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Housing an Aging
Population:
Guidelines for Development
Preface to the Second Edition
Goals of the Report
Goals of the Report
The goal of the first edition of Housing an Aging Population: Guidelines
for Development and Design was to help to maximize housing choices for
seniors in Canada by promoting a wider range of housing options that are
appropriate and well designed, affordable and marketable. The document
was intended to present the necessary design information, but in a sufficiently
general way that it could be applied in all provinces.
Seniors have consistently told the National Advisory Council on Aging
(NACA) that they wish to live independently in the community as long as
they are able. Living in a home that is adapted to one's needs and abilities,
affordable to maintain and with ready access to services is an essential
condition for independence. The report came about in response to the growing
expectations of seniors for a wide range of housing choices. The underlying
philosophy - maximizing choices - points the way to a future in which
changing lifestyles will necessarily result in a wide range of new options.
The production of the report was a complex undertaking, requiring much
expert advice and many meetings of a task force, chaired by the late Joan
Simon of the Canadian Housing Design Council. It was Yhetta Gold, Chairperson
of NACA from 1983 to 1986, who initiated this project; the late Charlotte
Matthews, Council Chairperson from 1987 to 1990, guided the document to
publication. It is now my privilege, as the current Chairperson, to direct
the revision of this outstanding legacy.
Since its initial publication in 1987, the report has been re-printed
twice. Users and housing experts alike have commented on its usefulness
and clarity. However, new developments in seniors' housing, the extensive
research conducted by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and
the release of Barrier-free Design by the Canadian Standards Association
(CSA) in 1990 have prompted NACA to revise and update parts of the text,
the bibliographic references and the design specifications. Also, to make
The Design Workbook easier to use, its pages have been numbered separately
and can be readily removed and copied. 
Overview of
the report
Throughout the document, the housing process is examined from the senior's
point of view. Chapter 1 looks at the characteristics of seniors and the
housing choices currently available to establish a framework for determining
the special housing requirements of an aging population. The process of
developing a housing project is outlined in some detail in Chapter 2,
with applications to both remodelling an existing dwelling and planning
and constructing a multiple-unit residence. A sample flow chart shows
the steps in decision-making and the interplay of design, regulations
and financing.
The Design Workbook constitutes the final chapter. It identifies design
issues to be addressed in the planning stage by both project developers
and seniors who are involved with the project as sponsors, planners or
future residents. The emphasis on decision-making throughout the process
highlights the importance of considering seniors' input at each stage.
The Workbook sets out architectural guidelines in a series of worksheets
which are to be used at the appropriate points in the development. There
currently is a variety of concepts in housing, including accessible housing,
adaptable housing, barrier-free housing and universal design. The Workbook
is explicitly based on the barrier-free concept; the specifications are
taken from the 1990 guidelines for barrier-free design produced by the
CSA. In some instances, the specifications recommended by the CSA may
differ from those strictly required in the National Building Code; this
is because they represent an ideal standard rather than minimum legal
requirements.
Selected readings, a list of documents and other information required
during the development of a housing project round out the report.
A number of target audiences will find this document useful. Seniors
wishing to renovate their homes or considering a move to another kind
of dwelling will be able to make informed choices. Architects and designers,
town planners and policy developers will have the information to tailor
their work more effectively to the requirements of the senior population.
Housing providers - developers, sponsors and citizens' groups - will find
a clear model for making the decisions that will provide appropriate marketable
housing.
The National Advisory Council on Aging is pleased to release this updated
version of Housing an Aging Population: Guidelines for Development and
Design for the use of housing providers and for the benefit of all seniors
in Canada.
August 1992 Blossom T. Wigdor, C.M., Ph.D.
Chairperson
Why Seniors'
Housing Needs May Be Different
In Environment and Aging, Powell Lawton has said that "although the
most important generalization in gerontology may be that older people are,
on the whole, pretty much like the rest of us, there is an important message:
where people do differ frorn the capabilities of older those of younger
people, unique needs requiring unique satisfiers may result. Hence the suggestion
that what is good for people in general will be good for the elderly is
only partly true.
Lawton's statement reinforces the importance of maximizing housing choices
for seniors. It gives us a framework within which to identify the unique
needs of the elderly, suggesting that we look for age-related differences
in capabilities that affect housing needs.
Functional capability affects how we accomplish our daily activities
in our environment. This capability rnay be only loosely related to aging:
a younger person rnay have more or less functional capability than an
older person. planning for future changes in functional capacity is an
important part of housing design.
The rate of change of all five senses varies widely among people in the
same age group; one person at a certain age may have much better use of
specific senses than another who is much younger in chronological terms.
Generally speaking, however, older people as a group tend to experience
sensory impairments or reductions. Also possible are mobility limitations
ranging from weakness because of frailty or illness, through stiff joints
and bad backs, tremors and loss of coordination, to situations requiring
the use of a walking aid or wheelchair.
Environmental design can compensate for many of these losses. Wall and
floor surfaces that reduce reflected sound will help someone with impaired
hearing carry on a conversation. Strong and welldiffused lighting can
improve depth perception and minimize shadows, helping a person see that
next step more clearly. Furniture arrangements should let people sit close
enough to see and hear each other comfortably.
The psychosocial aspects of aging have an impact on our housing needs
as well. As occupational and family roles change, different activity patterns
may result. More time may be spent in the home, making its design more
critical to the resident. Changes in roles also affect the need for support
from social networks. Living environments should allow for the many qualities
and lifestyles that tend to distinguish seniors from the population at
large.
Given that differences resulting from the aging process do exist, it
is fair to examine how well they are taken into account in housing design
guidelines and standards by asking whether special needs that tend - to
be associated with aging require more, better or different treatment.
Existing standards for housing may mention the special needs of elderly
people in passing, but they often fail to provide consistent provisions
to meet these needs. The guidelines in the Design Workbook of this document
are based on the standards developed by the Canadian Standards Association
(CSA), using the above framework to develop specific criteria for seniors.
At the core of the Workbook is the concept of barrier-free design barrier-free
design
Barrier-free
Design
Design is said to be barrier-free when an environment contains no architectural,
design or psychological features that might prevent anyone, able-bodied
or impaired, from using the environment to the full extent of his or her
abilities.
It is useful to examine the implications of this definition from two
points of view: existing environments, and those on the drawing board.
Most of us have seen the ramps, wider parking spaces and amplifying telephones
that are among the most obvious attempts to make the environment more
accessible to people with functional impairments. Accessibility modifications
to an existing home can range from buying a few simple aids and devices
for daily living to a full retrofit job with ramps and lifts at changes
of level and a remodelled kitchen and bathroom, all, of course, depending
on the degree of functional capability of the resident, not to mention
financial resources.
When a building is in the conceptualization stage, however, the opportunity
exists to create good, accessible design before barriers are built. There
can be no excuse for designing a sunken living room, a tiny bathroom or
narrow doorways. Barrier-free design is founded on the principle of promoting
continuing utilization, and takes into account the possibility of future
changes in functional capacity. The Design Workbook reflects this by describing
design criteria that will suit residents with a range of functional ability,
so that all individuals, regardless of strength or mobility, will find
the environment safe and negotiable at all times. Simply put, design that
takes into account the full range of physical needs will respond to the
needs of the greatest number of residents.
Conclusion
People of all ages want to know that their basic life-supporting requirements
are taken care of: that their housing and immediate physical environment
are affordable, accessible and comfortable, that they are safe and secure
from intrusion, attack or extremes of weather, and that they can work or
engage in a variety of activities and make and maintain social contacts.
Privacy, control, security, freedom of choice, independence and self-sufficiency
are important to all of US.
Factors related to aging, such as physical and sensory changes, as well
as shifting social patterns and needs and altered economic circumstances,
all play a role in housing design. Maximizing housing choices that incorporate
good design to respond to these factors can improve the quality of life
for seniors.
© Minister of Supply and Services Canada 1992
ISBN: 0-662-0261-9
Catalogue: H-91-3/6-1992E
Également disponible en français sous le titre:
Loger une population vieillissante: Guide et notes de conception.
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