Adequate lighting is as important a consideration in homes for Aging Adults as almost any other factor. The brightest areas should include Kitchens, Baths, Stairways, Garages, and of course outside Walkways and Porches.  The reasons are quite obvious. Kitchens are where many potentially dangerous activities are performed: using sharp objects, handling hot items, slippery floor possibilities, setting controls for appliances such as ovens and microwaves, and the use of very hot water for many reasons. The Bath is similar in that water temperatures, floor conditions, and personal hygiene activities (such as shaving ) should have illumination at higher levels than say what the Bedroom offers. Task lighting must be provided where falls are most likely to occur.

Night lights that are appropriately placed also provide extra safety and convenience.  Today there are an almost limitless variety of light fixtures and other illuminating devices available for any problem area in the home. Aisle lights to light stairs, rope lighting  for highlighting handrails, under-cabinet task lights for Kitchens, etc. can all be easily incorporated to provide the best possible insurance that accidents which may occur will not be due to poor lighting.

Ii seems that no matter  what your age, where you go, or whomever you talk to today, care giving is but one conversation away. Most everyone fits into one of the following categories: you ARE a care giver, you WILL BE a caregiver, you WERE a care giver, or you KNOW a care giver.

My Wife and I are care givers. I designed a home for us to share with her parents that respects their privacy yet offers us all a lot of convenience, security, the right amount of independence, and the necessary family interaction when needed or desired. I believe the "sharing" of living quarters is going to be one of the next big trends in housing. The scenarios of inter-family needs, especially later in our lives, are almost limitless. Whether it is a new home designed for this purpose or  adaptations to an existing home, the mutual benefits of residing in the same dwelling have to be a sensible and financially advantageous situation for so many families.

Of course not everyone will elect or be able to help solve their care giving dilemmas in this manner but  more and more no doubt will. "The Folks, Next Door" works for us. 
  

Everyone benefits at some time or another from your incorporating Universal Design Features into the Home Shower Area. By building a curbless sloped floor to the Shower one is able to easily roll in a wheelchair or use a walker to enter the bathing area. Handheld Personal Shower Heads (often mounted on an adjustable height rod) provide flexibility and ease in both bathing and cleaning the Shower. Adequate overhead lighting, properly located grab bars, a non-skid flooring surface, and shower curtain rather than a door are all wise considerations. Also, if possible the actual size of the Bathing Area sshould be adequate for Assisted Bathing if necessary and can often be 5 feet wide or more and at least 42 inches front to back

There also are a myriad of accessories available today from scald-proof  water controls to fold-down seats to custom made 36 minimum clear width frameless safety glass shower doors. In short, anyone who has a Shower with these  features that ever has a sprained ankle or a bad back , regardless of age, will enjoy the conveniences and surely be safer while bathing.

For many reasons, more and more families are either now, or soon will be, sharing their living quarters and adapting to a care giving situation. Aging Adults with Mature Children  ( or Mature Children with Aging Adults ) are once again finding that residing together under the same roof makes a lot of sense: economically, socially, and convenience-wise.

Whether it is a well planned new home, an addition to an existing home, or practical adaptations to to an existing home, the benefits of what I refer to as "Share-Giving" are many.

It is no secret that our societal demographics are changing due to the onset of the "Boomer Generation," the access and availability of better and better medical care resulting in longer, healthier life expectancy, and the economic realities of Assisted Care costs such as In-Home assistance or Assisted Living facilities. 

Prudent family discussions, sound planning, and creative design assistance will result in better lifestyles, security, and convenience for families sharing their lives together.