A House Built for Oldies
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382303)
Rockingham, Australia
August 6, 2021 6:59pm CST
When we inspected a display home in the lifestyle village, I was a bit bemused by the size of the bathrooms. They were big and it seemed a waste of space when the house itself and the block it was on were quite small.
However, there was a reason for the size. The houses are designed for oldies. So the bathroom is designed to take a wheelchair or walking frame. As we went through the house we discovered a few other modifications designed with ageing in mind.
There is no ‘step’ into the bathroom area, and no door. You might be able to see that in the photo. All the doors are extra wide, again with wheelchairs and/or carers in mind. The hallway is quite wide which is good for us as the photos we’ve hung don’t look too out of place in the larger space. Their plan falls down in the laundry which is very pokey. There is no way you’d get a wheelchair into it. And the toilet doesn't have grab rails which you'd think would be standard in such a place.
22 people like this
23 responses
@DaddyEvil (174575)
• United States
7 Aug 21
One of the houses Pretty and I looked at before moving into this one was built like that and we wondered why... Very interesting.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174575)
• United States
7 Aug 21
@JudyEv I hope that works. People try to stay in their own home as long as possible here... sometimes that works. Other times, we find the body in an advanced state of decay because nobody checks on them often enough.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382303)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug 21
@DaddyEvil That can happen too for sure. I would hope that there is enough networking here that a prolonged absence or whatever would be noticed.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153529)
• India
8 Aug 21
@JudyEv How difficult was it for you to adjust to this new kind of living?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382303)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug 21
@allknowing We haven't been here long so for the moment it's an ongoing process. I keep reminding myself about things I don't miss from our old home and that helps.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502617)
• Italy
7 Aug 21
A German builder made many mistakes building apartments for oldies here, they were a flop.
First BIG mistakes, he did not put a bidet in the bathrooms, when asked he said "in Germany we do not use it"... what a stupid answer, HERE we DO use them.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502617)
• Italy
8 Aug 21
@JudyEv He build a 250 apartments complex and he sold 5 apartments... to Swiss Germans.
He sold to a local company that is rebuilding the inside at a more local taste. Also the colors he choose were not what people like here, we want pastel colors in the bathrooms.
He sold to a local company that is rebuilding the inside at a more local taste. Also the colors he choose were not what people like here, we want pastel colors in the bathrooms.1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
7 Aug 21
olidies, but goodies!
I suspect more hosues should be built to accommodate wheelchairs and other limited access and limited mobility people...
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382303)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug 21
@DocAndersen I think that could easily be the case here.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
8 Aug 21
@JudyEv a friend of mine is in a wheelchair, when they built the house they are in now, 20 years ago, the builder thought they were crazy. They are moving now, and found five houses in one day that were wheel chair ready.!
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
8 Aug 21
Strange that all the other spaces have a very practical and functional design but the laundry is like that. And yes the grab rails are one of the basics in such a place. I wonder if anyone they've ever gotten any feedback about those things.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128837)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Aug 21
It was really smart of the designers to think of the need for wheelchair access, but I guess they weren't too smart if they didn't think to make the laundry room accessible as well. And I agree with you, the toilet should have grab rails.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128837)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Aug 21
@JudyEv It would only make sense for these ideas to become standard as the world's population continues to age.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222527)
• United States
7 Aug 21
Does it have the taller toilet? We have one in our home. Lots of good things in that home.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382303)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug 21
No it doesn't but that would have been a good idea. It does have the shower tap so you don't get scalded when you turn it on. So many showers in caravan parks, etc, have the tap directly under the shower. I'm pretty sure the water temperature here is regulated so you can't scald yourself.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382303)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Aug 21
@LindaOHio The water still gets really hot but not enough for bad burns. I don't have it on full hot when I have a shower.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222527)
• United States
8 Aug 21
@JudyEv That's good. I'd like one of those devices that keeps the water at a set temperature.
1 person likes this
@oahuwriter (26773)
• United States
8 Aug 21
Yes, it should be standard for bathroom. Very big indeed. But, hope you & your husband never need it. Better walking.
1 person likes this
So we'll have to keep walking.
@snowy22315 (209009)
• United States
7 Aug 21
The hall does look pretty narrow. You would think they would have grab bars. Sometimeseople will use chairs or benches in those stalls. My mother uses a shower chair.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382303)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug 21
Thanks. It works well. We like a shower with decent pressure so we were keen to try out this one but it's fine.
@wolfgirl569 (135847)
• Marion, Ohio
7 Aug 21
It does look accessible. Wonder why they forgot the laundry needed to be big too. The grab rails would be easy to add if needed. Maybe they thought that would be to much when not needed.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14786)
• Ireland
7 Aug 21
@judyev A spacious bathroom is a great asset for the future. I was involved in the building of a Care Home long time ago and during a site inspection at an advanced stage the head of the home ordered all the toilets to be moved because they were too close to a wall and she wanted space for a Carer to be able to stand on each side of the toilet to help people rise from the potty. Contractor was very cross, but the lady was right.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382303)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Aug 21
If we get to the point where we need a carer each side, I think we'd be encouraged to move to an assisted living facility. But with the right amenities, people can manage in their own homes for quite some time even if they have a certain amount of disability.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91126)
• United States
7 Aug 21
With the modifications in mind for aging you would think they would have considered the toilet and laundry area too. Otherwise it seems smart to plan ahead for such things.
1 person likes this
