Does your housing co-op want members to age in place but isn’t sure what they’ll need? You can start with a simple upgrade, such as installing non-slip flooring at the entrance to your co‑op. Grab bars near toilets and showers are an easy fix, as are detachable shower heads with flexible hoses.
Depending on your co-op’s capacity, your can undertake more complex aging-in-place measures like modifying the kitchen cabinetry to ensure that elderly residents can safely reach the shelves.
Kensington Seniors Housing Co-operative, an Agency client located in Kensington, PEI, recently implemented a range of aging-in-place measures after having an assessment completed in 2021.
The co-operative is a two-storey apartment complex with an elevator that includes 15 member units. It has a community room, a co-op office and a shared outdoor patio, sunroom and laundry facility.
The aging-in-place assessment made various recommendations for the co-op’s consideration with the goal of creating and maintaining an accessible and age-friendly home for members.
Acting on the recommendations of Rimkus (formerly IRC Building Sciences Group), the co-op has completed many aging-in-place measures in common areas, unit interiors and elsewhere on the property. Here are just some of what Kensington Seniors did:
- Repaired cracked and uneven sidewalk surfaces to eliminate tripping hazards
- Provided handicapped parking stalls
- Placed a non-slip flooring mat inside the main entrance
- Mounted a small shelf beneath the mailboxes at the main entrance for members to place their packages on while groping for their keys
- Installed grab bars beside toilets and added recessed light fixtures and grab bars in showers
- Replaced old-style faucets in kitchens and bathrooms with lever-style faucets
- Added detachable shower heads with flexible hoses
- Provided stepstools with integrated handrails so that members can safely access upper kitchen cabinets
Kensington Seniors has further plans for
- installing Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSI) at the transition between the concrete walkway and the asphalt pavement that provides wheelchair access.
- installing high-contrast paint on the edges of interior stairs for visibility.
- elevating front-loading dryers in the shared laundry room to make them more accessible.
Conclusion
Aging-in-place measures at your co-op do not need to be extensive or expensive. You can begin by taking the steps within your capacity and interest, just as Kensington Seniors did!
If you’re not sure where to start but know your members may be interested in aging in place, check out our previously posted news articles on this topic, beginning with Creatively Aging in Place and Paying for Your Aging-in-Place Renovations.
The Agency also has an information sheet on aging in place.