03/12/2012
10 Interesting facts I learned from my CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) Course:
1. Currently 25% of the United States population is over 55 years old.
2. By the year 2015, 32percent will be over 55 years old.
3. In the US 45 percent of all remodeling dollars are spent by people over 50.
4. The ADA (American’s with Disabilities Act) of only pertains to commercial buildings. Many believe that ADA protects people in their own homes but it is only for commercial spaces.
5. Although ADA does not regulate homes, more and more cities especially in Canada are moving towards making homes visit-able by code. A “visit-able” home is one that can be accessed by someone in a wheelchair on the first floor.
6. The design of an accessible home does not have to look institutional. There are many products available to make your home easy to maneuver but still look like a home.
7. Making a home ADA compliant is not always feasible and often does not address an individual’s particular needs such as reach, grip, and abilities.
8. “According to AARP (Association of American Retired Persons), nearly 90 percent of people over age 65 indicate they want to stay in their home as long as possible, and four of five in that age bracket believe their current home is where they will always live.” Aging in Place: A State Survey of Livability Policies and Practices
9. "Grab bars just make sense," Dan Bawden of Leagle Eagle Contractors in Houston, TX. Dan is an attorney and a contractor who specializes in helping seniors age in place. Whether you are 20 or 60, we all can use a little help getting in and out of the shower at times.
10. People who have experienced a fall are 2/3 more likely to fall again. This is the most frightening information to me. It teaches us to be prepared.
