Retirement Home Design from builders and architects.
Retirement Home Design on how you can make your Naples Fl Retirement home accessible, safer and easier to care for.
Save Steps
Keeps stairs and steps to a minimum. Retirement housing experts recommend single-level homes to avoid having to climb stairs as one ages. However, luxury homes along Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast tend to be built on narrow lots, and if you want a very large house but have a small lot, you have no choice but to build up and include a second level.
Double Story
If you must have a double story house, include the master suite on the main level. Gulfcoast Homes, which has built in high-end developments such as Quail West, Mediterra and Bay Colony, almost always locates the master bedroom downstairs. Also, include any rooms you intend to use on a daily basis on the main level.
Elevators
To provide easy access to the second level, luxury home builders are including elevator shafts. The elevator can be installed immediately, or the shaft can double as a giant closet; the elevator itself can be installed later.
Lighting
Extra lighting under kitchen cabinets brightens counters and makes food preparation an “enlightening” experience.
Include plenty of bright lighting to accommodate failing eyesight and avoid mishaps. Fluorescent lighting is bright; so is halogen lighting. Brown recommends installing a wide variety of lighting, including task lighting.
And don’t forget to include night lighting. One bright trend is a low-voltage system installed under the base of bathroom vanities and cabinets. The lights glow onto the floor, and allow you to navigate a path safely without having to turn on all the main lights. For stairways, have step lights built into the molding to provide a bit of nighttime illumination.
Also, consider an automatic lighting system. When you go into the master bedroom at night, you can just hit one button and all the lights in the house will go off.
Kitchen
Plan a kitchen with plenty of spacious walkways. Avoid kitchen islands, which could block wheelchair access. Include a central food preparation area between the sink and refrigerator to avoid having to carry heavy items across the room.
Vary the height of kitchen countertops and cabinets to make shelves and work spaces more accessible to someone who has trouble stretching to reach top shelves. Bottom shelves of cabinets should be used for everyday items. Consider a pantry instead of cabinets for storing non-perishable food items. The old butler’s pantry concept is a good idea, as long as it is adjoined to the kitchen.
Purchase appliances that are easy to operate. A side-by-side refrigerator eliminates the need to reach up into the freezer. The refrigerator also should have easy-to-reach compartments for food storage. If you have aging hands, having to shuffle them around a cold refrigerator could be painful.
Ovens and sinks with controls on the front or side are easier to operate, but avoid ovens with front controls if children will be visiting frequently. Locate the microwave oven in a convenient spot, preferably level with your wrist. If it’s too high, you’ll have trouble lifting goods in and out of it.
Easy Access
Showers with no steps or a seat make it easier for seniors.
Bath Comfort
In the bathroom, avoid tubs and showers that are accessed via steps and curbs. Instead, opt for a walk-in shower that is level with the floor with just a slight drop at the drain. Ideally, tubs and toilets should be in separate rooms to provide more open space in the bathroom.
