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When a House Is Not a Home
ASID ICON | SEP/OCT 2008
Design for Everyone
ASID Los Angeles Chapter and Kiwanis Partner Give Homeowner a Barrier-Free Future
Thirty years ago, Hugh Finlay suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side and un-able to speak more than a few words at a time. In all but one respect, he was able to move about the condominium he had purchased in the New Hori-zons retirement community in Torrance, Calif.: He could not take a shower because the tub was too high for him to step over safely. So for many years Hugh grabbed his cane and walked to the local YMCA to use the showers or visited the clubhouse pool showers once or twice a week on the days his friend, Jack Rennie, would pick him up and drive him there.
Today, Finlay no longer has to leave his home just to take a shower. He has a newly universally designed bathroom, thanks to a cooperative effort of the ASID California Los Angeles Chapter and the Torrance Kiwanis Foundation. Evelyn Grodan, CAPS, of Design That Works, a consultancy specializing in building modifications for seniors and people with special needs, served as project manager and accessibility consultant for the project. Their combined efforts, along with generous donations from local vendors and contractors, allowed them to remodel not just Finlay's bathroom but the entire condo. The project employed universal design and sustainable and accessibility principles to create a space that is healthy, safe and barrier-free.
The centerpiece of the design is a fully acces-sible bathroom that was created by combining two smaller bathrooms into one. Doorways were widened from 28" to 36" and new doors were put in. The bathroom now has a non-slip tiled walk-in shower with a five-foot turnaround, an anti-scald, hand-held faucet and a fold-down seat; a sink with a hands-free faucet; and an energy-efficient, water-saving, comfort-height toilet and a portable bidet. Grab bars were installed in the shower and toilet area, and the shower floor was sloped toward the center drain. A custom vanity was added that can accommodate a wheel chair should one be needed in the future, and a special cover was put around the pipes to protect legs from coming in contact with the hot water pipe. For safety and ease of use, a motion sensor now operates the lighting.
"The type, nature and severity of a patient's dis-ability all impact how limited his or her bathing experience will be," says Grodan. "Providing ade-quate bath safety also means preserving a person's independence and dignity."
The project expanded beyond the bathroom as more vendors and people heard about it and wanted to get involved. The kitchen cabinets were refaced and new appliances, countertops and light-ing were added in the kitchen. Doors and windows were replaced with easier-to-open, lighter-weight vinyl models. Donations included new furniture, built-in closets and window treatments.
Other improvements were made to create a healthier environment and enhance ease of use. All door knobs throughout the condo were replaced with lever-style handles, and all closet hardware was changed to large pulls. The carpet was re-moved and replaced with a wood-look vinyl flooring that is easier to keep clean and makes for a smooth-er transition from room to room. Walls were given a fresh coat of low-VOC paint. New thermostats with auto control and larger number pads were installed, as were two HEPA air purifiers. All the light bulbs were changed to energy-efficient, longer-life fluo-rescent bulbs. To top things off, address numbers on the outside of the building were replaced with larger ones and properly lighted.
"It's amazing, the support we've gotten," says Ellen Cantor, ASID, CID, the chair for the chapter's Aging in Place program. "The positive reaction from the neighborhood has been very encouraging. We are eager to get started on our next project."]
For a list of Industry Partners and other volunteers who contributed products and materials for this project, visit www.asid.org/designknowledge/
Design That Works
Designing Healthy Homes
Universal : Accessible : Green Design
Phone: 661-607-8472
Fax: 661-670-9115
Email: ev@DesignThatWorksOnline.com
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