Mar
2
Aging In Place: What Bath Design Solutions Work for Seniors
Filed Under Aging In Place / Aging At Home, Aging In Place Remodeling | Leave a Comment
Lately I’ve been working with many seniors who need modifications to their homes. The common thread is expense vs. return on investment – some Seniors see living in their own home as the only option for a happy life. Even if they are wheelchair bound, or suffering
from other maladies that would benefit greatly from some simple grab bar and handrail additions, to a walk in shower, and possibly even a stair chair.
What amazes me is that Seniors and their families are so attracted to walk-in tubs, which I believe are inherently unsafe. These ‘little’ items can cost up to $20,000 to install, while a complete ADA compliant bathing solution and remodeling the entire room would cost less than a “jump” in tub. These tubs require a step up – even two inches can be really difficult for an elderly person. One manufacturer’s web site even shows all the tubs with cross handle fixtures! Putting in lever handle faucets is one of the most important and simplest thing to do for yourself.
A good assess
ment and review of the home can expose details about where grab bars would work, and sometimes these are placed in garages, laundry rooms, kitchens, and of course, bathrooms. There are many, many options for beautiful grab bars. One thing to be aware of when installing grab bars is to know the weight of the person using the bar. Then check with the manufacturer to make sure the maximum weight it can hold, and choose the right brand. Anti-bacteria molded plastic over stainless steel is the best solution. Basic white costs just as much as a range of colors if you choose Ponte Giulio, Hewi (from Hafele) or “Great Grabz” styles.
Take into consideration the height of the client as well. While standards are standards, it doesn’t help to have a grab bar too high for a petite woman to hold comfortably. Right height the bars by taking the client into the room, and mark the heights on the tile or walls before drilling any holes.
For multiple grab bars, it should take one or two days to install up to 20. Then there will be patching and painting for any walls where a hole must be cut in the sheet rock to provide the proper backing per the manufacturers (and best practice) instructions.
Feb
1
Everything we know about lighting is changing faster and faster. As of January 1, 2012, all light bulb packaging will be changing as we move from Watts to Lumens! Incandescent bulbs will be unavailable in a couple of short years! As with other technologies, we have found ways to make 
better lights, with true colors, using far less energy and save money over time. These lights are called LED’s, or Light Emitting Diodes. They have been around since 1962, traditionally used as indicator lamps in many devices and increasingly used for other lighting. Early LEDs emitted low-intensity red light, but modern versions are available with very high brightness, or Lumens.
LEDs are often small, and present many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size, and faster switching. LEDs powerful enough for room lighting are relatively expensive, but as shown in the chart below, a very economical choice over time:
Cost Comparison : LEDs, CFLs and Incandescent bulbs
| LED | CFL | Incandescent | |
| Light bulb projected lifespan | 50,000 hours | 10,000 hours | 1,200 hours |
| Watts per bulb (equiv. 60 watts) | 6 | 14 | 60 |
| Cost per bulb | $35.95 | $3.95 | $1.25 |
| KWh of electricity used over | 300 | 700 | 3000 |
| 50,000 hours | |||
| Cost of electricity (@ 0.10per KWh) | $30 | $70 | $300 |
| Bulbs needed for 50k hours of use | 1 | 5 | 42 |
| Equivalent 50k hours bulb expense | $35.95 | $19.75 | $52.50 |
| Total cost for 50k hours | $65.95 | $89.75 | $352.50
|
Here are three new definitions you should learn before you purchase your next light bulb or light fixture. Keep in
mind that in a couple of short years, you will no longer be able to purchase regular incandescent bulbs, they are being completely phased out in the United States.
Lumen – a unit of standard measurement that is used to describe the amount of light contained in an area as perceived by the human eye. The more lumens, the brighter the light. Here’s the key, you can use lumens to compare the brightness of any bulb, regardless of the technology behind it, and regardless of whether it’s incandescent, CFL or LED.
Coloring Rendering Index (CRI) – CRI represents the quality of light and its faithfulness to render colors correctly. The CREE CR6 bulb, for example, features a CRI of 90 Warm White making it one of the highest in the industry.
Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) – is the measure used to describe the relative color appearance of a white light source. CCT indicates whether a light source appears more yellow/gold/orange or more blue, in terms of the range of available shades of “white.” CCT is given in kelvins (unit of absolute temperature). 2700K is “Warm” and 5000K is “Cool”. (Which seems the opposite of what it should be!)
This is the new vocabulary of lighting and bulb manufacturers. When you go to the store, you will see something like this on the packaging, depending on the type:
| Incandescent Watts | CFL Watts | LED Watts | Lumens (Brightness) |
| 40 | 8 to 12 | 4 to 5 | 450 |
| 60 | 13 to 18 | 6 to 8 | 890 |
| 75 – 100 | 18 to 22 | 9 to 13 | 1210 |
| 100 | 23to 30 | 16 – 20 | 1750 |
| 150 | 30 – 55 | 25 – 28 | 2780 |
It may take a little getting used to, but it’s better to know as much as possible about lighting your home, landscape, or business, especially when huge cost saving benefits over the lifespan of your lumens!
HB Building and Design can light up your life with a new lighting design and installation to prepare you for the future. We are lighting specialists! Call for a free quote 650-728-5878.
