By Jessica Tobacman
As Baby Boomers age, large numbers of
them are interested in staying in their homes, so this movement isn’t
just a trend, but an important part of the future.
Done right, Universal Remodeling
makes the home a safer and more accessible place for all ages. It is
both preferable for those who wish to age in their homes and also for
the disabled or the injured, who may be in wheelchairs or using walkers
or crutches. The goal is to help your clients to become more
independent, to make them comfortable in their homes again, and keep
the home comfortable through changing circumstances.
Vita Burdi, of DJ’s Home Improvements
Inc., in Franklin Square, N.Y., is using Universal Remodeling to build
her reputation. Although Burdi says that her company has always
remodeled with Universal Remodeling principles, they’ve recently
started to use this in a new marketing strategy.
“We used it to spark interest in our
company, marketing to different people and getting more business. It’s
our niche in the market, and it was a great idea.” Burdi first
mentioned it in her company newsletter in November 2008. Since then,
she has left flyers in doctors’ offices and with customers. She is also
beginning to advertise in a store where the elderly purchase electric
scooters, a popular product for those concerned with how they can stay
mobile. In addition, Burdi advertises in newsletters for Kiwanis and
the Sons of Italy, which include a variety of age groups. “We try to
make the homeowner feel more comfortable. Even though they need all
this stuff, it’ll look beautiful when they’re done,” she says. It is
still too early to say how much Universal Remodeling business Burdi has
gained, but her goal is that it will become 25 percent of the company’s
total income by the end of the year.
Although having Universal Remodeling
in the home is a huge advantage, individuals still want safe, practical
and beautiful design.
“This presents a real design
challenge to us,” Burdi says. Still, Burdi finds success with many
items. She adds grab bars for support, includes an entry ramp to at
least one entrance of the home, installs handrails to ease entering or
exiting the residence and levers to substitute for doorknobs, places a
fold-down seat in the shower and a hand-held device to direct the
water, waterproofs the shower floor, widens doorways and removes the
standard curb around the shower to make them wheelchair- and
walker-accessible and puts a subtle, hardly noticeable, pitch in the
shower floor, to help water from the shower flow down a drain in the
center. Everyone from an older person with arthritis to a young mom
with a baby would benefit from having levers, instead of doorknobs that
are difficult to turn, Burdi says.
A major hazard in the bathroom is the
potential for tripping. Homeowners often have to contend with an edge
surrounding the shower, a slippery floor or a bathtub with edges high
off the ground. It can be challenging for those who find it difficult
to lift their feet far enough into the air and over the sides of the
tub. This is particularly true for those who have gone through hip,
abdominal or knee surgeries, Burdi notes. Although they cannot enter a
tub easily, a barrier-free shower with a seat lets use a wheelchair or
a walker. Although she generally leaves one bathtub in the home, Burdi
is likely to remove a second one. “It’s a great idea to make one of the
baths totally accessible.”
The bathrooms tend to be relatively
small and old in the 1930s homes Burdi often remodels. “We help them
make do with what they have and make it totally accessible for them,”
she says. In addition, the hand-held shower provides the flexibility so
that residents can use it while resting on a newly added seat, if they
choose. “We try to make it comfortable for them,” Burdi says. Another
way that she aims for comfort is by making the toilet the right height,
so that homeowners can extend their knees or hips at a comfortable
distance.
The kitchen also tends to be an area
that it is difficult to use if in a wheelchair. Universal Remodeling
advocates using pullout or rollout shelves to make them accessible and
altering the heights of countertops so residents can roll under them.
Burdi not only likes this type of
design, but also recommends that other home improvement contractors
seriously consider it. This is partially because of its growing
popularity. “People are really taking to it,” she says. “It’s for
different people with different needs. Universal Remodeling makes them
feel more comfortable in their homes.”
When called into a home, Burdi
focuses on specific areas to minimize any disruptions to the
homeowners, reducing any stress from the remodeling. “[A
Universal Remodeling project] can be done rather quickly, within eight
days. It’s not a major remodel.” As you age, you no longer want
tremendous change, Burdi says. “You want familiar surroundings that are
comfortable to you. This is really what this gives them.”
In this economy, many homeowners can no longer afford to move into nursing homes.
“[People] are so much happier when
they go home,” Burdi says. “It’s nice to be able to help them stay [in
their houses]. We get such a great feeling from it. I’m happy we can do
this for them—it’s a way we can give that [self-reliance] back to them.”