Multigenerational living has become an increasingly common reality for American families. When designing a home for multiple generations, it is vitally important that its design considers all family members’ accessibility needs and consideration of aging in place needs.
An accessible floorplan makes life easier for seniors while giving younger family members privacy when necessary.
Floor Plan Adjustments
Designing a home suitable for multigenerational living requires creating flexible floor plans to accommodate families of varying sizes. Elderly residents may require wheelchair or walker mobility assistance, making accessing hallways, doors and bathrooms difficult; wide hallways allow easier movement.
Bathrooms should feature wide doors without curbs that could create trip hazards, while showers should include benches to enable family members to sit while bathing. Furthermore, adding nightlights in hallways and stairs provides another layer of safety as family members navigate their way throughout their house at night.
These features can be built into new homes with Universal Design principles in mind, and many homebuilders are responding by offering multigenerational living options within communities like Elyson. Darling Homes’ Plan 7490 features such a versatile layout with suites on both levels; The Cook family chose it for their new home at Elyson and loves having space to accommodate both grandparents and grandchildren!
Home Modification Checklist
Home modification projects aim to make homes more accessible, adaptable and safe. From making small adjustments such as widening doors or installing grab bars to larger renovation projects such as building wheelchair ramps or lowering counter tops – home modification projects aim to improve accessibility.
Occupational therapists and other professionals can conduct assessments to identify an individual’s specific needs and make modifications that support them in their home environment. Adopting a person plus place approach, this analysis takes into account physical, cognitive and emotional requirements in order to create the most ideal living space possible for each individual.
People living with disabilities and those aging in place need to ensure that their homes are both safe and functional, which means identifying areas which could benefit from home modifications as early as possible in order to avoid negative outcomes and enhance quality of life in the long term. United Disabilities Services’ home modification checklist makes this easy by making sure all potential safety risks have been properly taken into consideration.
Interior Design
Multigenerational households usually feature at least two adult generations living together, including either elderly parents and their adult children, or grandparents living with grandchildren in one household.
Multi-generational living allows families to spend more time together while strengthening bonds. Plus, this alternative housing solution can save money compared to traditional options or assisted living facilities.
An attractive home designed for multigenerational living can create a more relaxing and stress-free lifestyle, but requires careful planning and attention to every detail. Consult an aging in place or accessible home design specialist in order to determine which modifications would work best.
Be mindful of key principles of Universal Design when planning your home, including accessibility upgrades that can extend its use by you and your family members for as long as possible. For instance, bedrooms should preferably be located on the main floor to make them more easily accessible for wheelchair-users or walkers.
Home Decor
As you renovate or build a home using universal design principles, make it ideal for multigenerational living by including features like wider doorways, no-step entries, lever-style door handles and grab bars in bathrooms – these upgrades will help your family enjoy their home for many years to come!
When designing a home for multigenerational living, make sure each member of your family has enough space and privacy. Otherwise, stress may build and the lines between generations may blur.
Integrating bedrooms onto the main floor is an effective way to provide families with some much-needed privacy, providing natural separation between parents and children. Pocket doors or french doors may provide extra separation. Furthermore, additional outdoor entrances help families escape into their yards if things start getting too close together inside the house.