Filmmaker Mark Arnett had a vision and that was to tell his father's story on film. As a Baby Boomer, he wanted to document the way the world was about the time the Boomers were being born... those ungrateful, spoiled, pretentious and selfish Baby Boomers who are now the parents of some of the most ungrateful, spoiled, pretentious and selfish children the world has ever known. It's an interesting story and the film has won several documentary awards. CLICK HERE to learn more about it.
The media is finally starting to rally around the needs of the aging baby boomer and so are the manufacturers of products. And its about time with 76 million boomers now contemplating their elder years. In a recent article in the Miami Herald and a follow up post on the blog Modern Health Talk showcased some of the ideas both manufacturers are doing and interior designers are using. Perhaps things that make homes safe and secure isn't such a bad thing. To Read the blog, click here.
You Don't Have To Give Up Style For Function. In additional to Great Grabz.com, a great resource for all types of high style grab bars, manufacturers are starting to realize the value of creating products for the Baby Boomers of the World. If you didn't get to NeoCon in Chicago on June 14-16th to see all the new products, you missed a great show. Lots of brighter crisper colors in both commercial and residential materials, fixtures and furnishings. One thing that did stand out was the use of LED lighting. Lots of new introductions using the latest and greatest illumination to come along in a long time including the use of LEDs along the bottom side of a grab bar. Its from Cooper Industries and because of the low energy use and expected lifetime, it should be making its appearance in CCRCs, as well as residences.... making it ideal for adding a measure of safety when getting out of bed in the middle of the night and now having to turn on a light. GREAT ! DESIGNS FOR INDEPENDENCY WORKSHOP SERIES INCLUDES RELATED PROFESSIONALS No doubt continuing education continues to be an important component both in the design community and well as other professions. With things changing so quickly, if we don’t continue updating our skills and knowledge, we can fall behind. For those of us in the design/build community, it is vitally important if we are to keep up with the changing nature and evolving trends of the profession. And one of those trends is the amazing cultural evolution known as Aging In Place. Just think about this, in a little more than a decade, those 76 million baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964 will all be over the age of 60. And at that point, this HUGE NUMBER will be in the middle of deciding how best to stay in their own homes and how to care for a parent who is living longer than expected. Here is what they are thinking…. “Do we ship grandpa off to some nursing home environment or bring him into our home?” “What will be do when we are no longer able to climb the stairs?” “What changes can we make to the house so that we can remain independent right here?” “Is there someone or some service that I can turn to for help in discovering my options?” So it is a great time to capture this opportunity. You can begin to acquire the skills necessary and learn how to become that “service provider” and design consultant for this tsunami of seniors. Check out my 5-part series “DESIGNS FOR INDEPENDENCY – Creating Spaces that Last a Lifetime”and discover the skills, tools and techniques you will need to assist this group and adapt their residence into an environment that is safe, secure and comforting…. and a place,… according to several surveys,… that Seniors have indicated they want to be: IN THEIR OWN HOMES. So CLICK HERE to register for this webinar series producted by Lifelines + Legacies. I think that you will find that each segment presents a compelling story why designers, OTs, PTs, Realtors, contractors and home remodelers can truly lead this cultural evolution and make life at home a home for a lifetime for 76 million Americans. Time will not wait. Will you? -Michael T. PS. This Five-Part Series is IDCEC approved for continuing education for interior designers. And WOW….That’s Five Hours of great information plus FIVE CEU credits. |
Welcome To This Boomer's Design Blog!
Michael A. Thomas, FASID is an author, writer and interior designer who as a caregiver developed a passion for creating homes without barriers, maximizing the independence of his clients and having a little fun along the way. Co-Author: Residential Design For Aging In Place. To learn more, CLICK HERE.Archives
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