BSU web sites aid in transition

As more and more of the Baby Boomer population reaches retirement, more and more people face the challenges that come with aging.
Two web sites created by a pair of Ball State University professors are designed to help overcome some of those difficulties.
WELLcomeHome, which can be found at wellcomehome.iweb.bus.edu, is a home-modification resource that offers tips about how to make homes friendlier to elderly inhabitants.
“We look at it from obstacles in homes and how those obstacles can be removed to make life easier for people who have disabilities,” said Reza Ahmadi, an associate professor of design at BSU, who created WELLcomeHome and Alzhome (www.bsu.edu/web/nursing/alzhome) along with Dr. Kay Hodson Carlton.
WELLcomeHome, which was created thanks in part to a grant from the Retirement Research Foundation of Chicago, is centered around its home assessment — a list of about 120 questions designed to help home owners identify things that can become obstacles for those whose physical skills begin to diminish with age. It’s a comprehensive list that has questions about the entry way, bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, living room, kitchen, hallways and garage.
After a home has been assessed for any potential problems, the site also offers suggestions for how homes can be modified in order to allow owners to avoid moving to the nursing home for as long as possible.
“A large number of elderly move from their home because when they get older then the home doesn’t function (for them),” said Ahmadi, noting a second story or inaccessible showers and bath tubs as common issues. “Most of these older homes were not designed for a person having retirement in mind.”
WELLcomeHome also offers a list of financial resources that might help pay for home modifications.
Alzhome is a similar web site, developed through a grant from the Indiana governor’s office, that offers advice focused on those dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. Like its counterpart, it offers a home assessment and tips for making the home safe.
“It’s sort of connected, but the emphasis is people with Alzheimer’s and how they can navigate … through the home,” said Ahmadi, noting that he is seeking grants that will help him update both web sites. “We came up with ideas of how to make homes more accessible for them by clues … colors or landmarks.”
Ahmadi, who teaches a course about universal design at BSU, said that while sometimes houses have major obstacles for the elderly, often small changes can make a world of difference. One example, he said, is installing lever doorknobs rather than the more common round style, which are more difficult to operate for those with arthritis.
He also noted that it is important for home owners to think about such issues before they become a problem.
“It’s a lack of knowledge. It’s an attitude,” Ahmadi said. “If you ask someone who is 50 years old to incorporate that, maybe the response is, ‘I’m not there yet. Why do I have to do this now?’ Of course, if they wait too long, they may not be able to do it.”[[In-content Ad]]