Accessibility Standards White Paper Released and ANSI Presentation Update
On August 30, 2012, the AIA/DFA leaders on a Rothschild Foundation Task Force gave an excellent presentation on the research and analysis for changes to the A117.1 Standard that would allow alternate means of access for persons needing assistance. Additional research and refinement of the proposals was encouraged, but concerns for scope creep into other elements of the Standard allowing assistance rather than independent access and lack of specifics in some areas were part of the reason for denying the change. Representatives of the access board and other advocates offered assistance and encouraged additional effort, but couldn't support these changes.
Download the White Paper: Proposal for additions to accessibility Standards for Nursing Home & Assisted Living Residents in Toileting and Bathing.
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Aging-in-place gets a designer makeover
By Misty Harris, Postmedia News
The animated movie Monster House is about a predatory home that uses seemingly innocent components — from the rug to the floorboards — to take down anyone who dares enter. Aging baby boomers may soon relate. The number of seniors requiring assistance is expected to double in the next 30 years, and some 10 million existing homes will need accessibility updating if those Canadians are to age in place. Fortunately, a shift toward universal design means such renovations no longer require the clinical, bolt-on solutions of the past but rather allow sleek, sexy additions that look more Architectural Digest than Prevention. Read more.
Kingston: The Design of the Senior Center Fails to Accommodate an Aging Population
By Trisha Mcneilly, 95.9 WATD
Even though parking lots for the Kingston Senior Center are located on the sides of the building, the main door faces a drop off entrance—making entry into the building easier for seniors who are shuttled but not so much for those who park. The facility opened last February but for months there's been discussion about allowing a side door to be used as an alternate entrance but the door isn't automatic and most seniors would require assistance. Read more.
Your Place To Call Home: Realtors Sponsor Senior Resource Seminar, Expo
By Cort Schneider, STL Today
My dad recently celebrated his 60th birthday. While Dad had a great birthday party that would compete with any celebration for a man half his age, he is part of the baby boomer generation that is quickly heading toward senior status.
The first baby boomers turned 65 last year. Every day, 10,000 Americans are turning 65; and that will continue for the next 19 years.
Americans are getting older, and the needs of this huge population are having a tremendous effect on all aspects of our society, including real estate. To meet the needs of our senior clients, the Diversity Awareness Committee of the St. Charles County Association of Realtors is proud to sponsor the Senior Resource Seminar & Expo from 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 7 at the Heart of St. Charles Banquet Center, 1410 S. Fifth St. in St. Charles. Read more.
Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros Talks About Aging In Place
By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News
What will it take for Americans to age successfully in place? This question has immediate importance for policymakers and families as an estimated 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day. It's the subject of a new book, "Independent for Life: Homes and Neighborhoods for an Aging America," authored by more than a dozen experts in aging and housing and co-edited by Henry Cisneros, a four-term mayor of San Antonio and former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Cisneros, who now runs a company specializing in urban real estate, recently offered a personal and professional perspective on aging in place. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Read more.
