How Universal Design Keeps You Physically Fit

Want to save some dollars and live better? It’s easy.  Minimize the potential for home accidents.

No one wants to believe their home is dangerous, and technically it isn’t.  Yet, home injuries are rising dramatically.

Medical costs due to home-related accidents are skyrocketing across the U.S. (and around the world).  The acute increase in physical and mental stress has nationally recognized organizations (such as AARP), calling for better home safety…especially as our population ages. (1)

The problem is our one-size-fits-all home design.  You see, traditional interior design is like a photograph.  It’s current at the moment taken – but doesn’t adjust to our bodies as we change.

Thankfully, Universal Design gives us the flexibility we desperately need.  It allows us to live where we choose… with greater safety for everyone, young and old.

Here’s how…

Universal Design Adapts To the Sandwich Generation

Traditional design works best for the “average” person – who happens to be a male between 20 and 40, and is 5’10” tall.  How many people do you know fit this stereotype?

The Sandwich Generation and our aging population feed our increasing demand for flexible homes.  Universal Design spans beyond the average person’s needs by accommodating all ages.  It decreases accidents, increases independence, and gives homeowners the ability to live longer, happier lives.

Well-planned, thoughtful design adapts to various capabilities. Simple steps (like different countertop heights), allow family members to reach for dishes with less effort and better balance…lowering the chance for falls. Something this routine may not appear to be dangerous, but listen to these facts as stated by the CDC:

1. ER’s treat millions of people 65 and older for injuries due to falls on a yearly basis.
2. Fall injuries hospitalize over 700,000 people every year.
3. With an average cost of $35,000, fall injury care is among the 20 most expensive medical conditions treated.
4. These costs only increase with age. (1)

Don’t be one of these statistics! The principles of Universal Design allow you to upgrade your home and live in the ‘safe haven’ you want it to be.

Universal Design Simplifies Day To Day Living

Universal Design customizes homes to individual needs. Things like:

• clear passages,
• adequate lighting,
• and convenient access…

…allow free movement without dodging obstacles or causing a loss of balance.

Even better, you incorporate the most recent trends in interior design while you make your home safer.  How wonderful would it feel to increase safety and refresh your look?  Imagine showing off your ‘new look’ to your family and friends!

The best news is that it may not require an over-haul.  Sometimes, the solutions are simple.  Either way, the improvement gives you the peace of mind of knowing your home is your sanctuary.  This is where a consultation, the most important step in deciding what to do with your home,  comes in.  As an interior designer trained in Universal Design, I show my clients where they’re vulnerable and offer options for improvements.

Talk to me about what you like…and what you’d like to do to differently… with your home.

Live easy (and safely!)

 

~Jeanette

(1) Living in Place Institute, LLC.

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