlight turns off; and when you turn off the lights, the nightlight turns on again. That’s why I was happy to find a new version and wanted to write about it.
While visiting OfficeDepot in Houston, I discovered the Mini Eco-i-Lite. It only costs about $10 and combines the functions of a nightlight, power failure light, and flashlight. How cool is that? By addressing the combined benefits of safety, ease of use, and sustainability, it seems ideal for the elderly, so I bought one and planned to write a glowing review about it here. But all is not what it seems.
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Seniors Learn to Use & Appreciate iPad
05/25/2011
The iPad may be the Ultimate in universal design. If cats can play games especially designed for them, and infants use iPads for play and as a learning tools, then surely seniors at any age can use this cool device for everything from emailing their children and grandchildren, downloading books and music and recipes, researching old haunts and finding out what they look like today, playing games, and even playing piano music on the touch screen. This article includes three embedded videos (below). One is about cats (it got 2,500 hits on YouTube), one about infants (from my local TV station), and one about seniors (from Colorado 9 News).
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Next Phase of Homecare Growth: Age in Place Technologies
05/23/2011
By Nina Dunn, Spector & Associates, 5/12/2011
In the coming years, Americans will face demographic changes that will fundamentally shift our healthcare system and the way we age. The sheer number of baby boomers approaching retirement age, their affluence and their more progressive view of technology all influence the development of scientific innovations that will enhance the quality of life for those who wish to age in place.
Today, family caregivers and even seniors themselves are searching for a complete elder care solution, and Ambient Assisted Living might be exactly what they are looking for. Already popular in Europe, this concept can help our seniors remain socially active and stay connected and independent for a longer time.
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Health Care Crisis: Home Treatment Needs Makeover
05/23/2011
Here are some highlights from this interesting article by David Cronin of Smart Design. The article gives examples of some well designed products but is critical of most home healthcare product designs.
