Really glad to see an interior designer address aging in place. As a disabled person, I often feel like interior designers don't account for my needs when they give advice.
As a former home hospice caregiver I'm so glad that you're covering accessability in the home. This is a real issue as we age in place and something most don't consider. Thanks Garrett, I just love your mindset and your adorable bulldogs!
My husband is CAPS certified (certified aging in place specialist for your fans...IKYK), and i can't wait to show him your video. I know he will have massive respect that you're focusing on aging or disabled homeowners. One thing he suggests in bathroom renos-go ahead and fortify the framing where a grab bar would go, when you have the wall opened up. That way, if you're expecting to lose some mobility, it's easily ready for a grab bar.
Yay! I think everyone should have a licensed contractor who is experienced and knowledgeable about aging in place to install or modify features in a home.
I have one outside my clawfoot tub, and though I'm still physically able, I use it to get in and out of the tub every time because those extra couple inches of elevation on the tub make it a doozy to step out of without landing on your face in the sink opposite. LOL
The house we bought 5 years ago has the grab bars. Great for my husband who had some strokes, but I love then as well. Great to hold on to while scrubbing the bottom of your feet, shaving legs, etc. While the tub is low, we are replacing it with a shower with a built in grab bar and a seat. We were told to go with a curtain as many older people trip over the edge on the sliding door and we do not have the space for a swing out door. We are fast approaching 70. So we are thinking of all of this. The home also came with a ramp, which is very handy as well.
Thanks so much for covering this topic, Garrett! The only other item I can think of (if you live in a 2 story house) is installing a second handrail on the stairway so there's one on each side. Very helpful for anyone with balance concerns.
Garrett, it is so refreshing to have someone talk about design ideas and things to consider that is specifically considering the elderly and/or mobility restricted. Whilst many design programs are filled with wonderful ideas they tend to forget that not everyone is blessed with perfect health and ability. Thank you for being the designer that makes the difference.
Thank you for doing videos like this. I worked in physical therapy for 25 years. And it is heartbreaking to see people have to move out of their house because it's not accessible for them in their later years. A little bit of prior planning can make it possible for people to stay in their homes.
Great video idea. Another thing you’ll be happy to hear to prevent falls is lighting! If there are stairs you really need lighting to allow more sure footing. Also lighting at night from the bed to the bathroom. An occupational therapist made a recommendation for that for my dad after he had a stroke. Helped a lot.
Great video ❤. My mother was in a wheelchair and we moved into a home that gave her more freedom. We only had to remodel the master bathroom to accommodate her waterproof wheelchair (a larger doorway, completely tiled and open shower and a floating sink) ❤
If you're adding 36" doors and making things accessible, don't forget to make sure your hallways and areas getting to those spaces are accessible. I once knew a family that built an accessible master suite but didn't allow enough room in the hallway for easy wheelchair turning.
I had a brain tumour removed 3 years ago, and I get light headed and dizzy in heat. So my awesome hubby put in 2 grab bars, one that runs along the back of our bathtub, and another one that runs along the wall side of our bathtub. Our dream is to someday take the tub out altogether, as I was the only one who liked baths, but because of the seizure disorder I developed after the tumour came out, I can't bathe anymore. So a full shower in place of the bathtub would be excellent :) All 3 of us have medical issues, so it's not just for me that these renos need to be done.
🙂 Yeay! Best channel ever! 👍 Garrett, thank you so so much for this great content. I really appreciate! Great points! As a wheelchair user I always asked myself (even when I was a child), why people don't plan on aging . So many are working really hard to own a place and are totally forgetting about aging when they put a lot of efforts in renovating it. Most designers are acting like there are no disabled people on the earth. Others are acting like it's only functionality what counts for desabled, beauty doesn't at all. But I want both; an accessible AND beautiful place. You are the only designer I know, who combines these two. And I love that for me. You already helped me a lot. 😊✌️ Kisses and hugs to Cornelius 🐶 and his brothers 🐶🐶❣️
The things we have done for our animals! We eliminated any house that had a straight run staircase. It has to have a landing part way down. Too many of our dogs got older and that straight run became too dangerous. I just love the contractor that thinks the only doors that need to be 36" wide are the exterior doors. I guarantee you I have never become skinny once I cross the front door threshold. Getting an adult and a sick kid through a 24" door to the toilet..... Couches barely fit through a 36. Not even going to mention the refrigerator. Everything you discussed is right on!
We live in a fairly large tri-level home and we are definitely aging. It’s a big concern for us. I love our home, we raised our children here and I hate the thought of leaving, but it is something we have been thinking about. We recently remodeled our master bathroom and have a zero threshold shower with no door (we have an excellent in ceiling heater which keeps the bathroom toasty warm) which was such a good decision. Made things so much easier for my husband when he had hip replacement surgery.
Once the children were gone and I moved into my own apartment I made sure that my furniture was not low to the floor for ultra-soft where you sank in if you sat down. This way I can be sure I'll be able to get up and down with ease.
I was the primary caregiver for both of my parents as they went through hospice. When caregivers came to help me bath them they said they wanted a shower curtain. This was easy to do by removing the existing siding glass doors and putting in a tension rod for the curtain. When I put the house for sale I easily reinstalled the glass doors. You also don't want to skimp on grab bars in the shower and next to the toilet.
Your most valuable video, yet, Garrett. Thank you! Being old and arthritic already, we designed our new build with accessibility in mind. First, the front and back doors are at grade, and I had installed a ramp inside the garage at the door into the house. Second, we included an elevator - the very best addition! Our 16-year-old dachshund appreciated it, too. Third, all stairs have runners. Fourth, the doorways are wide. Fifth, curbless showers were a must and the bath in the principal ensuite has a wide surround for sitting. The shower stall in this room is wheelchair accessible, has a bench, and is grab bar-ready. Sixth, the tiled floors have matte finishes in smaller tile format for better grip. Seventh, the wood floors everywhere else also have a matte finish. One thing I learned, sadly, from a beloved cousin with Parkinson’s was that those so afflicted have difficulty crossing thresholds where the flooring transitions. All of our floors over four floors, except bathrooms and laundry room, are engineered hardwood. I even compensated a differential in the height of my basement floor with a ramp rather than stairs. Eighth, all floors are the same height. Ninth, my laundry machines sit on the floor, but no bases. I use the counter over them. If I ever become too incapacitated to use them, somebody else can do my laundry. The same goes for my kitchen, although all my lower cabinets are drawers and I have a French door wall oven. By the time I’m no longer able to cook, I’ll have been carried outta here!
This is such an important issue for me in finding/creating my forever home. So many homes have steps everywhere! In 20 years, a sunk in living room or basement will be useless to me.
This video was so timely. Although my husband and I are very healthy, we’re both in our 70’s and have seen these accessibility issues unfold for less fortunate family members. We’re determined to be ready. We’ve recently installed both hand grab bars and a hand held spray arm in our large walk in shower. Those walk in tubs may sound great, but a relative has one and says that, once you’re finished bathing, you have to sit there in the water as it drains out before you can exit. Yuck! My husband is building big full extension rollout inserts for our lower kitchen cabinets to ease access as we age. Those French door wall ovens are amazing…not only for older people, but for short people like me. Leaning over an open oven door to retrieve or deposit a heavy, hot pan is dangerous at any age. You really nailed this video.
Hi, Garrett, Terrific video. I would add that any bathroom/shower door should be able to swing both ways, in the event the person in the bathroom/shower falls and blocks the door. Multiple, sturdy hand rails at the proper height/angle are essential. I would also recommend an intercom system throughout the home, to alert others in the event of an emergency. A friend of mine recently fell in a basement shower but could not alert her spouse on another floor due to his hearing deficit. The victim sustained a broken femur and later died of an infection. Some communities now require that home exterior lighting be equipped to alert emergency services via a strobe effect light/or direct connect to fire dept. You are correct about front loading washer/dryers needing secure plinths to make their height more accessible for elderly/disabled. Sink pipes should also be wrapped to prevent burns for those in wheelchairs. Automatic lighting on staircases is also helpful, at a level sufficiently bright for those with sight issues. Exterior stairs may need lower risers and dual handrails, and matte surfaces are generally better than those that are highly reflective. Your comment re: widened doorways/walkways is very valuable, as is the need for sturdy furniture which will not tip over, should someone use it to steady themselves. Electrical outlets should be raised to accessible heights, and French door ovens should become standard! You are exceedingly well versed in these areas, as you demonstrate in all your videos. Keep up the great work! Thanks for nother practical, honest, understanding video.
This is a great video and very necessary. While people hear the term aging in place, the specifics are often overlooked. I am a nurse and when my husband and I sold our house after our kids were in college, we moved to a condo. I looked at wheel chair accessibility, which is good. We planned to be able to function on one level. All our floors are hardwood over concrete. One thing, if you have area rugs and you have mobility issues/ falling risks is either to remove the rug or secure it to the floor with tape (I know, the floor underneath. But if you are unwilling to just remove the rug...). We could not have a truly threshold free shower, however, we remodeled our primary bathroom and installed a small ramp (you can't see it) under our tile. It makes our shower function as threshold free. The door is wide enough for a wheel chair. No bathtub in this bathroom, the shower is for 2 people. The hand held is placed for someone in a wheel chair or shower seat to be able to reach. The control for that is close to the door and easily reachable. The toilet has ample room around it for a walker or to transfer to/from a wheel chair. Our space was such that kitchen design was very limited, but you bring up really great points. I have a second bathroom that I will be updating. I intend to make the sink area accessible for wheel chair. Width of doorways is a key issue. You can find some guidelines online. Again, thanks for this very overlooked aspect of design.
I know a builder that builds double doored primary/master baths and 36” bathroom doorways for all other bathrooms as standard in his homes. Excellent video - thank you, Garrett.😊
You present important content in an easy to understand and charming way❤. Decluttering goes along with this, less stuff = less to clean, trip over, think about, etc. and it looks great, too.
Thanks Garrett these are such important issues. When we did a major renovation on our 140 year old home these were issues I definitely brought up to our builder even though we were fit and healthy but were thinking of the future. We definitely wanted a single level home. Recently I had a knee replacement and a fractured femur and I was able to access the shower sitting down easily and access all parts of the house with a walking frame. All our floors are level with seamless transition from wood flooring to carpeted bedrooms.
This is such a great video! This was a surprising, unexpected topic, and you mention considerations that are important for everyone to know, as we all want our home to be welcoming for older family members and friends. I learned something today... well done, Garrett! This video also made me think of the moment my elderly neighbour visited us for the first time after our house was renovated and he couldn't go upstairs because we hadn't yet installed the stair railings and he was afraid of falling because of it. We have installed them now, and your video reminds me to invite him over soon.
Just subscribed! Thank you for addressing this. I'm an occupational therapist and I address these issues multiple times a day with my patients. I think it would be wonderful if you would team up with an OT and/or PT who specialize in treating elderly patients to collaborate with them on home accessibility. Different medical conditions and disabilities require different approaches. As you alluded to, people come in many shapes and sizes, and those are important considerations to make when addressing accessibility. One thing that you didn't touch on is toilet height and toilet grab bars. Physicians look at my recommendations to decide whether a person can return home from the hospital versus going to an inpatient rehab facility--getting up and down from a toilet is my biggest priority. Lighting for people with low vision is also a huge safety concern. I appreciate this conversation and I hope to hear more from you--we can all learn from each other!
Hi Garrett- Long term follower and I cannot thank you enough for this video. I know from personal experience that even younger people can need to think about accessibility in their home, as I was left with mobility issues after a serious accident in 2018. I love that you talk about practical design issues and not just the trends. The couple of steps can be a big issue. It’s hard to find homes in this part of the country that don’t have at least a couple of steps at the entry due to the basements. I 100% agree on showers without a door, especially in the winter. Brrr.
Great tips! Building a small "vintage" farmhouse on slab right now to avoid steps. I have also had lots of elderly dogs that just can't handle steps. You can also buy professional grade clear "non-slip" DIY floor coatings (Slip Doctor) for hardwood, tile, vinyl etc...
Love this. I'm a physical therapist who does Home Safety Evaluations (HSE) as part of my job with patients. Paying attention to this type of design is so so important! It can keep a person living independently in their home longer than they otherwise would. Thanks for bringing attention to it time and time again!
Love to see it! These types of considerations are so often overlooked when talking about aesthetics and design. Just because we may need to give extra thought to how we use our spaces, doesn’t mean we don’t want them to be beautiful. I am partially sighted and work for a charity that assists people with with sight loss, but often the humanity isn’t afforded to our community - sometimes it’s felt that we should only care about how we can exist in a space, rather than thinking about how our spaces can reasonably be adapted to work for us. This is so important, and I’m really happy to see this perspective be validated. Thank you Garrett! 💕
You gave us lots of good information. May I add that sofas should have firm seats as the deep, lounges are hard to get out of. Also, chairs should have arms to help ease down/get up. Lumbar pillows are very helpful to old backs for support and comfort.
You totally get it. So many good ideas. The uneven flooring transition is so dangerous. I shuffle so my son put in safety bars at the thresholds. It helps. He got me a rumba vac for mom's day and swiffer broom and mop. Absolutely wonderful. The most uncomfortable on carpet is the amount of shocks I get. Any ideas for that? So glad you covered this.
@@edithsavoy7156 thank you so much for the advice. I just called my son and he has one in his basement hes not using. He's bringing it tomorrow. Thanks again.
Thanks you for yet another well thought out design video! I would add that lever door handles are good at any age for improved functionality. BTW-I am surprised at the high number of shows and videos where older people are down sizing, then select a home totally inappropriate for aging in place. Thanks for doing this video!
Outstanding video, young man!!! I have been mobility challenged at multiple times in my life, so this information is valuable at every age. When I was looking for my home, I knew that I wanted single story. However, from viewing many houses, I realized that I could not handle repeatedly going up and down even one or two steps. So, completely flat for me! My house is not ADA, other than being completely flat, but as I make updates (over time), I will definitely review this video.
Thank you for this video. Before my mother passed, she used a walker and wheelchair. My home was not ideal for her, so she went to live with my sister because of the layout of her house. We are all going to get older….hopefully…. This video gives us some valuable information to plan ahead.
Excellent stuff, as always, Garrett. So many RUclips interior design channels focus on superficial aspects and keeping up with trends. I really appreciate that you share your knowledge about not just creating a beautiful space but also one that is functional and environmentally sustainable.
I am a klutz- always have been. I have tried to child-proof/baby-proof/ our place for myself for a couple decades. (In my fifties now.) I know I need to incorporate more of these suggestions. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the old saying goes. Years ago, the tv host Montel Williams warned about glass table tops (he himself had a bad injury). Life is hard enough without making things more difficult for ourselves. Thank-you Garrett for this safety video.
Thank you for this one. You cover everything from tacky to safety in your videos. Love them all and always love to see your fur babies. Great tips because everyone needs to think long term. Seems like yesterday my husband and i were in our twenties...Now we are in our fifties. Time goes by fast. 😘
Thanks Gary, all great points, my house is elderly ready already, I took care of my mother until her passing. I was blessed to had my house remodel for that purpose and more. You know the angels in fur coats rule, they own the whole place, they just let you use it. I have a cat, because it’s easier for me. Thanks for sharing. Blessings to all.
I retired after 40 years in nursing and am now aging in place. You brought up many excellent and thoughtful points. The only thing I can add is how a super shiny floor can be dangerous. It's distracting and the shine can hide a potential trip hazard like a small animal walking across the floor. (Think about how annoying oncoming bright headlights can be when you are driving.) Also the wider hallways and doors are wonderful in any home. Stuff happens. Furniture needs moved. Paramedics need called. Just sayin'... Have a great day!
At 16 my grandmom came to live with us after complications of a broken knee. Blood clots etc. She was wheel chair bound and our bathroom doors were too small. Rolling secretary chair fit thru and swiveled. That's when I started noticing things like that. I've looked at each of our homes to be sure the door widths accommodate. Now it's trip Hazzards, floor finishes and cooking safety. Always watching.
Love to see you including people with mobility concerns, unlike the builders putting stairs in everywhere lately 😔 Something to think about is when you get a table etc does your entire chair fit under it? Alot of times the bigger feet can get in the way but also if you're in a motorized chair the joystick can get stuck underneath the lip of the table and then I end up completely stuck! Walk in closet doors are a big one to watch out for too. Even after removing the door I can't get my chair or walker in there. Also I noticed you didn't mention some big things that need to be considered, like stove controls at the front so a WC user isn't reaching across the hot stovetop. Also, you completely left out considerations for losing sight which is extremely common. I'd advise avoiding anything that uses a touchscreen control as it doesn't take much vision loss before that's completely unusable.
Thank you for talking about these issues, and for many of your subscribers, long before they may need it to raise awareness. When looking at big ticket items like a major floor redo, you bring up great points about thresholds and choices for the long game. We removed our master bathtub and went with the large walk in shower which has worked out fantastic. We still have a tub in the house if we need it, for for 98% of the rest, the shower is safer and easier to clean (which is another point of aging at home).
Another thing to consider is moving your electrical outlets. To be ADA-compliant, outlets should be anywhere from 15 to 48 inches from the floor. For a person in a wheelchair, you want the outlets placed at the lower end of that range; for a person that can walk but might have problems bending over or squatting, you can place the outlets higher. Also, outlets should be within easy reach from the side; for example, you don't want your outlets to be behind a bed or other big pieces of furniture.
We switched from terry cloth bath matts to bath stones and the difference is night and day. One can step directly on the bath stone with wet foot and two things are immediately noticable. The first is the stone dries the soles of your feet in seconds. The second is that it would be incredibly difficult to slip on one of these stones because of the texture is like smooth pumice.
This is such an important topic to so many of us. I’m dealing with aging parents and a Mom with Parkinson’s disease. Making a home accessible and functional is crucial to their quality of life and independence. Thank you for making this video. 💗
Great and important video, Garrett. THANK YOU for being the designer who speaks up for these issues. Becoming disabled from a work injury has really made me think about these things a lot earlier in my life than I probably would have, so some great tips here for me! And 100x YES to the level flooring suggestion! My dad broke his hip tripping over the edge of a carpet at home. Unfortunately he contracted pneumonia while in hospital for his hip replacement, and that's how we lost him. 😢 We always think these are little things and that we'll be fine, but safety absolutely matters. Also Cornelius was exceptionally adorable in this video!!! ❤❤❤
One more comment: I have all lamps on bedside furniture plugged in to a special plug that plugs into an outlet. The lamp turns off and on with a small switch that rests on the nightstand surface. Now the lamp can be operated safely from bed. The switch can also be carried with you.
Greatly appreciate this video, I work in a retirement community and some of the idea mentioned are already in place ,but the laundry accommodation is one that will definitely pass on to my team. Love you explanations ,rational and examples . Thank you so much for sharing your design tips with us ❤
Thanks for this important topic. ❤ When I bought my home, it had 8 1/2 ft ceilings in the lower level. The floors are a concrete slab. So, I gutted it and put in a 1 BR apartment for my mom. She never moved here but I have lived down there myself, especially when I have had surgeries. I'm 69 now so in the long run I will live in the apartment with some minor modifications. (I studied universal design at Berkeley and historic preservation so the space fits the house and is about 1000 square feet.)
Awesome video again today. Removed the old garden tub for a huge shower. Besides being a shower for us, its a Kid wash & dog wash, built in seat was not a great idea, too far from shower head with so-so water pressure. But we put kids, dogs, etc in one end and take them out the other. It was fabulous to have a safety bar built in as well. I had knee replacement and the home health assessment was 5 star on our bathroom. I'm taking your advice to heart❤
Thank you so much for this video. My daughter is an OT and this will be great for her to pass on to her colleagues and patients. I appreciate this video too as we are remodeling our house and are keeping this hints in mind so that we can age in place. You have mentioned things I haven't even thought of or seen as I researched this topic while planning our remodel.
I'd love to hear from someone who has a walk-in tub. It seems like you'd sit inside waiting for it to fill and you'd be shivering. Same for when it is emptying and you have to wait for it to be fully empty to open the door and get out. I love my large shower with a hand-held, a bench and grab bars. I really appreciated it when I badly sprained my ankle.
We just did an addition, we added a huge primary bedroom with sunroom where we enjoy having friends in and our morning tea. It's also all on one level. Best thing we ever done for ourselves. Aging in place is wonderful. Thank you Garrett for discussing this "elephant" in the room.
Thanks for pointing out the width of the doorways. Years ago I took care of a woman in a wheelchair. She lived in an older house, not open floor concept with smaller doorways. And hallways. Her wheelchair barely fit through the doorways, only about 1/4” to 1/2” on each side. So the wheelchair had to be exactly straight to fit through. A source of great frustration to her. Her & her husband were planning a new home with accessibility and ease of use in mind.
Great video. Hardware choices should also be considered. Levers instead of knobs on doors are so much easier on our hands. Same with bathroom fixtures. There are towel racks that double as grab rails. Also, light switches... the wide, flat ones are easier than the standard little flip switches.
We recently remodeled. 3 ft pocket doors, low shower threshold, wider hallway, plenty of can lights in the ceiling, etc. We also had the electric outlets installed at hip/waist height- I don't want to bend over to plug things in when I'm 85.
Hi Garrett, An idea that I thought would work for me in the future is my bedroom doorway in a rental. The door and hinges can be removed, and instead, a light screen can be used for privacy when needed. The doorway is now wide enough for a wheelchair to pass through. Love your professional videos 😊
We went through some of this with my dad. We had to take the door off his bathroom and it was still difficult to get his walker through the door, but there was no way to widen it. After he fell, we had a bath fitter company who knew all the ADA requirements to replace the shower. We also took all the rugs out. Another good idea is to replace doorknobs with levers. I have arthritis in my hands and have trouble with doorknobs and I'm not even that old yet. I replaced them all with lever handles.
Thank you Garrett. I am in the middle of moving to a one level home. My home has 4 levels and it's a no no for me. I was thrilled to see this video and took all your tips on board. Cheers from Aussie. (Love love love your dogs!)
Thanks for taking the time to make this video, and for raising the issue of accessability .As you point out, many of these ideas work in a multitude of situations, as well as for aging in place. When my husband and I bought our house 20 years ago we tried to think ahead and plan for aging in our home. So glad we did! This video really does a great job of discussing considerations and offering information and solutions.
Thank you so much for not only taking time to focus on accessibility, but to do it with thought that accessible for one person doesn’t mean it is appropriate for everyone needing accessibility. That is really an important perspective and one that so many designers and trades do not understand (yet!). 🎉🎉🎉
If you have only a second floor bathroom, a chair lift on the stairway is a great help. You just need an electric outlet at the top of the stairs. It runs on battery but you keep it on the charger, plugged in.
We bought our current home at age 50. Bought a one story home with wide halls, double doors into the master bedroom and bath in case we need them in the future.
My mom has a history of polio and has therapeutic shoes that she really can’t walk without then and her nightly bath is so important for her! She can’t safely get into or navigate a shower. She has a spa tub so she can sit on the ledge to undress and get her shoes off and then get into the tub 😊
I’m sorry to hear about your mom’s health issues. It’s great that she is able to manage using the tub. I love that for myself too when I need to relax or for sore muscles. I never want to lose having a bath tub. 🤗🤗🤗
Garrett, thanks for talking about this! As always, really great advice. Interior design can seem overwhelming, and you put in such thought and give such practical advice on how we LIVE, not just how we look, gotta have both!!
Hi Garrett and Cornelius, thank you for this topic! We are incorporating many of these mobility modifications into our current bath renovation (back surgery quickly shows you what needs to change!). LOVE the idea of an oven with 2 doors for the future - the normal oven doors are the worst!
We renovated our home in 2002 when we were in our mid 40s....took out the sunken living room, put in the same level oversized shower, grab Bars on oversized garden style jetted tub....all floors on one level. I'm not sure we thought we would still be in this house over 20 years later but so glad we did. Aging in place is such an important topic in design. Thank you Garrett ❤
Perfect timing. We are finishing up our bathroom reno to make it handicapped accessible ( for a family member). In addition to a walk- in shower, we had to widden the doorways.
We are currently remodeling our master bath with a curb-less shower, just in case. Additionally, we live in south Florida, we felt that aging in place included impact resistant windows and door installation. If we experience mobility issues, and have looming hurricane, putting up hurricane shutters would be impossible. Thank you for this valuable forward thinking message.
This was a great video. We recently did a bathroom remodel and decided on a zero threshold floor for the shower. I did it more because I liked the look. We do have a shower door that can swing out or in, which I think is a good feature. My husband broke his leg many years ago and this shower would have been a nice feature to have. I also went with a mosaic pattern tile that, I was concerned about the grout, but it has great traction, so another consideration. I wasn’t thinking too much about aging in place but this is a great video and certainly something we need to think about.
Thank you Garrett. Absolutely brilliant discussion. My husband may soon need a walker and we have one room that is 2 inches higher than the rest of the house -something we never noticed (covered in thick carpet) when buying our home years ago. I was considering a long angled piece of wood to make it like a mini ramp that even walking on it might make it less dangerous.
My pleasure! Before undertaking the project you reference in your comments, I would strongly suggest having a knowledgeable and licensed contractor visit your home to examine and discuss safe and appropriate options, and of course have the contractor do the work. 😊😊😊
Garrett you are awesome adressing this issue, most designers on y/t don't! I've done many things you've recommended but on a budget. I don't miss a Garrett y/t!❤ We bought our present house for our retirement. Its an older home, not open concept but plenty room to maneuver, all doorway floors are even and wide enough, pull down door handles. Two short steps up to front door, we are building a ramp for future use. Laundry in basement but we can eventually convert closet by bathroom for stackable laundry. We have bath bars, impossible to make our bathroom bigger, but its manageable. A bath chair works in a bathtub with shower hose. I use a bar stool to sit on if I'm doing alot of prep in the kitchen (sore back, etc). In Canada, disabled can go to a hospital on a weekly basis and they will give the person a bath, cut nails, etc. (We have volunteer drivers as well). Homecare nurses, respiratory therapists etc will go to the home and help (some every day even twice daily), medical supplies delivered to our homes...all covered by our medical. We live rural, very small town and homecare is available. We can also get meals bought in. We get grants to make our homes wheelchair accessible. (Cheaper than placing someone in a facility while maintaining quality of life at home). My son has kidney failure, all medical supplies (dialysis, bandages, medication, food supplements) all delivered to his home once a week, no out of pocket expenses. My husband got covid, on ventilator, destroyed his lungs, with a walker now and on oxygen. I still have mobility. We were offered home help, but we declined. Respiratory therapist visits regularly. I help him with shoes, socks, other than that he manages.. I dont use a microwave! Fridge with bottom freezer helps. He likes to fish, we bought a flatbottom boat, he can get in on shore, of course I do all the work! Lol
Thanks so much! I appreciate your support. There was a new video this past Friday and one coming out tomorrow (Monday) at 10am PDT. If you have not already, I would definitely suggest putting bell notifications on because we have allot more amazing videos coming. Thank you for sharing. 😊😊😊
If you must have area rugs, you can just not install flooring where the area rug will go and recess the area rug down and maybe install it like carpeting so it will be level with the floor. Also, when designing areas such as a vanity for wheelchair use, it is important to wrap your pipes as some may not be able to feel them if they get hot. Another great option is to have your drain lines and Ptrap put closer to the back wall under the sink so they won't block the legs of someone sitting.
With respect to the rug idea, that’s not something I would suggest or advocate anyone doing. In terms of the drain idea, I would suggest consulting with a licensed plumber. Thanks.
I always say that Garrett is an excellent teacher. I agree this video was full of important information. Garrett uses many visuals and this takes time to do but so appreciated. The topic helps us all to think ahead and prevent an injury.
You did a great job in this video Garrett (as usual)! I think I was one of the people that commented about the ADA applying to public spaces, but you are right, the ADA accessibility guidelines are extremely useful in addressing access problems in private spaces. I mentioned the public/private issue exactly because of a point you made very well in this video. People come in all shapes and sizes and disabilities affect function in all different ways. In a private residence the person can customize things like counter heights and grab bar placements to meet their specific needs, but public spaces are legally obligated to accommodate people with a greater range of needs so the ADA guidelines reflect that. Kudos to you for talking about this important topic!
I would love to have one of those sleek, new, standalone tubs. However, my husband has a very bad back -- he has been hospitalized for back pain in the past. We have one of those space-hogging, garden tubs, with a whirlpool tub. As much as I would love to eliminate that tub, my husband needs the whirlpool feature to deal with back pain. Oh, well. Wonderful video.
Bless you, Garrett, for addressing this topic! So many people want to remain in their homes and age in place, and it just takes some thought on how to accommodate our existing spaces for this! In addition to all of your WONDERFUL tips, I would add: use drawers instead of bottom cabinets in kitchens and baths, so that every inch of space is accessible; look for door and cabinet hardware that accommodates less flexible hands, like flipper door handle styles and flipper faucets; get bath faucets with one handle, as that's easier to use than 2; consider installing ADA height toilets and grab bars near commodes for greater security, similar to those in shower areas; ensure that benches in showers are ample size and will not slip; store most-used items in the most accessible spots for convenience. And remember, function can still be beautiful, especially for LeChic family members!!! 🤗🥰🤗
Very good ideas. I am two years out from a stroke and the slightest from one room to another could cause me major anxiety. It might something a half of an inch differernce but it would give me the sense I might fall. I have carpet in a bedroom closet and will be having that removed because I need a firm feel beneath me when I am using my walker. People might might think I am being over cautious but all I can say is it is better to lean on the side of caution and remain in your home. I am 64.
Great video! We moved to a 55 plus area about 6 years ago. Went from a huge jetted garden tub to one that has much lower sides. ❤ it! We also changed out our ceramic tile for LVT. Sooo much easier on the back. That little bit of give that it has made a huge difference. Now if someone could figure out how to make a comfortable reclining chair that doesn’t look like the Michelin man, I would be first on the list to purchase one! I know there are some with lower backs, but hubs is 6’ 2” and can’t stretch out in them.
Thank you for addressing this often overlooked topic! I had to care for my terminally ill parent last year, in their 3 storey, mostly open plan home that was not very accessible and that was a real challenge. Then when I broke my leg last month and had to sleep in the living room, I realised quickly the importance of separate spaces on the ground floor that can adapt around life events. It’s always important to future proof your home, you never know!
I know it's one of those things you are not supposed to do, but we carpeted the bathroom. The toilet is in a separate tiled space and we ventilate the room well to keep the carpet dry. I know it will be a negative selling point someday, but right now it has worked well.
Thank you so much for covering accessibility in so much depth here, as as well as in your other videos. I’ve been physically disabled since my teens and my husband became physically disabled suddenly at 41, so this is something we greatly care about. One note on washer height: if you foresee getting a service dog then floor level is probably better for them. I have a lab service dog and my floor level washer is exactly the right height for him, but getting one on a block would mean he would need to stand on his back legs to empty it, which isn’t good for his joints as he ages. Thanks again for covering this!
My pleasure! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Everyone’s needs are different so I believe accessibility should be tailored to each person’s particular needs as I suggested in the video. It’s like I say with design in general, success is to create a space that is unique and enjoyable to the person(s) living in a given home.
Thank you so much for this video you hit on all the issues for people with disabilities and people aging in place. I can’t tell you how many times I tell friends who are remodeling their bathroom to install grab bars ( they make beautiful ones) but the push back is always I don’t need them but at some point you will. Excellent advice. Love the bulldogs and of course Albert❤️
Really glad to see an interior designer address aging in place. As a disabled person, I often feel like interior designers don't account for my needs when they give advice.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed. 😊😊😊
As a former home hospice caregiver I'm so glad that you're covering accessability in the home. This is a real issue as we age in place and something most don't consider. Thanks Garrett, I just love your mindset and your adorable bulldogs!
My pleasure!🐶🐶🐶
This is why I love your content Garrett. No other designer is talking designing while aging in place. Wonderful tips!
Thanks so much!😊😊😊
My husband is CAPS certified (certified aging in place specialist for your fans...IKYK), and i can't wait to show him your video. I know he will have massive respect that you're focusing on aging or disabled homeowners. One thing he suggests in bathroom renos-go ahead and fortify the framing where a grab bar would go, when you have the wall opened up. That way, if you're expecting to lose some mobility, it's easily ready for a grab bar.
Yay! I think everyone should have a licensed contractor who is experienced and knowledgeable about aging in place to install or modify features in a home.
I have one outside my clawfoot tub, and though I'm still physically able, I use it to get in and out of the tub every time because those extra couple inches of elevation on the tub make it a doozy to step out of without landing on your face in the sink opposite. LOL
The house we bought 5 years ago has the grab bars. Great for my husband who had some strokes, but I love then as well. Great to hold on to while scrubbing the bottom of your feet, shaving legs, etc.
While the tub is low, we are replacing it with a shower with a built in grab bar and a seat. We were told to go with a curtain as many older people trip over the edge on the sliding door and we do not have the space for a swing out door.
We are fast approaching 70. So we are thinking of all of this. The home also came with a ramp, which is very handy as well.
That’s a great tip regarding reinforcement around areas a grab bar might be required.
Thanks so much for covering this topic, Garrett! The only other item I can think of (if you live in a 2 story house) is installing a second handrail on the stairway so there's one on each side. Very helpful for anyone with balance concerns.
Agreed! That is a great feature.
Garrett, it is so refreshing to have someone talk about design ideas and things to consider that is specifically considering the elderly and/or mobility restricted. Whilst many design programs are filled with wonderful ideas they tend to forget that not everyone is blessed with perfect health and ability. Thank you for being the designer that makes the difference.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching.
😊😊😊
2 words to learn and live by: Universal design
☑️☑️☑️
I believe you are the first RUclips designer to discuss this topic. Great advice to help people start thinking and planning for their aging needs.
Thank you!
Thank you for doing videos like this. I worked in physical therapy for 25 years. And it is heartbreaking to see people have to move out of their house because it's not accessible for them in their later years. A little bit of prior planning can make it possible for people to stay in their homes.
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed.
Great video idea. Another thing you’ll be happy to hear to prevent falls is lighting! If there are stairs you really need lighting to allow more sure footing. Also lighting at night from the bed to the bathroom. An occupational therapist made a recommendation for that for my dad after he had a stroke. Helped a lot.
Great point!
Great video ❤. My mother was in a wheelchair and we moved into a home that gave her more freedom. We only had to remodel the master bathroom to accommodate her waterproof wheelchair (a larger doorway, completely tiled and open shower and a floating sink) ❤
Thanks so much!😊😊😊
If you're adding 36" doors and making things accessible, don't forget to make sure your hallways and areas getting to those spaces are accessible. I once knew a family that built an accessible master suite but didn't allow enough room in the hallway for easy wheelchair turning.
I had a brain tumour removed 3 years ago, and I get light headed and dizzy in heat. So my awesome hubby put in 2 grab bars, one that runs along the back of our bathtub, and another one that runs along the wall side of our bathtub. Our dream is to someday take the tub out altogether, as I was the only one who liked baths, but because of the seizure disorder I developed after the tumour came out, I can't bathe anymore. So a full shower in place of the bathtub would be excellent :) All 3 of us have medical issues, so it's not just for me that these renos need to be done.
I think it’s great that you plan on making your bathroom more functional for your needs. Safety first!
Cornelius-a man of few words. Definitely lovin the couch.
Great video for those of us looking ahead.
🐶🐶🐶
🙂 Yeay! Best channel ever! 👍 Garrett, thank you so so much for this great content. I really appreciate! Great points!
As a wheelchair user I always asked myself (even when I was a child), why people don't plan on aging
. So many are working really hard to own a place and are totally forgetting about aging when they put a lot of efforts in renovating it.
Most designers are acting like there are no disabled people on the earth. Others are acting like it's only functionality what counts for desabled, beauty doesn't at all. But I want both; an accessible AND beautiful place. You are the only designer I know, who combines these two. And I love that for me. You already helped me a lot. 😊✌️
Kisses and hugs to Cornelius 🐶 and his brothers 🐶🐶❣️
Thanks so much for your lovely comment! I appreciate it. 😊😊😊
The things we have done for our animals! We eliminated any house that had a straight run staircase. It has to have a landing part way down. Too many of our dogs got older and that straight run became too dangerous.
I just love the contractor that thinks the only doors that need to be 36" wide are the exterior doors. I guarantee you I have never become skinny once I cross the front door threshold. Getting an adult and a sick kid through a 24" door to the toilet..... Couches barely fit through a 36. Not even going to mention the refrigerator.
Everything you discussed is right on!
Glad you enjoyed the video!🐶🐶🐶
Thank you for making those with disabilities feel less invisible. I’m abled body, but I love it when I see people being inclusive.
You are so welcome!
We sold our 3 floor townhouse and moved into a ranch and we love it. It's got a finished basement but we limit our trips downstairs.
We live in a fairly large tri-level home and we are definitely aging. It’s a big concern for us. I love our home, we raised our children here and I hate the thought of leaving, but it is something we have been thinking about. We recently remodeled our master bathroom and have a zero threshold shower with no door (we have an excellent in ceiling heater which keeps the bathroom toasty warm) which was such a good decision. Made things so much easier for my husband when he had hip replacement surgery.
☑️☑️☑️
Once the children were gone and I moved into my own apartment I made sure that my furniture was not low to the floor for ultra-soft where you sank in if you sat down. This way I can be sure I'll be able to get up and down with ease.
☑️☑️☑️
I was the primary caregiver for both of my parents as they went through hospice. When caregivers came to help me bath them they said they wanted a shower curtain. This was easy to do by removing the existing siding glass doors and putting in a tension rod for the curtain. When I put the house for sale I easily reinstalled the glass doors. You also don't want to skimp on grab bars in the shower and next to the toilet.
Awesome.
Your most valuable video, yet, Garrett. Thank you! Being old and arthritic already, we designed our new build with accessibility in mind. First, the front and back doors are at grade, and I had installed a ramp inside the garage at the door into the house. Second, we included an elevator - the very best addition! Our 16-year-old dachshund appreciated it, too. Third, all stairs have runners. Fourth, the doorways are wide. Fifth, curbless showers were a must and the bath in the principal ensuite has a wide surround for sitting. The shower stall in this room is wheelchair accessible, has a bench, and is grab bar-ready. Sixth, the tiled floors have matte finishes in smaller tile format for better grip. Seventh, the wood floors everywhere else also have a matte finish. One thing I learned, sadly, from a beloved cousin with Parkinson’s was that those so afflicted have difficulty crossing thresholds where the flooring transitions. All of our floors over four floors, except bathrooms and laundry room, are engineered hardwood. I even compensated a differential in the height of my basement floor with a ramp rather than stairs. Eighth, all floors are the same height. Ninth, my laundry machines sit on the floor, but no bases. I use the counter over them. If I ever become too incapacitated to use them, somebody else can do my laundry. The same goes for my kitchen, although all my lower cabinets are drawers and I have a French door wall oven. By the time I’m no longer able to cook, I’ll have been carried outta here!
Thanks much Lois, and thank you for sharing!🌷🌷🌷
This is such an important issue for me in finding/creating my forever home. So many homes have steps everywhere! In 20 years, a sunk in living room or basement will be useless to me.
This video was so timely. Although my husband and I are very healthy, we’re both in our 70’s and have seen these accessibility issues unfold for less fortunate family members. We’re determined to be ready. We’ve recently installed both hand grab bars and a hand held spray arm in our large walk in shower. Those walk in tubs may sound great, but a relative has one and says that, once you’re finished bathing, you have to sit there in the water as it drains out before you can exit. Yuck! My husband is building big full extension rollout inserts for our lower kitchen cabinets to ease access as we age. Those French door wall ovens are amazing…not only for older people, but for short people like me. Leaning over an open oven door to retrieve or deposit a heavy, hot pan is dangerous at any age. You really nailed this video.
It would be soooo cold sitting in that big tub, waiting for it to drain before you could open the door!
I agree!
Hi, Garrett,
Terrific video. I would add that any bathroom/shower door should be able to swing both ways, in the event the person in the bathroom/shower falls and blocks the door. Multiple, sturdy hand rails at the proper height/angle are essential. I would also recommend an intercom system throughout the home, to alert others in the event of an emergency. A friend of mine recently fell in a basement shower but could not alert her spouse on another floor due to his hearing deficit. The victim sustained a broken femur and later died of an infection.
Some communities now require that home exterior lighting be equipped to alert emergency services via a strobe effect light/or direct connect to fire dept. You are correct about front loading washer/dryers needing secure plinths to make their height more accessible for elderly/disabled. Sink pipes should also be wrapped to prevent burns for those in wheelchairs. Automatic lighting on staircases is also helpful, at a level sufficiently bright for those with sight issues. Exterior stairs may need lower risers and dual handrails, and matte surfaces are generally better than those that are highly reflective. Your comment re: widened doorways/walkways is very valuable, as is the need for sturdy furniture which will not tip over, should someone use it to steady themselves. Electrical outlets should be raised to accessible heights, and French door ovens should become standard! You are exceedingly well versed in these areas, as you demonstrate in all your videos. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for nother practical, honest, understanding video.
Thanks so much, and thank you for sharing!
This is a great video and very necessary. While people hear the term aging in place, the specifics are often overlooked. I am a nurse and when my husband and I sold our house after our kids were in college, we moved to a condo. I looked at wheel chair accessibility, which is good. We planned to be able to function on one level. All our floors are hardwood over concrete. One thing, if you have area rugs and you have mobility issues/ falling risks is either to remove the rug or secure it to the floor with tape (I know, the floor underneath. But if you are unwilling to just remove the rug...). We could not have a truly threshold free shower, however, we remodeled our primary bathroom and installed a small ramp (you can't see it) under our tile. It makes our shower function as threshold free. The door is wide enough for a wheel chair. No bathtub in this bathroom, the shower is for 2 people. The hand held is placed for someone in a wheel chair or shower seat to be able to reach. The control for that is close to the door and easily reachable. The toilet has ample room around it for a walker or to transfer to/from a wheel chair. Our space was such that kitchen design was very limited, but you bring up really great points. I have a second bathroom that I will be updating. I intend to make the sink area accessible for wheel chair. Width of doorways is a key issue. You can find some guidelines online. Again, thanks for this very overlooked aspect of design.
Thanks for sharing Lori! Glad you enjoyed the video. 😊😊😊
I know a builder that builds double doored primary/master baths and 36” bathroom doorways for all other bathrooms as standard in his homes. Excellent video - thank you, Garrett.😊
My pleasure!
You present important content in an easy to understand and charming way❤. Decluttering goes along with this, less stuff = less to clean, trip over, think about, etc. and it looks great, too.
Thanks so much!
Thanks Garrett these are such important issues. When we did a major renovation on our 140 year old home these were issues I definitely brought up to our builder even though we were fit and healthy but were thinking of the future. We definitely wanted a single level home. Recently I had a knee replacement and a fractured femur and I was able to access the shower sitting down easily and access all parts of the house with a walking frame. All our floors are level with seamless transition from wood flooring to carpeted bedrooms.
Glad you enjoyed the video!
This is such a great video! This was a surprising, unexpected topic, and you mention considerations that are important for everyone to know, as we all want our home to be welcoming for older family members and friends. I learned something today... well done, Garrett! This video also made me think of the moment my elderly neighbour visited us for the first time after our house was renovated and he couldn't go upstairs because we hadn't yet installed the stair railings and he was afraid of falling because of it. We have installed them now, and your video reminds me to invite him over soon.
Glad you enjoyed!😊😊😊
Thank you! I became much more aware of these issues after a car accident put me on crutches some years ago! Disability can hit us at any age.
Absolutely! Sorry to hear of the car accident.
Just subscribed! Thank you for addressing this. I'm an occupational therapist and I address these issues multiple times a day with my patients. I think it would be wonderful if you would team up with an OT and/or PT who specialize in treating elderly patients to collaborate with them on home accessibility. Different medical conditions and disabilities require different approaches. As you alluded to, people come in many shapes and sizes, and those are important considerations to make when addressing accessibility. One thing that you didn't touch on is toilet height and toilet grab bars. Physicians look at my recommendations to decide whether a person can return home from the hospital versus going to an inpatient rehab facility--getting up and down from a toilet is my biggest priority. Lighting for people with low vision is also a huge safety concern. I appreciate this conversation and I hope to hear more from you--we can all learn from each other!
Thanks so much, and thank you for sharing! Welcome to the channel. It’s great to have you as part of our very valued subscriber family.
Hi Garrett- Long term follower and I cannot thank you enough for this video. I know from personal experience that even younger people can need to think about accessibility in their home, as I was left with mobility issues after a serious accident in 2018. I love that you talk about practical design issues and not just the trends. The couple of steps can be a big issue. It’s hard to find homes in this part of the country that don’t have at least a couple of steps at the entry due to the basements. I 100% agree on showers without a door, especially in the winter. Brrr.
Yay! Great to hear from you. I’m glad you enjoyed the video. 😊😊😊
Great tips! Building a small "vintage" farmhouse on slab right now to avoid steps. I have also had lots of elderly dogs that just can't handle steps. You can also buy professional grade clear "non-slip" DIY floor coatings (Slip Doctor) for hardwood, tile, vinyl etc...
Love this. I'm a physical therapist who does Home Safety Evaluations (HSE) as part of my job with patients. Paying attention to this type of design is so so important! It can keep a person living independently in their home longer than they otherwise would. Thanks for bringing attention to it time and time again!
My pleasure!
Love to see it! These types of considerations are so often overlooked when talking about aesthetics and design. Just because we may need to give extra thought to how we use our spaces, doesn’t mean we don’t want them to be beautiful. I am partially sighted and work for a charity that assists people with with sight loss, but often the humanity isn’t afforded to our community - sometimes it’s felt that we should only care about how we can exist in a space, rather than thinking about how our spaces can reasonably be adapted to work for us. This is so important, and I’m really happy to see this perspective be validated. Thank you Garrett! 💕
Glad you enjoyed the video!
You gave us lots of good information. May I add that sofas should have firm seats as the deep, lounges are hard to get out of. Also, chairs should have arms to help ease down/get up. Lumbar pillows are very helpful to old backs for support and comfort.
Thanks so much!
You totally get it. So many good ideas. The uneven flooring transition is so dangerous. I shuffle so my son put in safety bars at the thresholds. It helps. He got me a rumba vac for mom's day and swiffer broom and mop. Absolutely wonderful. The most uncomfortable on carpet is the amount of shocks I get. Any ideas for that? So glad you covered this.
Buy a humidifier for your home. I used to work at an electronics warehouse and they used them to prevent static electricity.
@@edithsavoy7156 thank you so much for the advice. I just called my son and he has one in his basement hes not using. He's bringing it tomorrow. Thanks again.
@hippiekathy1879 Thank you too! Glad that worked out so well for you and I was able to help.
Thanks you for yet another well thought out design video! I would add that lever door handles are good at any age for improved functionality. BTW-I am surprised at the high number of shows and videos where older people are down sizing, then select a home totally inappropriate for aging in place. Thanks for doing this video!
Love kever handles for faucets too. Until one cat passes, no lever outdoor access lever handles. He won't close the doors he opens😂
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed.
Outstanding video, young man!!! I have been mobility challenged at multiple times in my life, so this information is valuable at every age. When I was looking for my home, I knew that I wanted single story. However, from viewing many houses, I realized that I could not handle repeatedly going up and down even one or two steps. So, completely flat for me! My house is not ADA, other than being completely flat, but as I make updates (over time), I will definitely review this video.
Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed.
Thank you for this video. Before my mother passed, she used a walker and wheelchair. My home was not ideal for her, so she went to live with my sister because of the layout of her house. We are all going to get older….hopefully…. This video gives us some valuable information to plan ahead.
My pleasure!😊😊😊
Excellent stuff, as always, Garrett. So many RUclips interior design channels focus on superficial aspects and keeping up with trends. I really appreciate that you share your knowledge about not just creating a beautiful space but also one that is functional and environmentally sustainable.
I agree. Garrett always does a great job.!
Thanks so much! It’s fun to talk about more than just trends.
I am a klutz- always have been. I have tried to child-proof/baby-proof/ our place for myself for a couple decades. (In my fifties now.) I know I need to incorporate more of these suggestions. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the old saying goes. Years ago, the tv host Montel Williams warned about glass table tops (he himself had a bad injury). Life is hard enough without making things more difficult for ourselves.
Thank-you Garrett for this safety video.
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed.
Thank you for this one. You cover everything from tacky to safety in your videos. Love them all and always love to see your fur babies. Great tips because everyone needs to think long term. Seems like yesterday my husband and i were in our twenties...Now we are in our fifties. Time goes by fast. 😘
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.
Thanks Gary, all great points, my house is elderly ready already, I took care of my mother until her passing. I was blessed to had my house remodel for that purpose and more. You know the angels in fur coats rule, they own the whole place, they just let you use it. I have a cat, because it’s easier for me. Thanks for sharing. Blessings to all.
👍👍👍
I retired after 40 years in nursing and am now aging in place. You brought up many excellent and thoughtful points. The only thing I can add is how a super shiny floor can be dangerous. It's distracting and the shine can hide a potential trip hazard like a small animal walking across the floor. (Think about how annoying oncoming bright headlights can be when you are driving.) Also the wider hallways and doors are wonderful in any home. Stuff happens. Furniture needs moved. Paramedics need called. Just sayin'... Have a great day!
At 16 my grandmom came to live with us after complications of a broken knee. Blood clots etc. She was wheel chair bound and our bathroom doors were too small. Rolling secretary chair fit thru and swiveled. That's when I started noticing things like that. I've looked at each of our homes to be sure the door widths accommodate. Now it's trip Hazzards, floor finishes and cooking safety. Always watching.
Thanks so much, and thank you for sharing!
😊😊😊
Love the content for elderly and physically impaired folks! Thanks Garrett! 🥰
My pleasure!🤗🤗🤗
Love to see you including people with mobility concerns, unlike the builders putting stairs in everywhere lately 😔 Something to think about is when you get a table etc does your entire chair fit under it? Alot of times the bigger feet can get in the way but also if you're in a motorized chair the joystick can get stuck underneath the lip of the table and then I end up completely stuck! Walk in closet doors are a big one to watch out for too. Even after removing the door I can't get my chair or walker in there. Also I noticed you didn't mention some big things that need to be considered, like stove controls at the front so a WC user isn't reaching across the hot stovetop. Also, you completely left out considerations for losing sight which is extremely common. I'd advise avoiding anything that uses a touchscreen control as it doesn't take much vision loss before that's completely unusable.
☑️☑️☑️
Thank you for talking about these issues, and for many of your subscribers, long before they may need it to raise awareness. When looking at big ticket items like a major floor redo, you bring up great points about thresholds and choices for the long game. We removed our master bathtub and went with the large walk in shower which has worked out fantastic. We still have a tub in the house if we need it, for for 98% of the rest, the shower is safer and easier to clean (which is another point of aging at home).
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed.
Excellent video! And any stairs, no matter how few, should have a sturdy railing of some sort.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.😊😊😊
Another thing to consider is moving your electrical outlets. To be ADA-compliant, outlets should be anywhere from 15 to 48 inches from the floor. For a person in a wheelchair, you want the outlets placed at the lower end of that range; for a person that can walk but might have problems bending over or squatting, you can place the outlets higher. Also, outlets should be within easy reach from the side; for example, you don't want your outlets to be behind a bed or other big pieces of furniture.
Thanks for sharing!
We switched from terry cloth bath matts to bath stones and the difference is night and day. One can step directly on the bath stone with wet foot and two things are immediately noticable. The first is the stone dries the soles of your feet in seconds. The second is that it would be incredibly difficult to slip on one of these stones because of the texture is like smooth pumice.
👍👍👍
This is such an important topic to so many of us. I’m dealing with aging parents and a Mom with Parkinson’s disease. Making a home accessible and functional is crucial to their quality of life and independence. Thank you for making this video. 💗
My pleasure! Thanks for supporting the channel by subscribing and watching.
Great and important video, Garrett. THANK YOU for being the designer who speaks up for these issues. Becoming disabled from a work injury has really made me think about these things a lot earlier in my life than I probably would have, so some great tips here for me! And 100x YES to the level flooring suggestion! My dad broke his hip tripping over the edge of a carpet at home. Unfortunately he contracted pneumonia while in hospital for his hip replacement, and that's how we lost him. 😢 We always think these are little things and that we'll be fine, but safety absolutely matters. Also Cornelius was exceptionally adorable in this video!!! ❤❤❤
Thanks so much Dodie! I’m glad you found the video helpful. Nice to hear from you!🐶🐶🐶
One more comment: I have all lamps on bedside furniture plugged in to a special plug that plugs into an outlet. The lamp turns off and on with a small switch that rests on the nightstand surface. Now the lamp can be operated safely from bed. The switch can also be carried with you.
Thanks for sharing!
Greatly appreciate this video, I work in a retirement community and some of the idea mentioned are already in place ,but the laundry accommodation is one that will definitely pass on to my team. Love you explanations ,rational and examples . Thank you so much for sharing your design tips with us ❤
Thanks for sharing!😊😊😊
Thanks for this important topic. ❤ When I bought my home, it had 8 1/2 ft ceilings in the lower level. The floors are a concrete slab. So, I gutted it and put in a 1 BR apartment for my mom. She never moved here but I have lived down there myself, especially when I have had surgeries. I'm 69 now so in the long run I will live in the apartment with some minor modifications. (I studied universal design at Berkeley and historic preservation so the space fits the house and is about 1000 square feet.)
My pleasure! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome video again today. Removed the old garden tub for a huge shower. Besides being a shower for us, its a Kid wash & dog wash, built in seat was not a great idea, too far from shower head with so-so water pressure. But we put kids, dogs, etc in one end and take them out the other. It was fabulous to have a safety bar built in as well. I had knee replacement and the home health assessment was 5 star on our bathroom. I'm taking your advice to heart❤
Thanks so much, and thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for this video. My daughter is an OT and this will be great for her to pass on to her colleagues and patients. I appreciate this video too as we are remodeling our house and are keeping this hints in mind so that we can age in place. You have mentioned things I haven't even thought of or seen as I researched this topic while planning our remodel.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed.
I'd love to hear from someone who has a walk-in tub. It seems like you'd sit inside waiting for it to fill and you'd be shivering. Same for when it is emptying and you have to wait for it to be fully empty to open the door and get out.
I love my large shower with a hand-held, a bench and grab bars. I really appreciated it when I badly sprained my ankle.
☑️☑️☑️
We just did an addition, we added a huge primary bedroom with sunroom where we enjoy having friends in and our morning tea. It's also all on one level. Best thing we ever done for ourselves. Aging in place is wonderful. Thank you Garrett for discussing this "elephant" in the room.
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed.😊😊😊
Thanks for pointing out the width of the doorways. Years ago I took care of a woman in a wheelchair. She lived in an older house, not open floor concept with smaller doorways. And hallways. Her wheelchair barely fit through the doorways, only about 1/4” to 1/2” on each side. So the wheelchair had to be exactly straight to fit through. A source of great frustration to her. Her & her husband were planning a new home with accessibility and ease of use in mind.
My pleasure! Thanks for sharing.
Great video. Hardware choices should also be considered. Levers instead of knobs on doors are so much easier on our hands. Same with bathroom fixtures. There are towel racks that double as grab rails. Also, light switches... the wide, flat ones are easier than the standard little flip switches.
Thanks for sharing!
We recently remodeled. 3 ft pocket doors, low shower threshold, wider hallway, plenty of can lights in the ceiling, etc. We also had the electric outlets installed at hip/waist height- I don't want to bend over to plug things in when I'm 85.
☑️☑️☑️
Hi Garrett, An idea that I thought would work for me in the future is my bedroom doorway in a rental. The door and hinges can be removed, and instead, a light screen can be used for privacy when needed. The doorway is now wide enough for a wheelchair to pass through. Love your professional videos 😊
Thanks! Glad you are enjoying.😊😊😊
So considerate of you to do this video.
Happy to do so!
We are building a downstairs bedroom in our custom home with aging in mind.
👍👍👍
We went through some of this with my dad. We had to take the door off his bathroom and it was still difficult to get his walker through the door, but there was no way to widen it. After he fell, we had a bath fitter company who knew all the ADA requirements to replace the shower. We also took all the rugs out.
Another good idea is to replace doorknobs with levers. I have arthritis in my hands and have trouble with doorknobs and I'm not even that old yet. I replaced them all with lever handles.
☑️☑️☑️
Thank you Garrett. I am in the middle of moving to a one level home. My home has 4 levels and it's a no no for me. I was thrilled to see this video and took all your tips on board. Cheers from Aussie. (Love love love your dogs!)
My pleasure!🐶🐶🐶
Thanks for taking the time to make this video, and for raising the issue of accessability .As you point out, many of these ideas work in a multitude of situations, as well as for aging in place. When my husband and I bought our house 20 years ago we tried to think ahead and plan for aging in our home. So glad we did! This video really does a great job of discussing considerations and offering information and solutions.
You're very welcome! Please take a moment to support my work if you haven’t already, and become a valued subscriber.
Really appreciate these pointers!! So happy you are talking about this.
My pleasure!
Thank you so much for not only taking time to focus on accessibility, but to do it with thought that accessible for one person doesn’t mean it is appropriate for everyone needing accessibility. That is really an important perspective and one that so many designers and trades do not understand (yet!). 🎉🎉🎉
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed.
If you have only a second floor bathroom, a chair lift on the stairway is a great help. You just need an electric outlet at the top of the stairs. It runs on battery but you keep it on the charger, plugged in.
Great idea!
Thank you so much for this video. My husband is disabled, so I have to take his issues in mind when developing the floor plan for our next home.
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed.
We bought our current home at age 50. Bought a one story home with wide halls, double doors into the master bedroom and bath in case we need them in the future.
👍👍👍
My mom has a history of polio and has therapeutic shoes that she really can’t walk without then and her nightly bath is so important for her! She can’t safely get into or navigate a shower. She has a spa tub so she can sit on the ledge to undress and get her shoes off and then get into the tub 😊
I’m sorry to hear about your mom’s health issues. It’s great that she is able to manage using the tub. I love that for myself too when I need to relax or for sore muscles. I never want to lose having a bath tub. 🤗🤗🤗
Garrett, thanks for talking about this! As always, really great advice. Interior design can seem overwhelming, and you put in such thought and give such practical advice on how we LIVE, not just how we look, gotta have both!!
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed. ✨✨✨
Hi Garrett and Cornelius, thank you for this topic! We are incorporating many of these mobility modifications into our current bath renovation (back surgery quickly shows you what needs to change!). LOVE the idea of an oven with 2 doors for the future - the normal oven doors are the worst!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the video. 🐶🐶🐶
We renovated our home in 2002 when we were in our mid 40s....took out the sunken living room, put in the same level oversized shower, grab Bars on oversized garden style jetted tub....all floors on one level. I'm not sure we thought we would still be in this house over 20 years later but so glad we did. Aging in place is such an important topic in design. Thank you Garrett ❤
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed.
Perfect timing. We are finishing up our bathroom reno to make it handicapped accessible ( for a family member). In addition to a walk- in shower, we had to widden the doorways.
Yay!😊😊😊
We are currently remodeling our master bath with a curb-less shower, just in case. Additionally, we live in south Florida, we felt that aging in place included impact resistant windows and door installation. If we experience mobility issues, and have looming hurricane, putting up hurricane shutters would be impossible. Thank you for this valuable forward thinking message.
👍👍👍
This was a great video. We recently did a bathroom remodel and decided on a zero threshold floor for the shower. I did it more because I liked the look. We do have a shower door that can swing out or in, which I think is a good feature. My husband broke his leg many years ago and this shower would have been a nice feature to have. I also went with a mosaic pattern tile that, I was concerned about the grout, but it has great traction, so another consideration.
I wasn’t thinking too much about aging in place but this is a great video and certainly something we need to think about.
Thanks so much, and thank you for sharing!😊😊😊
Thank you Garrett. Absolutely brilliant discussion. My husband may soon need a walker and we have one room that is 2 inches higher than the rest of the house -something we never noticed (covered in thick carpet) when buying our home years ago. I was considering a long angled piece of wood to make it like a mini ramp that even walking on it might make it less dangerous.
My pleasure! Before undertaking the project you reference in your comments, I would strongly suggest having a knowledgeable and licensed contractor visit your home to examine and discuss safe and appropriate options, and of course have the contractor do the work. 😊😊😊
Garrett you are awesome adressing this issue, most designers on y/t don't! I've done many things you've recommended but on a budget. I don't miss a Garrett y/t!❤
We bought our present house for our retirement. Its an older home, not open concept but plenty room to maneuver, all doorway floors are even and wide enough, pull down door handles. Two short steps up to front door, we are building a ramp for future use. Laundry in basement but we can eventually convert closet by bathroom for stackable laundry. We have bath bars, impossible to make our bathroom bigger, but its manageable. A bath chair works in a bathtub with shower hose. I use a bar stool to sit on if I'm doing alot of prep in the kitchen (sore back, etc).
In Canada, disabled can go to a hospital on a weekly basis and they will give the person a bath, cut nails, etc. (We have volunteer drivers as well). Homecare nurses, respiratory therapists etc will go to the home and help (some every day even twice daily), medical supplies delivered to our homes...all covered by our medical. We live rural, very small town and homecare is available. We can also get meals bought in. We get grants to make our homes wheelchair accessible. (Cheaper than placing someone in a facility while maintaining quality of life at home). My son has kidney failure, all medical supplies (dialysis, bandages, medication, food supplements) all delivered to his home once a week, no out of pocket expenses.
My husband got covid, on ventilator, destroyed his lungs, with a walker now and on oxygen. I still have mobility. We were offered home help, but we declined. Respiratory therapist visits regularly. I help him with shoes, socks, other than that he manages..
I dont use a microwave! Fridge with bottom freezer helps.
He likes to fish, we bought a flatbottom boat, he can get in on shore, of course I do all the work! Lol
Thanks so much! I appreciate your support. There was a new video this past Friday and one coming out tomorrow (Monday) at 10am PDT. If you have not already, I would definitely suggest putting bell notifications on because we have allot more amazing videos coming. Thank you for sharing. 😊😊😊
@GarrettLeChic I was camping no signal, just catching up, lol
@@irishcanuck9489 Sounds great!👍👍
If you must have area rugs, you can just not install flooring where the area rug will go and recess the area rug down and maybe install it like carpeting so it will be level with the floor. Also, when designing areas such as a vanity for wheelchair use, it is important to wrap your pipes as some may not be able to feel them if they get hot. Another great option is to have your drain lines and Ptrap put closer to the back wall under the sink so they won't block the legs of someone sitting.
With respect to the rug idea, that’s not something I would suggest or advocate anyone doing. In terms of the drain idea, I would suggest consulting with a licensed plumber. Thanks.
You are a great host, please add more design tips for aging in place. Keep up the great informative videos. 😀
I always say that Garrett is an excellent teacher. I agree this video was full of important information. Garrett uses many visuals and this takes time to do but so appreciated. The topic helps us all to think ahead and prevent an injury.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed.
Okay. Cornelius earned you a like and a comment too. That was just too cute. 🥰
You are so kind
You did a great job in this video Garrett (as usual)! I think I was one of the people that commented about the ADA applying to public spaces, but you are right, the ADA accessibility guidelines are extremely useful in addressing access problems in private spaces. I mentioned the public/private issue exactly because of a point you made very well in this video. People come in all shapes and sizes and disabilities affect function in all different ways. In a private residence the person can customize things like counter heights and grab bar placements to meet their specific needs, but public spaces are legally obligated to accommodate people with a greater range of needs so the ADA guidelines reflect that. Kudos to you for talking about this important topic!
Thanks so much!
I would love to have one of those sleek, new, standalone tubs. However, my husband has a very bad back -- he has been hospitalized for back pain in the past. We have one of those space-hogging, garden tubs, with a whirlpool tub. As much as I would love to eliminate that tub, my husband needs the whirlpool feature to deal with back pain. Oh, well. Wonderful video.
👍👍👍 Thank you!
Bless you, Garrett, for addressing this topic! So many people want to remain in their homes and age in place, and it just takes some thought on how to accommodate our existing spaces for this! In addition to all of your WONDERFUL tips, I would add: use drawers instead of bottom cabinets in kitchens and baths, so that every inch of space is accessible; look for door and cabinet hardware that accommodates less flexible hands, like flipper door handle styles and flipper faucets; get bath faucets with one handle, as that's easier to use than 2; consider installing ADA height toilets and grab bars near commodes for greater security, similar to those in shower areas; ensure that benches in showers are ample size and will not slip; store most-used items in the most accessible spots for convenience. And remember, function can still be beautiful, especially for LeChic family members!!! 🤗🥰🤗
Thanks so much, and thank you for sharing!✨✨✨
So thoughtful of you, very few consider people with mobility issues in decor. Great post!
My pleasure! 😊😊😊
Very good ideas. I am two years out from a stroke and the slightest from one room to another could cause me major anxiety. It might something a half of an inch differernce but it would give me the sense I might fall. I have carpet in a bedroom closet and will be having that removed because I need a firm feel beneath me when I am using my walker. People might might think I am being over cautious but all I can say is it is better to lean on the side of caution and remain in your home. I am 64.
It’s best to have a design plan that is tailored to individual needs. Sorry to hear about the stroke. I wish you all the best for a complete recovery.
Great video! We moved to a 55 plus area about 6 years ago. Went from a huge jetted garden tub to one that has much lower sides. ❤ it! We also changed out our ceramic tile for LVT. Sooo much easier on the back. That little bit of give that it has made a huge difference. Now if someone could figure out how to make a comfortable reclining chair that doesn’t look like the Michelin man, I would be first on the list to purchase one! I know there are some with lower backs, but hubs is 6’ 2” and can’t stretch out in them.
Glad you enjoyed!
Try the Stressless brand. Stylish!
Thank you for addressing this often overlooked topic!
I had to care for my terminally ill parent last year, in their 3 storey, mostly open plan home that was not very accessible and that was a real challenge.
Then when I broke my leg last month and had to sleep in the living room, I realised quickly the importance of separate spaces on the ground floor that can adapt around life events.
It’s always important to future proof your home, you never know!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
I know it's one of those things you are not supposed to do, but we carpeted the bathroom. The toilet is in a separate tiled space and we ventilate the room well to keep the carpet dry.
I know it will be a negative selling point someday, but right now it has worked well.
The most important thing is to create a home environment that is safe and functional for your needs. Everyone is different.
Thank you so much for covering accessibility in so much depth here, as as well as in your other videos. I’ve been physically disabled since my teens and my husband became physically disabled suddenly at 41, so this is something we greatly care about.
One note on washer height: if you foresee getting a service dog then floor level is probably better for them. I have a lab service dog and my floor level washer is exactly the right height for him, but getting one on a block would mean he would need to stand on his back legs to empty it, which isn’t good for his joints as he ages. Thanks again for covering this!
My pleasure! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Everyone’s needs are different so I believe accessibility should be tailored to each person’s particular needs as I suggested in the video. It’s like I say with design in general, success is to create a space that is unique and enjoyable to the person(s) living in a given home.
I was at a home of a friend-- she has her dishwasher raised like you suggested for the washer/dryer.
Sounds great!
Thank you so much for this video you hit on all the issues for people with disabilities and people aging in place. I can’t tell you how many times I tell friends who are remodeling their bathroom to install grab bars ( they make beautiful ones) but the push back is always I don’t need them but at some point you will. Excellent advice. Love the bulldogs and of course Albert❤️
Glad it was helpful!🐶🐶🐶
I follow a few designers but have never seen anyone address aging in place and interior design. Good work from a new subscriber down under.
Yay! Welcome to the channel. It’s great to have you as part of our very valued subscriber family. 😊😊😊
Thanks for the video, actually useful. Can you share ideas for autism? My home usually feels overwhelming but I have no idea how to improve it