Designing Homes For Our Golden Years

Very soon, for the first time in recorded history, people aged 65 and over are going to outnumber children under age 5, a global trend that ushers in major challenges for all countries.

In New Zealand, by 2061, life expectancy at birth will have increased by about six years and the 65+ age group is predicted to account for 27% of the population. Disability rates will increase with age and this means New Zealand will have many more people with sensory impairments and mobility issues as they grow older.

Unfortunately, the design of most New Zealand houses does not yet take into account this dramatic shift in demographics.

Currently around 45% of older people have a disability and it is estimated that between 45-50% of disabled adults live in homes that are not modified for their needs.

And, the cost of modifying homes is significant with a Ministry of Social Development report, the Economic Effects of Utilising Lifemark™ at a National Level, showing that ACC and the Ministry of Health currently spend more than $33 million every year modifying houses so older and/or disabled people can stay in their own homes. With a doubling in this population these numbers / dollars, are expected to increase dramatically

Furthermore, studies in the United Kingdom show that retrofitting an existing house is considerably more expensive than designing with the future in mind at the point of construction.

Don’t forget the enormous emotional cost and trauma for those who are forced to leave their homes sooner than necessary due to not being able to afford modification costs.

One of the key issues is that New Zealanders entering their golden years expect more than their parents and grandparents. They are the ‘Baby Boomers,’ a generation accustomed to living young and living the life they want and they will want to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. 

Homes are critical to enabling this – whether it’s the family home or a residential village. 

Yet, if the stairs are so steep, it’s impossible to climb them carrying the laundry, or using a walker; or the doors won’t allow a wheelchair through, then people are prevented from achieving their right to live independently in their own home.

Sadly, this is currently the case for the majority.

Look at your own living environment to see if it measures up to your mobility and access needs.

- How easy is it to use your shower and toilet? Are you constantly concerned about slipping?

- Can you comfortably reach light switches and power points?

-  Do you have easy access to your main entrance or are there multiple stairs and steep paths?

-  Are doors and hallways wide enough for comfortable movement round the house?

-  Is it a challenge to cook in your kitchen? Or is it laid out to allow for easy movement and access to cupboards, benches, appliances and power points?

There are likely to be many factors in your living environment that could be altered to improve your life.

However, the solution lies not in ongoing housing modification but in design. The key is to design and build safe, secure, healthy and adaptable homes that ensure people can relax and that will meet their long-term needs. 

The good news is that New Zealand is starting to use ‘lifetime design’ principles in response to this growing need with the Lifemark™, a quality assurance system that is the building industry’s equivalent to the Heart Foundation’s tick.

A home accredited with the Lifemark™ is designed and built from the start to cater for a lifetime of changing needs based on the 6 design principles – accessibility, adaptability, inclusivity and life time value. These 6 principles have 33 points between them, and when a design meets these standards, you know your home has been designed to last you a lifetime.

Many of these features are simple and common sense; however they make a world of difference to someone in a wheelchair or using a walker. For example, the threshold to a main entry has a step no higher than 20mm accessed via a slip-resistant pathway at least 1200mm wide and like-sized entry hall. Bathrooms are ‘future-proofed’ with room for a wet area and pre-strengthened walls to accommodate handrails.

The Lifemark™ already has Government support and increasingly the private sector is adopting it in the realisation that it is the solution to the future of housing New Zealand’s ageing population.

It is also of great value to the retirement village sector which must provide homes that take into account the wide variety of needs of not only the prospective resident but their friends and family.

For Summerset retirement villages, which last year completed its 200th home with the Lifemark™, it proves its value over and over again for the business and the residents.

Indeed, resident surveys have shown that the Lifemark™ was a key factor in their decision to choose Summerset over other homes – and that’s not surprising considering the simple but life-changing factors of a home with the Lifemark™ such as a level entry, widened doors and passageways, wet area showers and easy access toilets.

Ultimately, New Zealand’s ageing population will not, and should not, adopt the attitude of our forebears to just accept things as they are and make do.

The Lifemark™ is aimed at making lives easier by creating homes that are designed to be accessible for everyone, easy to adapt as our needs change over time and ultimately prevent accidents, save money and encourage independence.

For more information, to use our FREE resources or sign up for our newsletter, visit http://www.lifemark.co.nz/ - email admin@lifemark.co.nz or call 0800 227 888