Seniors who are retiring often decide to move out of the city, swapping their apartment for a home in a quiet place close to nature. What kind of home design will meet the needs of seniors?
Retirement is a pleasant period in life, when we can nurture our passions and realize our dreams. One of the desires of many senior citizens is to build their own home, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Which building will provide seniors with comfort and will not be expensive to maintain? What to pay attention to at the design stage?
The first step is to choose a plot for the construction of the house. We do not recommend buying a plot in the middle of nowhere because of the long distances to institutions such as health care center or hospital. It is worth building a house on an inhabited and well developed land. If you love plants and spending time outdoors, it is a good idea to buy a plot of a larger area, which will enable you to arrange not only a backyard terrace, but also a garden of your dreams.
Intergenerational houses, which were a standard in the past, are nowadays an increasingly rare solution. So the elderly do not have to decide on a design that will take into account the needs of their children and grandchildren, focusing only on themselves and their spouse. What size house will be optimal for two people of mature age? A reasonable option will be an area of 80-100 m². A house of this size will be cheap to maintain and easy to clean
With age, many seniors begin to have problems with mobility, so it’s worth betting on a single-storey house, which lacks architectural barriers, such as numerous stairs, complicated transitions between rooms, landings, too narrow doors (the minimum width is 90-100 cm). This is especially important for people who move with a cane or use a wheelchair
The key issue is very good thermal insulation. It is worth taking care of the high quality of materials used and not to save on them, so that less heat will escape outside the building during the heating period. Maintenance-free heating will be provided by gas system (double-function gas furnace), oil system or heat pump
If your budget allows, it’s worth investing in modern technologies that will allow seniors to remotely control the burglar alarm system, external blinds, lights and even heating
A house dedicated to an elderly person should not consist of many rooms – the needs of a mature couple will be fully satisfied by a living room, kitchen with dining area, bedroom and an additional room (one or two). As over time one of the persons may become ill, it would be wise to have a spare bedroom where a special rehabilitation bed can be placed in the future – in the meantime the room can serve as a guest room.
>> See also: What kind of heating to choose for an energy-efficient home?
The design of the house for seniors should take into account numerous amenities, such as a gentle driveway, a wide corridor, wall-mounted railings, non-slip floors or a larger bathroom with a toilet located next to the bedroom (for maximum comfort, it is worth opting for a spacious shower with a drop in the floor instead of a bathtub or a deep shower tray)
Many seniors decide to design a house in a traditional style, although there are also those who prefer modern blocks – the main thing is that the house should suit the preferences of the residents
We hope that with our tips you will be able to build a comfortable and ergonomic dream home, adapted to the specific requirements of each senior.
