(When youre done reading this interview, visit the2014 Home for Life slideshow.)
What do the terms universal design and Better Living Design mean and whatdontthey mean?
Universal design and Better Living Design are actually pretty close in meaning.
Those challenges have prevented a broader adoption of universal design.
People associate UD with specialty home features such as ramps and wheelchair lifts and kitchens designed for seated users.
Walk us through a Better Living Designed home.
A BLD home isnt difficult to achieve.
There isnt a one-size-fits-all approach.
Almost any size home in any style can become a Better Living Design home.
Weve known about our aging society for many years.
Weve seen this coming.
I want them to start thinking creatively about where and how to include step-free routes into homes.
That way people can spend time in a shaded outdoor space regardless of their ability to navigate stairs.
I’d like the home building industry to stop creating bathrooms that cant easily adapt to long-term needs.
The U.S. Census bureau estimates that by 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 or older.
What needs to be done within the housing sector to ensure that the nation is ready?
First of all, new home buyers and remodeling customers need to start asking for features like these.
We know that the industry will respond to sustained market preferences.
The industry has to get savvy about explaining BLD.
Bathrooms are great places to add a BLD touch.
For example, BLD homes include blocking behind the walls near the toilet, tub and shower.
People have negative associations with designs that look accessible.
That’s why it’s easy to sell no-step, curb-less showers that are becoming really fashionable now.
So if BLD features become the norm in housing, people will be able to age in place?
As BLD is incorporated into more housing, more housing will be available with age-friendly features.
Is the BLD home in a good location?
People need to look at their home from the perspective of their community and neighborhood.
The quality of their home and the community it’s in both matter.
Melissa Stanton is the editor of AARP Livable Communities.
