Drue Lawlor, FASID, chair of the ASID Aging in Place Council
Just a few weeks ago, ASID took part in the AARP Life@50+ Event held in Washington, D.C. The ASID booth featured a looping slide presentation that included information and project examples from the recently published book, Residential Design for Aging in Place, by yours truly and Michael Thomas, FASID. Along with Designing Your Space, an ASID booklet on how to work with an interior designer, we also handed out bookmarks with design “Tips for Active Aging.” We wanted the message of the booth to go beyond what the public normally thinks of as “interior design,” so we did not focus so much on promoting ASID but rather on how design can support “active aging” by creating environments that are comfortable, functional, safe and easy to maintain.
As it turned out, it was an interesting opportunity to observe the reaction of 27,500+ attendees, most of whom were 60 or older, to the idea of modifying their homes to accommodate the changes that come with aging. Although this was not evidenced-based design research, it revealed some striking differences that are worth noting.
The attendees the first day were very enthusiastic and receptive. Those who stopped by the booth all had stories of how they had experienced challenges that served as wake-up calls to urge them to make changes to their homes to make them more “aging friendly.” They were very receptive and were anxious to discuss additional ideas. In addition, they were eager to pick up the brochures about working with an interior designer. We also had a visit from someone planning a community event, entitled “Reinventing Your Home,” to help homeowners make necessary changes that would allow them to age in place. When they found that ASID was made up of designers who actually “spoke” the language of universal design and aging in place, beyond just “install lever door handles,” they were very interested in having us participate in their event. To me, it shows the importance of becoming involved in the community and showcasing those designers with aging in place and universal design expertise.
Day two was completely different. We did have a few professionals from organizations visit, but the attendees as a whole were in complete denial. If you approached them about active aging or tried to talk to them about their homes, their response was “not for me.” A few even bristled when I tried to hand them a bookmark! It became rather comical. It was as though if they did not touch the bookmark, then they would not age! We tried changing our pitch to talking to them about the needs of their parents, and even that was a challenging “sell.” Many felt they had done everything needed already, such as installing grab bars, wider doors and lever handles, I would ask if they had a stepless entry and that would stop them. But then they would say, “Well, it’s only one or two steps,” and they would not want to stop and talk about it, but would usually want to move on.
As I said, this was by no means a scientific survey. Still, I began to wonder if it was just my opinion that there seemed to be such a marked difference in attendees’ attitudes between day one and day two. I asked several of the other exhibitors what their experience had been, and sure enough, each one repeated my exact viewpoint. On day three, however, attendees’ reactions were more mixed.
Although the strongest interest came the first day, the fact that we drew interest all three days was definitely a positive, and it came from a variety of organizations as well as from the general public. Despite the mixed response, I feel that having a presence at the AARP event helped us make positive inroads to raise public awareness of ASID and to educate attendees that our profession is more than “interior decorating” by showing them how interior design can enhance universal design and modifications for aging in place.
Clearly, we still have work to do to educate the public, as well as the design community, as to the importance of designing all homes to accommodate aging in place, preferably at the time they are built! Meanwhile, we should not lose sight that we have valuable services that consumers need, even if they are not aware or willing to accept that they need them. If “active aging” is not the message they will respond to, then perhaps it is convenience or lifestyle. One lesson we can learn from others who are reaching out to this demographic: It is all in how we market.