Unassisted Living | Empty Nest Parenting: Grown and Flown

Grown and Flown writers, and empty nesters everywhere, struggle with the question: Should I Stay or Should I Go? We sought advice from the experts, architect Wid Chapman and gerontologist Jeffrey P. Rosenfeld, authors of Unassisted Living: Ageless Homes for Later Life (The Monacelli Press, 2011.) When the Grown and Flown editors asked for their suggestions, Chapman kindly provided our readers with some thoughts on how to approach staying or going. For additional inspiration take a look at their beautiful book and website?Living Unassisted.

EMPTY NESTERS (WILL IT STAY EMPTY)?
Wid Chapman, Wid Chapman Architects
March 29, 2012

Often, empty nesters find themselves in a quandary when the last of the children finally move out of the family home.

Do they sell and downsize locally? Do they find a cottage in the country? Do they pick up and move to warmer climes?

More and more empty nesters are deciding to remain in their current home- or at least nearby. They want to be near their kids (if they are indeed nearby) and grandchildren- as friends, cultural and religious institutions- that will keep them engaged, vital and stimulated for years to come.

The question of whether to leave the home in order to downsize is often an economic one. If a couple can afford to stay in their home, they should consider the following:

Is the empty nest really going to stay that way?
Especially in today?s economy, more and more twenty-something-year olds are returning to their parents? home to save money.

Will your aging parents need your help and end up moving in with you?

So, if you can afford it, you may just want to hang on to that empty nest. If you do plan on making renovations, keep it flexible. Make sure there?s a full bedroom and bath on the first level so that you or an aging parent can live there without going up the stairs) If you can plan a shaft for a future elevator, even better.

When you renovate the bathrooms, reinforce the walls for future grab bars. Try to keep the entrance to the home, as well as thresholds to rooms as flush and smooth as possible. Turn at least one bathtub into an ample shower with a large opening- and as little or no threshold as possible. Make sure you build in a seat and add a hand held shower.

If you plan a kitchen renovation consider getting as many functions down at the ?universal? level as possible- 15 to 48? high.

Finally, do a spring cleaning like you?ve never done before. Take a Zen approach- divest, and de-clutter your home. Create ample circulation paths and easy access to seating areas. Create consistent, strong lighting with as little blinding glare as possible.

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