For example, most people don’t think about the floor plan or how easy it is to live in a home.  Think of buying a home that’s a great deal, but has 4 levels, meaning a lot of running up and down stairs.  This style of home is great, but can get tiring, literally and physically.  It gets old after awhile when you have to cart groceries and laundry up and down stairs.  Most home buyers don’t think about a floor plan that’s easy to live with over many years.  But there are floor plans out there that work for a lot of people and a lot of lifestyles.

Enter “Aging In Place.”  The name suggests we’re talking about older people who want to stay in their homes.  But “Aging in Place”  has another term associated with it, Universal Design, design that works for everyone, young and old alike.  The teen who breaks a leg playing soccer or the Mom who is navigating the front doorway into a home with a baby stroller and packages are all people who benefit from “universal design,” design for everyone.

Most people think aging in place or universal design has too many restrictions to be attractive to multi-generations.  This is not true, if a home is designed and done right.  The Aging Well Consortium blog has terrific photos of a variety of homes with universal design elements.  The design would easily appeal to most buyers who live on Seattle’s eastside.  Plus if universal design features are incorporated into a home when it’s built, it’s not any more expensive to build.

Gourmet Kitchen with Wider Passageway

Maybe one way to save money over time when buying a home is to look at a home as truly a long term investment, a home that works for you no matter what may change in your life. Few home buyers ever do this.  Moving can be expensive when you’re selling a home and buying a new home because you no longer can stay in your home.  Think about it.

What do you think?

(Photos from  Zai architect Emory Baldwin’s home.)

Aging in place has a number of different and similar names, such as universal design, barrier-free living or accessible design.

universal design boils down to making housing spaces and commonly used features more accessible to the broadest range of occupants.

Universal design works not just for the aging, but comfortably for everyone, hence the design qualities are “universal.”  The person navigating a front stoop with a baby carriage would benefit from a level threshold, just as someone who has difficulty walking, which is the beauty of universal design.

Level Entry-Universal Design

Completely level entry which works for everyone

Dwell Magazine had a good post explaining Universal Design concepts. It’s great to see such a “hip” magazine promoting Universal Design.

Would you like to learn more about aging in place from some local experts?

If you attend next week’s  Seattle Home Show, Emory Baldwin, Mike Vowels and Tom Minty will be presenting two seminars at the show, together with Andrea Petzel of the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development.  Their talk is about “Backyard Cottages: A Sustainable Approach to Adding Housing Capacity,” using a universally designed backyard cottage for changing family needs.

Two presentations will be given one on Tuesday, February 23rd at 12:30 PM, and then again on Saturday, February 27th at 11:30 AM.

You’ll also find him on Seattle Home Show’s Idea Street.

Emory Baldwin is something of an expert on Universal Design. AARP and the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) recognize great universal design by picking 10 nicely crafted universal design features/homes/buildings each year. Emory Baldwin has been noticed again for the great universal design elements of his own home.  ZAI, Inc,  Mr. Baldwin’s firm is front and center with universal design.  Since he is an expert in the field, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the topic.

Volunteering is such an important thing.  Bellevue is sponsoring a volunteer open house to present all the opportunities available to volunteer in the city.

The following is from The City of Bellevue’s news release:

Bellevue will host a volunteer job fair where people can learn about dozens of opportunities to pitch in for the city and community organizations. The job fair will be on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Lewis Creek Park, noon to 2 p.m. at the park visitor center, 5808 Lakemont Blvd.

The event will feature information about volunteer opportunities with Bellevue and community organizations including: the Alliance of People with Disabilities, Bellevue College, the Bellevue School District VIBES Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Birthday Dreams, Boys & Girls Clubs, Bridge Disability Ministries, Congregations for the Homeless, Eastside Audubon, Elder and Adult Day Services, FEAT, Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, Homeward Pet, NAMI Eastside, Puget Sound Blood Center, Red Cross, SeniorNet of Puget Sound, The Museum of Flight, Volunteer Chore Services and Youth Venture.

Bellevue’s volunteer program is extensive, with half a dozen categories of volunteer and a community volunteering guide.

I know many friends and clients have been through what I’ve been going through.  I hear stories of people running to see their parents in another part of the country because they’ve had to  find a safe home or a less costly place for their parents to live. Accessibility and affordability for seniors is a serious issue. With our aging population, it will only become worse.

I had to rethink my parents living situation both from a monetary and an accessible point of view.   For them living in a safe place where they could have assistance was the most important thing.  They couldn’t stay in their home on their own. So I relocated them from Connecticut to Kirkland, Washington five years ago to be near one of their children, me.

So many seniors are facing these same issues here on Seattle’s Eastside. Some of the more expensive areas, Medina, Clyde Hill, Kirkland, and South Bellevue, have some of older homes which are still in the hands of the original owners.   When these homes were purchased 40 or 50 years ago, these neighborhoods were considered nice suburban areas, but nothing like they are today.  Today, many of the homes in these areas are surrounded by million dollar properties, causing property taxes to rise significantly. The cost of staying in a home can be a huge problem for seniors because of increasing property tax bills. I’ve heard countless stories of seniors  forced out of their homes because they can’t afford to pay the real estate taxes for a home which they’ve occupied for half a century.

I’m always intrigued when I learn about new ways to help seniors with housing and real estate. Having aging parents led me to volunteer for The Kirkland Senior Council these past three years where I had the opportunity to learn more about the issues seniors face.  I pay attention to seniors and real estate.

Last week I noticed a post on the Sellsius Real Estate blog regarding the way property taxes are handled for seniors in British Columbia.  Those Canadians have an interesting plan with programs set up for seniors to defer or refinance their property taxes.  The goal is to keep the senior home owner in their home.

Here is the nuts and bolts of what’s happening in British Columbia according to the Sellsius blog:

“Simply, it is a low interest loan offered by the province (state) to the homeowner. The province, on behalf of the homeowner, then pays those property taxes owed to the civic authorities.

Highlights:The British Columbia Property Tax Deferment Program is a loan program that allows home owners to defer their annual property taxes on their homes subject to eligibility criteria.

• you must be at least 55 years old
• you must be a Canadian citizen or be a permanent resident who has lived in British Columbia for at least one year prior to applying for the program
• it applies only to your principal residence
• deferment applies to all or some of your tax owed
• taxes can be deferred as long as you own and live in your home and continue to qualify for the program
• the deferred taxes must be fully repaid, with interest when either of these occur (a) before your home can be legally transferred to a new owner, other than directly to your surviving spouse, (b)upon the death of the agreement holder(s)
• you may repay all or part of the deferred taxes, fees and interest at any time without penalty
• simple interest is charged on deferment accounts at a rate not greater than 2% below the prime rate of the Province’s principal banker.

What’s your thought?  Should we create a program similar to this so seniors can stay in their homes?  Are there other programs you’ve heard of that could help seniors financially with things such as property taxes?

Want to learn about it? This weekend there’s a cohousing fair in South Seattle where you can learn more about the communities and the cohousing lifestyle.  I wrote about the cohousing fair on the Seattle PI Real Estate Professionals Blog. If you click on the link you’ll find out more information about the fair and the communities that exist around Puget Sound. 

There are several cohousing communities on the eastside.  Clearwater Commons, New Earth Song Cohousing, which is right next door to Songaia Cohousing are all located in Bothell, Washington.  New Earth Song has a focus on seniors and helping them to stay in their homes, age-in-place, and not move to  communities that are just for seniors.

Cohousing may or may not be for you, but it’s good to know about alternative real estate and living choices.  Things are no longer the same, as we all know, and many people are curious about more affordable, greener ways of living.  Check it out!

Everyone is getting older, fancy that! No person on this planet is not getting older each day, so the number of people who are thinking of retirement are thinking of moving to places which offer fun, interesting, intellectual, and/or healthy pursuits.  The Seattle Times had an article about Issaquah’s selection because of its great walking trails, senior citizen center and  activities.  Kudos were given for the planned neighborhood of Issaquah Highlands because of its pedestrian friendly commitment.   Although Issaquah’s growth has exploded over the last few decades, it retains its small town flavor.   Yet, for those hankering for the big city, Seattle is only 20 minutes away.

The fair is a great opportunity to learn about the services available to help seniors stay in their homes.  Many of the participants are part of Bellevue’s Network on Aging.  Overlake Hospital is one of the major sponsors of the fair. Diana Thompson, who is a member of Bellevue’s Network on Aging, attended the last Kirkland Senior Council meeting and talked about this weekend’s fair. Below are some of the people projected to be making presentations at the fair:

1. Keeping Your memory Sharp, Regina Bennett, MSW   Overlake Hospital

2. Staying Financially Fit in Retirement     Dwayne Dilley, Senior Financial Advisors  (Member of Bellevue NOA)

3. Don’t Let Falls Get your Down    Lynne Robinson, CMPT   (also president of Bellevue NOA)

4. Letting Go of the Keys Without Losing Your Independence   Jeanne Morrow, RN, MSW Overlake Hospital

5. Staying Healthy as you age,  Dr. John Addison, Mercer Island Senior Health Center

6. Living with Loss and Grief   Eileen Putter, counselor and member of Bellevue NOA    

(7.  How to Hire Helpers    John Deacon   Senior Services

8.  Legal Planning to Make your Wishes Known    Kristin Reeder Eastside Legal Assistance

9.   Healthy Eating for One or Two    Ami Karnosh, MS, CN  AND  Melissa Moulton, MS, RD, CD

10. Senior Scams-Don’t get Taken   Marcella Kallnman Better Business Bureau

11.  Long Term Care Insurance, Is it for you?   Luke GJURASIC Gjurasic Story Group

12.   Practical Tips for Caregivers and home Care Innovations     George Smith, MSW   Visiting Nurse Services

The presentations are scheduled for 45 minutes at a time.  Some of the presentations will be held more than once.

In addition to the above lectures, there will also be activity demonstrations, such as Yoga and Tai Chi.

The fair is a great opportunity for seniors, boomers, and extended family members to learn about the services available to seniors in the community.  Too often, people wait to investigate senior services until after a crisis develops. How often have you heard about your friends or family members making quick life-care decisions in a crisis mode?  Attend the fair, learn something new, and be better prepared for making important decisions.

This is very difficult to find on the Eastside. But it should not be. With our aging population and a desire for many to maintain independence with some family ties, it’s a style of living that will become more and more important in the future. So many boomers are taking care of aging parents or having to change their living arrangements to include parents. Our homes need to offer options to accommodate these different generational and family needs.

If you check on this link below, you will find that many architects see the multigenerational style of living as an important change for the future. The demand will be for housing with multiple master suites and more flexible floor plans.

I have been involved with these issues myself over the last couple of years, both personally and professionally. There is a whole host of information which speaks to some of the above issues. As time goes on, I will comment on some of these issues in this blog. My goal is to keep you informed with some of the changes and trends we may see in housing in the future.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2003684239_generations29.html

subscribe to this blog

In my travels I am encountering more and more people who are helping elderly parents cope with lifestyle changes. I, too, have gone through the same situation with my parents over the last few years and I found it very difficult, frustrating, scary, you name it. The family roles were reversed with me taking on the job of the parent to manage my own parents’ safety and comfort. It was hard to know where to begin. There are many resources out there, but they are often difficult to find. When I have spoken with many of you, I haveoften come away with the feeling that everyone is having to reinvent the wheel. Each of us is doing the same research and looking for the same help. For those of you who may need a place to start, here it is:

http://rebuildingtogether.org/downloads/home_safety_checklist.pdf

The list is a great one for analyzing safety and accessibility issues in a home.

The general website, http://rebuildingtogether.org is filled with great information.

subscribe to this blog