The Department of Disease Control and Prevention
The Department of Disease Control and Prevention in the United States has made arrangements for the entire population and identified aging in place. According to this agency, this should be the ability for everyone to live in their home as well as a society of peace, independence, and convenience, regardless of their wealth, ability, or even age. This is significant because most people would like to age gracefully in the same house for as long as physically possible. As a matter of fact, research indicates that most aged people that gave crossed the 65-years threshold prefer to remain in their home as they continue to age. For this reason, architects are posed with a serious issue to make provisions in people’s homes to cater for people of whatever age.
Architectural Designs for Aging in Place
Architectural designs for aging in place are critical for many reasons, some of them being the following; first, older people are often at greater risk of injury in normal designed households especially from falling. Thus one great consideration for architects is prevention of falling. Designs for this involves placing supports in bathrooms, railings along stairs, incorporating nonskid floors and ensuring that loose throw rugs and other clutter are removed. Also, architects ensure in their design there is increased lighting and easily accessible switches always placed at both ends of corridors, rooms or stairs.
While these are common simple design incorporations, there are other complex designs and equally important that architects may include for aging in place. Such examples include lifts in the home, stair lifts, or even ramps that make it fairly easy to enter and exit. Also things like sliding shelves and walk-in-showers are other possibilities all together aimed at making aging in place possible.