When you are considering a remodel of your kitchen, you should consider more than merely size and function for current needs. You need to evaluate the kitchen in light of future needs, especially if you plan to age in place.

What are some of the top considerations?

Sink Area

• Faucets should be lever controls, rather than knobs to eliminate difficulty with gripping and turning.
• Foot petal controls on sinks make it easy to work with both hands in the kitchen.
• Dishwasher drawers, rather than traditional dishwashers to reduce the amount of bending required to provide self-care.
• Lack of traditional lower cabinets under sink to permit wheelchair and seated access.

Handling Storage

• Alterations to cabinets which permit the contents of upper cabinets to be pulled down and returned to the cabinet easily using a spring tension extender, rather than requiring the homeowner to climb and reach to gain access.
• Lower cabinets can utilize pull-out drawers to allow access to the full depth of the cabinets without stooping or crawling back into cabinets to reach the far corners.
• Consider using open shelves to eliminate the need for opening and closing doors to find what is needed.
• Double-sided, pull-out pantries are easier to navigate than pantry areas utilizing closet-type areas, traditional upper and lower cabinets for food, or standard/louvered doors which can be hard to handle with walkers or wheelchairs.

Counter Tops

• Customize the height of counters to match the people who actually use the kitchen. Standard 36″ tall counters don’t work for people under 5″ tall or those over 6″ tall.
• Have some counters created for use from a seated position.
• Consider lowering counters (and cabinets) via motorized or mechanical systems to suit those who use the kitchen.

Cooking Area

• Adding a faucet near over the stove called a “pot filler” helps eliminate the need to carry large pots full of water.
• Convection stove tops are safer to use and easier to clean than old fashioned electric and gas cooktops.
• Keep controls for the cooking surface on the front, so there’s no need to reach over hot areas to adjust the cooking temperature.
• Controls should be touch control, rather than knobs.
• Lower cooking surfaces without lower cabinets, leaving open space to accommodate a wheelchair.

Enjoy the following video for examples of creating a great aging-in-place kitchen without sacrificing style:

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