We're Not Getting Any Younger!
Acknowledging our age and the fact that we're not getting any younger, we made several design decisions that are already showing their benefits.
- First and foremost, there are no, repeat, no steps in our house. The entrances, both front and rear, are approached by using ramps. The entire house is on one level. In fact, there are not even any thresholds once you enter the house since the flooring in every room is the same: bamboo.
- All the locksets are levers; there are no knobs.
- All the faucetry is operated by levers; there are no knobs.
- Every door in both the house and the outbuilding is at least 36" wide. There are no 30" or smaller doors .
- All the toilets are ADA compliant; that is, they are the higher toilets.
- The bathrooms are constructed so that there is adequate space around
the toilets for wheelchair access.
- There are grab bars at the toilets, showers, and bathtub.
We also purchased an electric mobility scooter, one of those that you see elderly or disabled people using on the streets or in stores. The one we bought is intended primarily for use around the property and garden.(Combustion engines suffer greatly when turned on and off with very short runs.) However, it's narrow enough to fit inside and move around the house. If one of us is laid up with a broken ankle or something like that, we can use the scooter inside. (We just have to pick the pebbles out of the tire treads.)