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A Newsletter by Aaron D. Murphy, Managing Editor at Empowering The Mature Mind, Licensed Architect and Owner of ADM Architecture, Certified Aging In Place & In Community Specialist
Printed on: August 5, 2014
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
Issue#07 Summer, 2014
Winter, 2014 We provide CONSULTING and DESIGN SERVICES that allow
both HOMEOWNERS and INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS to create successful
& EMPOWERING housing solutions for our “second half ” of life!
Featured Project: Remodel for a Paraplegic desiring more independence in the bathroom – LOOK INSIDE!
We have been presenting “Successful Aging in Place” subjects locally in the Seattle area over the last few months, at locations such as:
1) Seattle’s NW Universal Design Council 2) Port Ludlow Senior Center, South Bay Association educ. Courses 3) “Meet the Author” – Book reading, Eagle Harbor Books, Bainbridge Is.,Wa
Upcoming Courses & Locations include: 1) Reid Real Estate, Silverdale Wa. 2) Bainbridge Parks & Rec. / Senior Center, Bainbridge Is., Wa. 3) Housing Washington, State Conference – Oct. ’14, Tacoma, Wa. 4) Seattle Home Show, “Nectargy” Stage, Sunday 10/5/14 – Seattle, Wa.
Check out our website at www.EmpoweringTheMatureMind.com to see what topics and subject matter we can present on, and let us know
if your city, county, area agency on aging, or regional builders & contractors could use the education we provide, thanks!
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
What’s NEW at EtMM?
Printed on: August 5, 2014
Know someone with a product or service related to Boomers and their families?
Tell them about EtMM and our sponsorship opportunities with webinars, podcasts, speaking engagements, website, and radio show too!
Issue#07 Summer, 2014
Aging In Place: 5 Steps to Designing a Successful Living Environment for Your Second
Half of Life
Now available on Amazon.com as a hard copy,
or as an E-book for your Kindle, Nook, etc. !!!
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
Product Focus – R&D for A.I.P.
Printed on: August 5, 2014 Issue#07 Summer, 2014
There are many pieces to the “Aging in Place” puzzle. Here are a couple of great examples where the product R&D world is independently way further down the road than the house as a whole… but it all plays a part in your ability to keep a loved on home longer! Take a look…
“LiftWare” by Lift Labs Design: Stabilize Your Hand Tremor Liftware cancels tremor to bring the joy back to mealtime.
Spill less
Shift attention away from spilling and onto the people you're with
Start eating
Liftware quickly responds to your tremor and steadies what you hold
Pick it up
Sensors in the handle detect your hand tremor.
http://www.liftlabsdesign.com/
http://www.peta-uk.com/
Nail Clippers
Yard & Garden Tools
Kitchen Knives & Tools
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
Best of “Murph’s Mind”
Printed on: August 5, 2014
Experiencing 65, as a 40 year old – The AGING SUIT
Last week I went into Seattle to theAbodian showroom. I was invited, as an“Aging in Place Specialist” to come in and try on their rented “AGE Exploration Suit” as part of a presentation on learning more about Aging in Place and Universal Design features of their industry’s leading-edge technology, in cabinetry and storage solutions that have internal motorized openers and closers, along with high tech appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves and hoods. What a wonderful experience.
Issue#07 Summer, 2014
http://empoweringthematuremind.com/experiencing-65-40-year-old-aging-suit/
Now I’d seen much of the technology they had related to drawer openers and closers. But what I hadn’t ever experienced was the SUIT. BLUM has created a suit that you can wear which they claim is designed to create the sensations of you being about 20-25 years older. This includes being 25 pounds heavier, you can’t bend your joints as well without pain, and can’t lift your arms and shoulders above your head as well.
Beyond that, they also outfit you with gloves that take away the tactile sensation in your hands and fingers (wow, what a pain THAT is to not be able to feel with your fingertips!), headphones to create a detriment in your hearing ability, a helmet that has a lense which yellows (like the aging eyes) your environment and damages your ability to ascertain the differences between colors, as well as bi-focal glasses that blur your eyesight at two different levels. Talk about a NEW REALITY EXPERIENCE… Wow.
Before they put on the suit, they have you operate some of the drawers and cabinetry, and get a few things up and down, in and out of the base and upper cabinets, so you have a reference point of “able” at your own age, before putting on the suit. Then you gear up! After about 10 minutes of talking to you while you are in the suit (getting hot and tired from holding the extra weight that’s been inserted into sleeves in the suit), they begin your “testing regimen”. You are tasked with the following to do list, and you are watched and timed while you do the following daily ritual type activities:
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
Best of “Murph’s Mind”
Printed on: August 5, 2014 Issue#07 Summer, 2014
Getting “Geared Up” for the AGING Experience
1) Open a wallet and get 81 cents correct change out of the coin purse pocket in the wallet. 2) Pick out a BLUE paper clip in a box with about 250 paperclips of assorted colors. 3) Get a ream of paper off the back of a bottom shelf in a base cabinet and put it on the counter. 4) Get a stack of breakable plates down from an upper shelf and put them on the countertop. 5) And a few other similar type daily tasks…
So, how do you think it went? How do you think I FELT? The first word that comes to mind is “Appreciation”, followed by “Empathy”. This “age addition” puts me right where my folks are, with me being 40 years old and they being 63-64. WOW, what a reality check this was. Not only as an architect and professional designer with a passion (and already plenty of education) about Baby Boomers and housing solutions that consider our new 1/3 of life longevity we have created in the last 150 years (with medical and technology advances). But also as a SON, as an ADULT CHILD. As someone that WILL soon be tasked with helping create care solutions for my own folks as they enter their latter 1/3 of life.
Trying to get correct change out of a wallet
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
Best of “Murph’s Mind”
Printed on: August 5, 2014 Issue#07 Summer, 2014
Do you have thoughts or comments on this BLOG? Post your ideas at the online site: http://empoweringthematuremind.com/experiencing-65-40-year-old-aging-suit/
Trying to get a ream of paper off the bottom shelf
Is what YOU are designing considering any of this? Are YOUR products and services aware of where we are going? Did you know that 2/3 of people that have EVER turned 65 years old are ALIVE TODAY!? Did you know that between 1950 and 2040 the 85+ age group will have grown from 0.5% to 5% of the population, a TENFOLD increase!? Did you know there are forecasters who are saying the it’s quite likely my own children (6 and 9 years old) could live to 100… 120… maybe even 150 years old when it comes to THEIR children?
Does your business, service, or products design solutions FOR this information? If NOT, how does that make YOU FEEL? Time to consider it, and get ahead of the needs of the Boomer Consumer. 10,000 people are turning 65 years old EVERY DAY for the last 3 years and the next 17 years. For me, I’m designing HOUSING solutions (and teaching / speaking / writing books) that show others how to do so as well, with this “plate tectonics” level massive shift in the demographics of our clients and consumers. You’d better start paddling in your R&D boat, or you are going to get swallowed by the “Silver Tsunami” as it’s being called… Or be up a creek, without a paddle. Your choice.
I can only INFORM and INVITE people to consider the information, education, and learning we provide. I can’t force anyone to PLAN AHEAD, or NOT PROCRASTINATE. We all know that working in planning mode and being pro-active is much cheaper and emotionally more sane that waiting for an accident that forces us into panic mode, back-peddling, emotionally overwhelming decisions that usually aren’t the best or most cost effective. But I can’t MAKE you want to keep your independence, your happiness, your home, your pets, your memories, your garden, and your neighbors. YOU have do decide it’s important enough. We hope you do!
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
Featured “Aging In Place” Project “Aging-in-Place” Remodel -
Remodeling an in-town developer/builder SPEC HOUSE that didn’t consider a paraplegic who is looking for more independence in her ability
to bathe on her own, in her own master bathroom!
1) ROLL IN SHOWER: Current 36” deep shower with curb (where door has already been removed for makeshift access), to be removed and replaced in the corner under the windows, with built-in or flip down bench seating (including a back for her support), vertical bar adjustable shower head and accessible bathing apuratures, accessible operation handles, and zero-threshold entry to/from the shower area at the flooring level of the exterior bathroom flooring.
2) CHANGING BENCH: Removing an un-used soaking tub (there is another tub/shower in the home for “resale” consideration) and put in more storage with pull down access from upper cabinets over a teak built-in bench for side transfer from her chair to allow for maneuvering widths related to dressing after showering
3) WALK-IN CLOSET ACCESS: New shelf and rod configuration to allow “pull down” access to her clothing in the walk in closet, so she can independently choose and reach her own clothing for dressing in the morning.
4) NEW VANITY COUNTERTOP & ACCESS: New lower maintenance countertop (for reach constraints, no grout/tile), improve existing makeshift under-cabinet cut out access area to include roll away base cabinet doors and scald protection at under counter piping, and upgrade levered fixtures at lavatory sinks.
Printed on: August 5, 2014 Issue#07 Summer, 2014
D.I.Y. modified vanity cabinet
DESIGN GOALS: Aging-in-Place and Universal Design features to meet her needs:
Existing Shower & Soaking Tub
Existing walk-in-closet
View to water closet area
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
“Aging-in-Place” Remodel – additional photos…
Printed on: August 5, 2014 Issue#07 Summer, 2014
How can we best HELP YOU?
In our true interest of “Servant Leadership”, we want to know what YOU WANT from Empowering the Mature Mind – SO PLEASE TELL US so we can SERVE YOU better – Simply shoot us an email at:
[email protected] -- Thanks!!!
Featured “Aging In Place” Project
www.EmpoweringtheMatureMind.com [email protected]
I am a licensed Architect with 18+ years in the architecture and real estate investing industries. I
am an entrepreneur, and a loving dad to two beautiful children. I am passionate about things I believe in, and I enjoy sharing these passions with my clients, the public, and those I care about and
love, so you can share with yours as well…
OUR MISSION at Empowering The Mature Mind: “Dramatically improving our clients’ ability to live a longer and happier life at home.”
EtMM does this through our positive online community, where we provide our subscribers with valuable information, education, and resources – at EtMM, we are EMPOWERING you to meet your WANTS, NEEDS, and RIGHTS. “Encore Living” Radio with co-host Aaron D.
Murphy of Empowering The Mature Mind is live ON AIR every 2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month, from 9am-10am. Archives available on iTunes too!
Empowering The Mature Mind was created to provide timely & pertinent informational teachings, links, references, resources, and product offerings for the Mature Adult Populations & their families. Our goal for YOU? EMPOWERING and ENABLING the Mature Adults of our population to control their own lives, and have the ability to meet their WANTS, NEEDS, and RIGHTS in every part of their wonderful “Second Half” of life.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/encoreliving
Aaron Murphy is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, trained in the unique needs of the older adult population, Aging-in-Place home modifications, common remodeling projects, and solutions to common barriers in our homes and communities in which we would prefer to stay and live. CAPS professionals have been taught the strategies and techniques for designing and building aesthetically enriching, barrier-free living environments. The CAPS program goes beyond design to address the codes and standards, common remodeling expenditures and projects, product ideas, and resources needed to provide comprehensive and practical aging-in-place solutions. CAPS graduates pledge to uphold a code of ethics and are required to maintain their designation by attending continuing education programs and participating in community service.
Printed on: August 5, 2014 Issue#07 Summer, 2014
