Here in Hawaii there is a growing trend where our Kupuna are choosing to stay in their homes instead of moving into a nursing home or care facility. This option is called aging in place, and those of us in the construction industry have slowly seen it coming and now in some areas there are companies who only do aging in place construction, which shows how high the demand has become.

When building for aging in place we use what is called Universal Design, and that basically makes the home practical and accessible for the elderly, the young, women who are pregnant, and those injured and rehabilitating from injury. So whatever your circumstance the home will be able to work for you.

If the client is confined to a wheel chair we would follow the national ADA guidelines put forth by the U.S. government. Universal design adopts a lot of the ADA specifications, but since not all the guidelines are followed 100%, it is not considered ADA compliant, but still very user friendly for someone in a wheelchair.

The whole point of aging in place is for our Kupuna to maintain their life as they have known it for so many years, to remain independent and not having to feel like they are a burden to their family. Add to that , if we build an ADU using Universal Design standards, they have the option to bring family closer or rent out the house for an increased monthly income. Whatever the choice made, Aging in place is a positive option emotionally and financially.

At Wave Builders we see this firsthand with a lot of our Families going through these same decisions which is why we take each project we do as if it were for our own family we were doing it for. If your thinking about this option for your Ohana, please give us a call so we can sit down and discuss your situation and find the right solution for you!