If Better Living Design is successful, middle-aged and older households will have more aging in place options than they do now. Many people now live in their standard homes for years or decades beyond when they’re safely able to do so because they don’t believe they have viable options.
As BLD is incorporated into more housing, more housing will be available with age-friendly features. For example, with the inclusion of Better Living Design features, the “move or improve” dilemma won’t be quite so fraught and stressful.
Instead of people having to choose between staying in their home or moving to a nursing home, they may be able to stay in their home making only a few simple and modest customizations. Rather than having to consider adding a ramp, or adding a downstairs bedroom and bathroom at a cost of many thousands of dollars, a BLD homeowner may only need to add grab bars, or modify a couple of base cabinets. Or perhaps someone might be able to move to a location of their choice and into a house that already contains the kind of features that will let them age in place.
Although we’re emphasizing the importance of housing, aging in place should be considered in the context of aging in community. Is the BLD home in a good location? People need to look at their home from the perspective of their community and neighborhood. The quality of a their home and it’s the community it’s in both matter.