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Designing A Kitchen For The Elderly
December 18, 2021
Soumadip Dey
Safety, accessibility, and ease of use impact every facet of designing the kitchen for the elderly – be it the selection of materials, appliances, lighting, zoning, or even the colour palette.
As the human body grows older, even simple tasks can become more difficult and daunting. For senior adults often doing basic movements require a lot of effort and this includes working in the kitchen. The kitchen is the centre of the home, but when someone is unable to safely or easily move through this important hub, life becomes difficult. Navigating through slippery floors, searching for utensils in deep drawers under poor lighting can be a nightmare for many senior adults. This necessitates sensitivity on the part of the designers while they are designing kitchens for the elderly or multi-generational users.
A kitchen for the elderly requires careful planning and execution. Shabnam Gupta, Principal Designer, The Orange Lane explains, “While designing for elderly, it’s crucial to remember that tasks we see as simple and routine becoming daunting and exhausting as age progresses. The ease of access and functionality of the space is more important than the aesthetics.”
Natural light is almost as crucial as artificial light. An ideal design would have a combination of ceiling, sink, and countertop lights along with natural light to help the elderly spot and access items better.
Padmini Pandey
Principal Architect
Studio Padmini Pandey
Technology plays a major role
However, little adjustments to the kitchen design can greatly improve the way elderly residents use the kitchen space. A senior-friendly kitchen design not only makes it safe for them but also being able to work independently in the kitchen can uplift their mood and overall wellbeing.
Shyamala Prabhu, Principal Architect, Aakruti Architects and Designers, and Chairman of IIID – Bangalore Regional Chapter agrees that with the right technology and right design, the elderly can operate in a kitchen safely. She says, “The modern kitchen has evolved in a way to take care of all age groups. For example, appliances with a soft touch and soft closing are very safe even for senior citizens to use. Using hardware that is safe to operate is very useful. There has been a lot of research into making kitchens safer. For instance, there are now kitchen appliances that can respond to voice. Using this technology senior citizens can direct the kitchen to set a timer, operate basic appliances like a coffee maker, turn on the lights, or things to open. So even if they have limited reach or are using a wheelchair, they can still operate in the kitchen.”
With technology reaching new heights, Shabnam feels that it can be easily used to the designer’s advantage in making the kitchen a safer place for the elderly. “Some key areas where technology can be helpful would be lighting automation. It is one of the most popular home automation features. A motorized sink or adjustable height countertop offers freedom of adjustment, particularly for wheelchairs. An easily accessible medical alert device will allow an elderly resident to quickly notify medical personnel if an accident should occur in the kitchen. Prioritizing the kitchen as a room that should be in reach of a smoke detector is also a good idea.”
Photo Courtesy: The Orange Lane
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The appropriate lighting
The first and foremost design element that can be addressed is the lighting. Insufficient lighting or hard-to-operate light switches can be dangerous in the kitchen for seniors.
Elderly people suffering from arthritis and joint pain find it difficult to turn light switches on and off. An easy way to solve this problem may be to use digital or smart switches instead of regular light switches. “A well-lit kitchen is a safe kitchen for senior citizens Also placement of switches so that it’s easily accessible for use is important. A good feature would be to install a panic switch,” says Shabnam.
With old age comes poor eyesight and working in a dimly lit kitchen is nothing short of a nightmare for them. But again, harsh light can be hard on the eyes. Installing task lighting above workstations, below upper cabinets, and in storage spaces can help seniors navigate the kitchen space better. Natural light as well as a combination of ceiling, sink, and countertop lights are also useful.
Padmini Pandey, Principal Architect, Studio Padmini Pandey says preference is given to white and warm lights when designing a kitchen for the elderly. “Natural light is almost as crucial as artificial light. An ideal design would have a combination of ceiling, sink, and countertop lights along with natural light to help the elderly spot and access items better.”
Photo Courtesy: Aakruti Architects and Designers
Selecting the right flooring material
The material for the floor is one of the most crucial elements when considering kitchen design for the elderly. Vitrified tiles or marble flooring can easily get slippery and increase the chances of a fall. Anti-skid flooring gives a better grip while walking and won’t cause mishaps even if someone uses a walker.
Padmini stresses the importance of selecting the right flooring material. She also points out how the colour of the floor also impacts the safety level especially in a kitchen used by an elderly person. “The flooring material must be non-slippery. Care should be taken in selecting the colour. Darker colours should be given preferences because in case of any spills it becomes visible.”
Shabnam opines that materials should be chosen keeping in mind the ease of use and maintenance factors. “The flooring should be made a priority in the kitchen. It should be something wherein the spills can be easily cleaned yet not slippery. It should also be non-glare, so it doesn’t hit the eye while working.”
Although they're most obvious, slippery surfaces are not the only danger when it comes to flooring design. Adding non-skid mats under area rugs eliminates trip points like thresholds wherever possible or reduces their height. For those who use walkers, low-pile carpeting is safest, so the walker doesn't catch on the deep pile and cause a fall.
The biggest danger for the elderly person in the kitchen is often from the fire. Here again, technology can be a saviour. I would say technology is playing a huge role in making the whole cooking experience very safe for elderly people.
Shyamala Prabhu
Principal Architect
Aakruti Architects and Designers
Design elements for disabled senior citizens
With the advances in accessible design, a beautiful and efficient kitchen accessible for everyone is a reality. It includes senior citizens as well whether or not with some form of disability. Shabnam lists some pointers that can help in designing a kitchen for a senior adult with disabilities. “Countertops should be accessible and be installed at a 34-inch height with clearance below for wheelchair. Sinks that have open space beneath the sink that provides wheelchair or walker accessibility will allow users to access the sink. Place often-used items within reaches such as spice rack and cutting boards. Use cabinet accessories that make the cabinets more accessible such as pull-down shelves, adjustable shelves, drawer dividers, lazy susan cabinet, et cetera.” She further adds that the space for moving around needs to be comfortable and more than the standard.
Photo Courtesy: The Orange Lane
Reach and accessibility are the biggest concerns when designing a kitchen space for a senior with a disability. “The shelves and all-important gadgets should be within the hand’s reach of the person who would work in the kitchen. It’s much safer for older adults to be able to pull shelves toward them instead of having to crouch down to search inside a lower cabinet or using a step stool to reach items in higher cabinets. A touch drawer system, where the door can pop open from being pushed can also prove to be beneficial.” adds Padmini.
The island design according to Padmini helps in making the countertop more accessible for an elderly person with limited reach. “Lowering countertops is also helpful, especially for older adults who are in wheelchairs or have lost height due to osteoporosis. A corner table or kitchen island can fit a wheelchair underneath and still be at the right height for food preparation.”
Photo Courtesy: The Orange Lane
Selecting appliances
When designing a kitchen for the elderly, built-in appliances are sometimes given preference since, microwaves and ovens, not only eat up a lot of counter space but can also be a safety risk if they are close to wet areas. Also, built-in appliances can be placed at a convenient height.
According to Shyamala, care should be taken in selecting the right appliances for the kitchen design. “Even in the Indian context, there has been a lot of convenient appliances and hardware that can be used to make it easier for the elderly to use in the kitchen. They do not have to take up a knife for chopping vegetables. Now there are choppers and shredders that can be incorporated into the design. The biggest danger for an elderly person in the kitchen is often from the fire. Here again, technology can be a saviour. Gadgets like induction, microwaves, and air fryers reduce their chances of getting burnt or having any mishaps in the kitchen. I would say technology is playing a huge role in making the whole cooking experience very safe for the elderly people.”
While designing for the elderly, it’s crucial to remember that tasks we see as simple and routine become daunting and exhausting as age progresses. The ease of access and functionality of the space is more important than the aesthetics.
Shabnam Gupta
Principal Designer
The Orange Lane
Apart from these basic design elements, a lot of attention should be given to the minute details to make a kitchen safe for the elderly. Shyamala points out, “We try as much as possible not to use sharp edges in the design. Even for simple elements like handles, we make sure they do not have open edges so that clothes do not get tangled. We try to design in a way that there is no requirement of a handle. We develop the detail in a way that there are fewer elements to worry about because these elements often get loose and require maintenance.”
Elderly people often have problems with regular maintenance of the kitchen. Materials that can be easily cleaned, helps in maintaining the hygiene level of the kitchen. Using laminates and lacquered glass that can be easily cleaned forms a big part of the design.
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