SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Tom Kelly: Universal design key to long-term care
Jan 24, 2012, 11:41 AM | Updated: Mar 4, 2016, 5:56 am
Builders are doing an admirable job of incorporating universal design features in new homes but baby boomers continue to be slow in accepting the need for them.
Perhaps you know the type . . . people who do not want to accept the fact that they will eventually get old.
“I think universal design features can be likened to the first cell phones,” said John Migliaccio, director of research at MetLife’s Mature Market Institute. “At first, very few people used them. Now, they are ubiquitous. In fact, every kid has one. Consumers haven’t really gotten the message on universal design but we feel they will.”
The slow acceptance is not unlike the responses to environmentally friendly homes. For example, only 12 percent of respondents to a Metlife survey said they would pay more for a “green” home. The same folks are willing to pay an average one-time amount of $6,732 if it would save $1,000 annually in utility costs. While another 23 percent of respondents said they are concerned about the environment, it does not drive their decision to purchase.
The educational push by builders, architects to remove the “old” association from universal design or “UD”. Universal design advocates that all built environments not only be accessible to people regardless of age, size, or physical ability but also that the features of these environments be compelling and appear seamless to the design of the home. These amenities and alternations can serve all ages, hence the name “universal design.”
Builders are striving to create universal design applications that make it easier for someone to carry out daily activities such as preparing meals, climbing stairs, and bathing, as well to change the physical structure of a home to improve its overall safety and condition. These attractive amenities no longer sing out “an old person lives here” and they can also enhance the resale value of the home.
The bottom line is that there are not enough nursing homes to accommodating the baby boomers’ future needs . . . even if they could afford the care. It’s about cost and space. So, a good look at incorporating universal design applications may be just what the doctor ordered.
