TheAdaptedHouse.com

The Adapted house is adapted to the future and more specifically your future.   When young, people don't tend to think of the future or growing old but time passes.  When I bought my http://searshouse.com I specifically looked for a single story house that could be made

"wheelchair adaptable" if needed.  In college I had worked in hospital rehab and most house had serious adative challenges.  now, twenty years after buying my house my knees are bad and stairs are a "challenge".  For example, my laudry in in the basement..  During a four minute TV commercial break I can load the laundry and get back upstairs.  These are steep steps to the basement.  I put hand railings on both sides and they get a workout when I climb the steps.  There are three steps to the front and back stoops.  I can handle them now but when I am at a house with a ramp I test it and they work well.  The basic floorplan of my sershouse.com is single level or as they say in Britian, a Flat".  This is the first rule of adapted house.  Always look for a single story house.  Here is the floorplan for mine.  http://ocrscans.homestead.com/somerset.html   If you study it you will notice that it is very adaptable to a wheelchair scenario.  It was built in 1920.  The bathroom might need an "accordian door", that's basically it. 

It's surprising how few house are "wheelchair" adaptable, even in the cities.   In the suburbs around here there is a glut of "split level" and multi story houses though they have large enough yard areas to build single level or "flat". 

With the baby boomers aging there are increased costs.  "Aging in place" seems to be the best option in many cases if the house can be adapted.  Single level or "flat" is best. but there is far more to it.  In future writings I will try to discuss these.

This page was last updated: October 12, 2007