New-Home Design Solutions for Aging in Place

Although age-restricted communities provide vibrant lifestyles and a great sense of community, not everyone wants (or can afford) to live in one. Some homeowners want to downsize as they get older and move to an all-ages community, while others want to stay in their current home.

In fact, according to New Home Trends Institute research, more than 70% of 55+ consumers live in their “forever” home. (New Home Trends Institute by John Burns Research and Consulting survey of 662 respondents age 55+, Feb. 2024.) Among that cohort, the challenge is that not all homes—especially older homes—are designed to adapt to the needs of aging in place. 

What Makes a Home Good for Aging in Place?

Builders and developers around the country have their own opinions about what makes a home good for aging in place, and there's a wealth of guidance about universal design, Livable Design, and features that make a home conducive to supporting residents' needs throughout their lives. 

But here, I'll instead dive into and explore three creative home collections and overall solutions that include thoughtful homes that can "age” gracefully with their residents. 

Aging-in-Place Housing That Starts With a Vision 

New Home Company's Cannery master plan in Davis, Calif., was developed with aging in place in mind. In response to the city’s public support for aging-in-place housing, the builder used the following statement as one of the six guiding principles for the development: 

“The Cannery will expand traditional housing types to include a variety of lifestyle options through universal design, multi-generational living opportunities, and a variety of densities to address a broad spectrum of residents." (The Cannery Final Planned Development Neighborhood Design Guidelines, Nov. 2013.) 

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The guidelines create standards for integrating universal design into the homes, with third-party review and certification through the Livable Design New Home Seal program. Elements that help homes meet these requirements include ground-floor bedrooms and low-threshold entries. 

And since the developer included that aspect in its guiding principles, the homes built in the community support it.  

For example, Beech at The Cannery by CalAtlantic Homes are detached homes plotted in clusters that range from 1,144 square feet to 2,189 square feet. These two-story homes were designed with couples and families in mind but still support residents of all ages with low-threshold entries and curbless showers (see 1—main image—above). 

Build for Now and Later: Housing for All Life Stages

Stella at The Groves by Brookfield Residential, in Whittier, Calif., is another creative collection of homes that could appeal to a broad range of buyers by integrating features and options that support aging in place.  

Beyond the ground-floor bedrooms (see 2, below), the homes either have wider (2-foot, 8-inch) doorways for easier access on all first-level floor plans or optional upgrades such as framing for installing grab bars in the future in all bathrooms. And all include first-floor showers that measure a minimum of 30 inches by 60 inches. 

Multiple homes even include dual primary bedrooms, which allow residents to move to the ground-floor bedroom when they need or prefer single-level living. 

While the integrated features may be subtle when you’re walking through the home, the marketing team did a great job of calling them out in the sales brochure with an entire section on 55+ living. 

Housing That Allows Residents to Live Long and Thrive  

Not everyone aging in place wants a small home. If you like to entertain, you want rooms for overnight guests and a spacious living area. You also may want a place to work from home or to support your hobbies.  

The Artisan Series at Wellen Park (see 3, below) by Homes by WestBay, in Venice, Fla., offers single-level and two-story homes ranging from 2,535 square feet to 3,657 square feet that deliver a comprehensive ground-floor living experience for aging in place and meet those other expectations, as well.  

The homes feature spacious great rooms that open onto lanais, with the backyard beyond, and offer higher bed counts that can support future needs for hobbies, a private office, or guest accommodations.  

In fact, the upstairs bedroom and the nearby bonus room could easily support guests or a multigenerational living setup, or even serve an in-home caretaker. 

Designing a home for its occupants to age in place is about wider doorways and ground-floor bedrooms, but it’s also far more than that. Spaces in such a home need to be able to support other functions than their original intent, such as kids’ bedrooms becoming an exercise room, home office, or art or craft studio, among other options.  

As you design homes for age-restricted and mixed-age communities, consider flexibility along with designing a home that supports a variety of abilities.