adapting kitchens for people with aging/disability issues

6 years ago

We are planning to remodel our kitchen and have important needs that must be addressed. Like much of the baby boomer population, I am no longer able to stand on a stool in order to reach up to retrieve dishes, glassware and serving pieces. Plus I have Parkinson's and may face problems related to reduced flexibility. From my point of view, form must follow function. My kitchen currently has deep lower cupboards that waste tremendous space and should be replaced entirely by pull-out drawers; upper cupboards that reach the ceiling and need to be replaced by some open shelving; more convenient storage space. Our appliances are beyond old and mostly need replacing,

I have looked for designs for adults with disabilities with limited success. And don't even start on bathrooms that cannot accommodate walkers and skinny door ways that make mobility a huge issue.

What do you think about devoting an entire issue to functionality for mid-range budgets. (I'd like to budget for $35,000. Is that mid-range?)

Albi Calman

Featured Answer

gtcircus

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Albcal I actually understand because I had a spinal cord injury with permanent damage and after three reconstructions on my spine I know I am on borrowed time. I just redid my kitchen and the best advice I can give you is to get with a kitchen designer who deals with ADA compliance. And be prepared to pay and go through several design edits before you get your dream kitchen. Some things I did that are a result of my injury that might be applicable to you, I have drawers everywhere instead of lower cabinets with doors. I compressed my work triangle to the bare minimum so that I wasn’t running around. My stove, refrigerator and and sinks are literally three steps from each other. I used pull outs next to the stove to house my spice and other things I use to cook. I pared everything down to only that stuff I need out in the kitchen. I have a pantry and that is where I set up my toaster, vacuum sealer and were I store things I don’t use that often. I also moved the laundry near the bedrooms (best decision). I have a refrigerator only and then I went with freezer drawers under counter because it keeps my most used freezer drawer at a better height. The ovens were also raised so that they were at comfort height. As far as price, I think it might be on the low end, but I don’t know if you are recycling appliances. Another thing I did is I put in an air button for the garbage disposal. I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. The best advice I can give on that is to be open with your friends and family and let them know what to expect. I certainly had my ups and downs, but I was open that some days were going to be bad and what to expect. My friends have stood by me for 30 years, thick and thin. Best of luck.

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Comments (20)

becplatts
6 years ago
same here.... I am 5'0 - upper cabinets are a waste of my limited remodel budget. I would rather put my money into a large island with pull out draws and maybe a pull out pantry cabinet of two for storage of seldom used items. Any lower storage suggestions would be a great issue.
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years ago
ADA compliance info is worth along look . The idea of changing the base cabinets to drawers is a very good idea but if you are going to the trouble to change the cabinets makes sure the walkways are wide enough to turn a wheel chair in
gtcircus
6 years ago
Yes that is correct. My isles are wide enough but I did not design my kitchen for being wheel chair assessable because I can still stand and walk. I designed mine for being unable to bend or walk because I have spent so much of my life in a body cast with periods where it was difficult to stand for long periods. I also had limited mobility to walk but could stand and reach. So counter height became important along with being able to work sitting on a stool. Again, this is why a kitchen designer is so important because the space has to be designed for your individual situation and what is likely for you in the future. I am fighting like mad to not end up in the wheel chair wearing a diaper and so I work out hard three times a week with a trainer. But here is the other side (1) the first doctors said I would never walk again (2) the second doctor said I would only live a decade (die before 40) (3) another doctor said if I did walk I would be back in a wheel chair by 50. I am now 57, I still walk, I am not dead yet and I cross fit 3 times a week. My current physician says he won’t bet against me because I’ve beaten every odd - so do not let your DX affect your mindset. Yes plan for the worst but live life to the best. Thinking positive about all that you CAN DO and not focusing on what you CANT do is the key to life and happiness. Mind over matter......I don’t mind what they say because their opinion about my limitations doesn’t matter.
stillpitpat
6 years ago
I have a 10-year-old with motor, motor planning, and visuospatial delays, and I am planning our kitchen with him in mind. Our issues aren't so much the layout but the materials: induction range to limit fire or burn hazard, corian counters and linoleum floors to protect the dropped dishes, no garbage disposal for him to drop silverware into, counter-level microwave to protect against hot spills, etc. I have also bought/made cooking tools just for him (had to make some because what he needs apparently doesn't exist). I don't really have advice, but I support you in spirit. An accessible kitchen really is a requirement for independence, whether you are older and are trying to maintain your independence, or you are younger and are trying to become more independent.
eponymouse
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
This comment is relevant more to aging in general than to disabilities, but it is something that can be addressed/added at very little cost and effort when one is doing or re-doing a kitchen, so I thought I would include the "tip" here. I don't remember who suggested it to me (maybe my physician brother??), but it is a good one, and very cost-effective.

As we age, our eyesight tends to deteriorate, and older people require much greater illumination than do younger folks. So, when we added a new kitchen to our house (replacing a single-wall impossibility that dated from the 1950s), my husband and I made sure that each workspace included not merely adequate under-counter lighting, but SUPER/OVER-ABUNDANT under-counter lighting. We installed track-type under-counter lighting that can be activated in segments, and each segment can be activated at "low" or "high" level. Thus, the amount of lighting can be adjusted to the amount of ambient lighting available, and can also (presumably) be increased as our eyes age and we require additional lumens. (Currently, we use only a few segments, and usually at "low" levels.) If our eyesight remains good, then no big deal. The cost of the "extra" was de minimus, and it is a selling point for any future buyer. If our eyesight deteriorates, and we find that we need the extra illumination, we'll be very happy to not have to retro-fit (or to squint or make do.)

Also note -- extra lighting capacity typically doesn't take up any extra space, and doesn't take up extra electricity until and unless used.
sheloveslayouts
6 years ago
mushcreek's kitchen is a great example of planning for aging in place. Note the counter seating in the prep area (far right corner.)

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/diy-kitchen-reveal-abb-dsvw-vd~3436435
sheloveslayouts
6 years ago
We were 37 and 39 when we planned our house, but I kept aging in place in mind. I recommend spending $10 for the kindle version of

NKBA Kitchen and Bathroom Planning Guidelines with Access Standards.

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Bathroom-Planning-Guidelines-Standards-ebook/dp/B019YNO4NW/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=
Helen
6 years ago
I am remodeling with aging in place as a consideration.

I am having toe kick STEP STOOLS installed wherever I have upper cabinets installed. I now have to take out a step stool whenever accessing the top - especially back top - of upper cabinets. So I sometimes just attempt to stretch or kind of pry it out with a broom handle and hope it won't crash on my head :-) rather than go to the trouble of getting out the step stool and putting it back.

Obviously one wants pull outs and/or drawers so one doesn't have to get on hands and knees to retrieve items in the depths of lower cabinets. This would include pull outs in the sink cabinet so that cleaning supplies don't go in there to die :-) as they are pushed to the murky back of the cabinet.

I am actually having my upper cabinets installed at below the standard height of 18" because I am short specifically so that upper cabinet shelves are more accessible. My current upper cabinets are a slightly lower height which I just discovered recently when I learned that 18" was the "normal". My coffee maker is housed on a portion of the counter which has no uppers. My KA mixer and Cuisinart will live on a cubby designed for their height and I will use the KA mixer by slightly moving forward so it tilts upward and clears the lower and use the Cuisinart either by moving forward or pushing it where there are no uppers. To me, the few minutes of adjusting for the Cuisinart or KA Mixer once or twice a week versus having easier access to upper shelves of cabinets is an easy trade off.

I am installing the Bosch Benchmark Side Opening Oven installed at an optimum height for me so I don't have to bend or reach and can access stuff directly from the front as opposed to reaching over the side.

I am going with induction cooktop. So far I haven't burned myself on standard stoves but I have seen induction recommended for seniors since the surface doesn't heat up. Ease of cleanup is a major plus for me as I have significantly less energy to clean as I age and would rather devote energy to actual cooking :-)

I am installing a microwave drawer - again for ergonomic reasons as I didn't have any other place to put it where I wouldn't have to reach too high or have to squat. If you have sufficient space to put an MW at optimum height, you don't need this expense but I do.

When my parents moved into a retirement condo, they retrofitted a table that dropped down or could go up. They used this A LOT for prepping and other kitchen tasks as it enabled them to sit down while working. The same function could be achieved by having a dedicated lower counter area with a seat but hist worked for their small condo kitchen. When I was growing up, a lot of prepping was done by my grandmother sitting at her kitchen table - but obviously that only works if you have an eat in kitchen. I don't think islands achieve that functionality unless you deliberately build in a lower counter which has seating of some kind so you can prep while seated.

Not sure if it is strictly ergonomic but I have opted for a single bowl sink which is only 8" deep. This is plenty deep for me but it is less deep than a lot of sinks which are 9" or 10" deep which means that one would have to bend significantly or reach - depending on one's height.
apple_pie_order
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Houzz had a story in 2015 about the design issue, with many comments following. Well worth reading. [https://www.houzz.com/magazine/kitchen-confidential-10-ways-to-promote-aging-in-place-stsetivw-vs~56039514 [(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/kitchen-confidential-10-ways-to-promote-aging-in-place-stsetivw-vs~56039514)

Working within a modest budget is not often addressed in Houzz articles, much more often in the comments. Most kitchens featured in Houzz are showplaces well over $100K. Nonetheless, they often have good design ideas that can be used in less expensive kitchens.
apple_pie_order
6 years ago
It is definitely worth talking to an ADA kitchen and bath planning specialist who will walk through your house with you. Sometimes there are problems with a house that just can't be worked out within a reasonable budget (steep hillside, too many narrow doorways, dropped floors from one room to the next, and so on). In that case, a much happier solution can be to move to a more convenient house.
gtcircus
6 years ago
The lighting issue was something I forgot to mention and I put in so much lighting that they joked you would have to wear sun glasses - but in the winter at night it is just right. I also have dimmers and lights on different switches, but with cataracts developing I have trouble seeing in low light.
PRO
Summit Studio Architects
6 years ago
This has been a super informative read.

In addition to ADA specialists the National Association of Home Builders has a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) program.
M Miller
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Now, if only appliances manufacturers could install knobs instead of touch pads. If you have any dexterity issues, which can be from illness or age (or heck, I have a friend who broke her arm, had surgery to repair it, and then lost feeling in her fingers of that arm for almost a year), those touch pads make life difficult.

How can we start a campaign for this? Appliances manufacturers, are you listening?

(P.S. I know there are some appliances that have knobs, for example DCS has them, but they are in the minority)
sheloveslayouts
6 years ago
No kidding, M Miller! I miss knobs. And not just appliances, but in cars too.
Toronto Veterinarian
6 years ago
I thought I was the only one who liked knobs. One of the reasons I chose my specific induction range model was the knobs.
PRO
Cabinets 4U, Inc.
6 years ago
Here are a few more tips: Universal
Design & Aging in Place
gtcircus
6 years ago
Well I had an oven that hinged on the side. I cried when it died. If you have spine issues lifting a 25 pd turkey out of an oven with a big door between you which forces a bad ergonomic bend is excruciating. That move lead to surgery #3!
Heather
6 years ago
Bosh makes a side-swing oven with full extension rack. Definitely work with a kitchen designer that specializes in ADA. I encorporated a lot of those ideas simply because I don’t like to do kitchen gymnastics with hot food. I went with base cabinet drawers, very few upper cabinets, wall ovens instead of a range, etc. There are also ADA appliances so you don’t have to bend and twist (dishwashers and dryers are the worst). I can’t stress how important a kitchen designer is. Mine wasn’t expensive and saved me a tremendous amount of money and I got my entire wishlist. Good luck.
miss lindsey (She/Her)
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I wanted to mention that if you are no longer able to use a stool to reach your cupboards, keeping open shelves clean and tidy is going to be an excercise in futility.

I am thinking of my grandmother who was 5'0 and hampered as a result of polio. Her counters were *covered* in everything that would usually be in the upper cabinets and her open display shelves were always thick with dust. It bugged my mom but she was never rude about it, but after my grandma died my mom was talking to her sisters-in-law and they suddenly clued in: Grandma just couldn't reach those uppers cabs! Me having never realized their true attitude about it and being a teenager thought "yeah, no crap. That didn't take a genius to figure out" but I kept that in lol.

adapting kitchens for people with aging/disability issues

gtcircus

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