Baby Boomers are Planning to “Age in Place”

We all know that the Baby Boomer generation is quickly becoming the largest senior population the nation has ever seen. According to an AARP survey, 9 out of 10 Boomers say they want to “age in place”. In our area, homeowners who moved their young families decades ago to Davis, Woodland or a suburb of Sacramento, have vested themselves in the community, established a network of valued friends, and made ties at local recreational facilities, social clubs, favorite restaurants, and grocery stores. They value these ties and want to remain a part of their communities. These Boomers are emphatic that the plan to live the remainder of their lives right where they are - in their existing homes.

While the majority of these 55-yr-old-plus residents are much more fit and active than their parent’s generation, they are also wise enough to plan ahead so they will be able to “age in place”. When considering smaller or larger remodeling projects, many of us who have seen our parents struggle with mobility and common daily tasks, are now considering what changes could be included in their remodel planning to make their home usable and accessible for as long as possible.

The answer is Universal Design. The goal of Universal Design is to allow a home (or commercial space) to be usable by people with a wide range of abilities. The result can still be modern, clean and undeniably gorgeous. Beautifully-designed renovations to your home following the principles of Universal Design will not only update and improve your home, but can also ease your concerns about future health and agility changes. Also, considering the low inventory of aging-in-place-friendly homes on the market, so if you do sell your home after making these upgrades there will undoubtedly be a high demand for homes with such features.

Lorain & May Design Associates has worked with many homeowners to design exquisite and unique “aging in place” and Universal Design renovations. We have studied the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and are always exploring new design and building industry materials that offer us even more options to consider in helping our clients complete practical, safe and captivating upgrades to their homes. If you are planning to update your kitchen, bathrooms or entire home, it’s a smart investment to plan for future needs as well as today’s.

Please call us to schedule an appointment to find out what improvements you could make to beautify your house in order to make it your home for life.