Aging in place: design issues for the elderly with a focus on retrofitting bathrooms

Abstract

As the median age rises nationwide Americans are confronted with serious issues of housing and healthcare for the disabled and elderly in this century. In the midst of this problem are the disabled and older Americans with aging related serious chronic illnesses. Included are culturally diverse adults that have very limited incomes, and speak little or no English. Often they reside in small rundown hotel rooms, or in poorly accessible residences. Despite the need, few long-term care resources are available. This research finds that for many, independently aging in place is a preferred solution. For others, the solution to housing and healthcare falls to the family, or government. The architectural design guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)--that address mobility barriers--are a step in the right direction, but the ADA is only the beginning. Pressures of old age security continue.