Desirable Retirement Community Accessibility Features

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Choosing a retirement community is a big decision! Not only do you want the place to fit your needs or the needs of a loved one now, but also in the future. Here are some tips to choose the most accessible retirement center for life now and to age in place in the future.

Many retirement centers have multiple levels of care and multiple units including:

Individual apartments, townhomes or cottages on the retirement center campus
Independent living apartments
Assisted living apartments or rooms
Memory care unit apartments or rooms

See more information:

What is a Continuous Care Retirement Center (CCRC)?

Questions to ask about a Continuous Care Retirement Center (CCRC).

Please make sure that you tour the ENTIRE facility. Even if you or your aging parent will be starting out in independent living, a higher level of care (assisted living or even memory care) may be needed in the future. I understand it is challenging to think down the road and have to face the fact that life may change in the future. However, it is better to be proactive and know the future options and how those options may look versus being surprised, unprepared or unhappy in the future.

Tour multiple facilities! Make a list of pros and cons for each facility, take into account financial aspects and quality of life in your list. Please, also determine your 1st, 2nd, 3rd and even 4th choice. Even with all the research and guidance in the world, you or your aging parent may decide it is necessary to move in the future.

While I was working in a retirement community, there was a major water main break. This led to several residents being displaced. Some ended up in smaller room, rooms without any carpet that made their furniture slide, rooms with little furniture that echoes and led to difficulty hearing, different showers, people not having all their items, items in storage or boxes to navigate around. You get the picture and understand the confusion and chaos. With all that said, the retirement community did do the best they could to accommodate and ensure safety. The residents had the option to move as well and having an immediate back up facility to move to would have been ideal.

Additionally, increased rent or fees, ownership changes, natural disasters or the facility being shut down or unable to operate are all possibilities. Having your 2nd, 3rd and 4th options already known and able to call helps decrease the stress in these situations. Before signing a contract with your 2nd choice that was visited months or years ago, make sure to schedule another quick tour to ensure there were no major changes.

Senior Advisors can also be helpful in setting up tours and referring you to facilities. *Note they do earn a comission from the retirement center for referrals and may NOT have a clinical background.

If possible, have your aging parent or loved one tour the facility WITH you. I understand this is hard when they are in a skilled nursing facility or short term rehabilitation center. It is tremendously beneficial to see how they actually move around the apartment, especially the bathroom and on / off the toilet and entering / exiting the shower.

Here are some accessibility features to consider:

Table of Contents

Doors

Can the person safely manage the front door to their apartment / room? Some tend to be very heavy as they are fire doors.
Are they allowed to prop the door open if desired?
Can they manage to lock/unlock the door? Some newer luxury apartments have a key fob you can just put up to the door and it unlocks.
Do they want a deadbolt? This may be difficult for someone to enter in an emergency unless staff that have the key are easily accessible.
Does the bedroom or bathroom door get in the way of safely being able to move through the apartment?
Is it easy to exit through the outside doors or are they too heavy and have high thresholds?
Is there opening of the doorway wide enough to fit a walker AND wheelchair?

Flooring

There is a wide variation in flooring.

Cork flooring is emerging as an potentially great choice as it is a hard flooring that is “softer” than traditional vinyl, hardwoods or tile flooring. That is especially important considering older adults are more likely to fall.

Hardwood flooring is preferred by some people in general, but especially in places that get wet or soiled more often such as bathrooms and kitchens as it is easier to clean. The draw backs are that it can be slick on feet, furniture can slide and it can be more dangerous during a fall. It can lead to increased noise and echos which may be frustrating to someone who is hard of hearing.

Carpet flooring can range form low to high piles and may be shorter or more of a “shag carpeting”. High piled or really soft carpet and longer carpet can make it very difficult to manage a walker or wheelchair and can lead to falls.

While everyone is unique and I certainly encourage everyone to work with an occupational therapist or certified aging in place specialist on home modifications, my optimal set up for most people would include low to medium short carpet in the living room and bedroom and cork flooring in the bathroom and kitchen.

Here are some additional questions regarding flooring:

Is it easy to move a walker AND wheelchair across all surfaces in the apartment?
Are there big thresholds or major surface changes within the apartment? Big thresholds and major surface changes can cause someone to trip and fall and be very difficulty to propel a wheelchair over.
Are there any ripples in the carpet? Does it need to be stretched?
Are there any uneven surfaces in hardwood or tile floors?
Is any part of the vinyl floor peeling up?

You may be able to ask the retirement center to fix or replace poor flooring prior to move in as well.

Is the carpet a color that will not show spills easily? We all spill things, but for someone who has tremors, poor eyesight and difficulty cleaning up spills this is an even bigger consideration.
Is the carpet patterned? Sometimes patterned carpet makes it difficult to see items on the floor or differentiate where furniture starts, especially for those with low vision. It is best if the carpet and furniture / bed spread are contrasting colors.

Bathroom

The bathroom is a necessary place for everyone to get to and typically a small area that is sometimes wet with lots of hazards, so it definitely deserves some extra attention (if not the most attention) when choosing a dwelling to age in place! If possible and safe, it is good for the person who will be living in the apartment to actually try moving around in the bathroom.

Can the person enter and exit the tub or shower?
Does the shower have a door or curtain? Doors are typically more cumbersome to manage in small spaces. The door may also be easily removed and replaced with a shower rod with curtain.
Is there room to place a shower chair or long tub transfer bench if needed now or in the future?
Can someone easily get on and off the toilet?
Is there room to place a bed side commode, toilet safety frame or raised toilet seat over or around the toilet?
Is there a logical place to install grab bars in the shower and near the toilet if needed? Sometimes where grab bars can be installed is restricted by the placement of the plumbing as you cannot drill into the wall if there is plumbing behind the wall in the same area.
Is the bottom of the tub / shower slick or textured? Slick or non-textured floors can usually have a mat added. Textured floors can be great if done correctly; however, minimally textured floors do not allow enough traction and also do not allow a smooth enough surface for a mat or non-skid decals to adhere to the floor properly.
Can someone access the sink?
Are towel holders in a accessible position?
Can the person easily turn on / off the water faucets?
If the person has cognitive deficits and is at risk burning themselves, are there anti-scalding valves that can be installed?
Is there a heat light or lamp to keep the area warm during shower? I find one of the biggest reasons people refuse to take a shower is because it is cold. I would refuse to take a shower if the room was cold too!
Is the light switch easily accessible to turn on before or as the person is entering? Some places now even have motion detector lights in case someone forgets to turn on the lights. Proper lighting is important to minimize fall risks.

Kitchen

Can the person reach at least the 2 bottom shelves or all the shelves of most of the cabinets ? Many people should NOT be using a step stool and crowding items on the counter leads to items falling on the floor or falls and disorganization or frustration.
Is there a pantry if needed?
Is there a stove and more importantly is someone safe to use that stove? If there are safety concerns with cooking it is best to not have access to those devices.
Where is the refrigerator located? Is the refrigerator and freezer easy to open and accessible?
Is there a dishwasher and is it accessible and easy to open?
Can someone easily use the faucets at the sink?
Is there enough space for a chair and walker or wheelchair?
Are there sharp counter edges at hand or head height? These can usually be taken care of with corner protectors.

Overall Layout

Can the bed and a dresser or other non-negotiable furniture fit in the bedroom and the person still have space to safely move around with their cane, walker or wheelchair?
Is there extra room to add a bedside commode or wheelchair next to the bed if needed now or in the future?
Is it an open layout where a walker or wheelchair could easily be used?
Is the thermostat easily accessible and easy to manipulate?
Are light switches accessible?
Are blinds easy to use or could be replaced with something else?
Look at the overall set-up just as you would any other apartment: does it make sense where the phone jack and cables are?
Are there enough outlets? Some places have outlets that are more near waist level, which are more accessible! I have also seen people use an extension cord or a multi-outlet and USB extension cord like the USB Power Strip, ETL Listed Flat Plug Power Strip Extension Cord with 3 Outlets 3 USB Ports and sit it on a table. Make sure to practice proper safety with electricity!

Lighting

Is the overhead lighting optimal brightness for the particular individual? Too bright of lights can irritate some people that are sensitive to light and too dim of lighting can lead to falls or affect a person’s independence within the apartment. Sometimes the lighting fixture cover can be changed to change the type of lighting. Sometimes there is no overhead lighting in rooms and lamps must be used.
Is there a place to plug in a night light or lamp by the bed?
Are there places to put night lights in case someone gets up in the middle of the night?

If someone has low vision, consulting a therapist that is knowledgeable about low vision can be extremely helpful in improving someones independence, minimizing the risk of falls and improving quality of life.

See Outstanding Gifts for those with Low Vision for more ideas!

Location

Can the person easily evacuate in case of fire or emergency?
Can the person easily get to the dining room?
Are places where activities are held nearby?
Does the person like the view? I have had numerous residents report the view was the reason they were satisfied with their apartment.
Is the noise level tolerable? Depending on the set up and size of the facility, rooms near the dining room or activities room where music is played are usually louder. This can be a good or bad aspect depending on personal preferences.

It is unrealistic to find the “perfect place.” It is important to take a moment and reflect on what you or your loved one wants to prioritize when choosing a retirement center. Keep in mind what might be an easy fix as well. For example, it is much easier to simply change a water faucet than to have to deal with cabinets that are too high as many places aren’t going to change all the cabinets out for you.

Good luck finding on finding a happy place for yourself or loved one to retire!

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