Northern California-based Eskaton recently unveiled an innovative senior living demonstration home at the company's Roseville campus. The home serves as a teaching tool for architects, homebuilders and the public on how better design can improve the quality of life for older adults. Ms. Peifer shares her thoughts on the project and how she hopes it will positively impact senior housing design.

Describe the operations of Eskaton:

Eskaton provides residences, services and health care to support the independence and quality of living for more than 15,000 older adults annually throughout Northern California. Affordability, innovation, collaboration, education and compassion are the nonprofit organization's benchmarks as it endeavors to transform the aging experience. Founded in 1968, Eskaton is headquartered in Carmichael, California. Visit www.eskaton.org or contact The Senior Connection at 916-334-1072 to learn more.

How did the concept of the demonstration home come about?

Eskaton learned the importance of building barrier-free residences from our experience serving older adults over the past forty years. Today's residential homes continue to be built with stairs, narrow hallways and minimal flexibility to change throughout the years as our needs change. Eskaton's desire is to create a positive movement in residential design with livable, supportive floor plans that flex throughout a lifetime. Eskaton's national demonstration home is an example that supportive designs are aesthetically beautiful, and in fact, include features that are invisible to the eye, and that a home which is supportive for a lifetime can still look beautiful, and in fact, include features which are undetectable.

Who are some of the companies with which you've partnered to build and equip the home?

Collaboration was a key component to the success of this home. We have 19 collaborators on this project: Lakemont Homes, Intel, CAST, AAHSA, Aging Services of California, AARP, Allergen Safe Homes, Beutler, Lennox, HomeLogic, Dakim, GrandCare, GE, Aquarius, CLTC, SureWest, Yes! Solar Solutions, Specialized Audio & Video, and Jeffrey DeMure Architects.

Please describe some of the real "breakthrough" features of the home:

The real breakthrough of this home is that it approaches interior and exterior design and infrastructure planning in a comprehensive way. In order to have a home that is supportive for a lifetime, it must include a core set of features to flex with the homeowner over time. Some of the features include zero steps and thresholds at all home entry points, undercabinet access to the cooktop, kitchen and master bath sinks, zero threshold shower with integrated tile bench, pathway lighting, and telemonitoring capabilities.

Has the home attracted the attention of homebuilders and architects—and are they adopting any of the design ideas they've seen?

Absolutely, in fact, Lakemont Homes will be building Eskaton-Certified Homes in their future campuses, and are currently making changes to the homes on their existing campuses to include even more aging-in-place features than currently offered.

These days, homebuilders are watching their bottom line very carefully. What do you say to those who believe that adding senior-friendly features is too expensive?

Eskaton believes homebuilders cannot afford to build homes without senior-friendly features. The number of Americans over age 65 will double from today's 35 million to 70 million by 2030. The overwhelming majority say they want to continue living in their own homes indefinitely. The cost to incorporate aging-in-place features upon construction is very minimal, and incorporating these features will differentiate homebuilders, offering a marketing advantage. In fact, our evaluations indicate that when asked how much value our visitors place on aging-in-place features, the majority of visitors indicated $15,000-$25,000+. As consumers demand barrier-free homes, builders will have the ability to differentiate their product and directly impact how long individuals can remain in their own homes.

How do you feel senior living residences have evolved over the past decade, and where do you see it going over the next 10 years?

Over the past decade, the senior living field has been moving toward creating person-centered, home-like environments where individuals have increased personal choices provided in private, supportive living residences. No matter where a person lives, it needs to feel like a residential home, as opposed to a medical institution. Over the next decade, Eskaton will focus on expanding home-and community-based services providing opportunities for older adults to live supported and connected lives in their own homes. Eskaton will continue to implement appropriate personal health, wellness and monitoring technologies to positively support the overall wellness of older adults and their families.

More than ever, people of all age groups seem to desire a sense of connectedness to their community. How you feel good design can help foster that connection?

Eskaton and our partners believe that “connected communities” are created by designing residential homes and campuses that are a) livable for life and universally designed, b) integrated with walking pathways that are interconnected with social gathering areas, and c) focus on connecting all elements of wellness (intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional, vocational and environmental). Intergenerational and university-based communities are examples of providing socially-connected opportunities as we age.

As a research professional, can you share some of the most striking demographic numbers you've seen in regard to the senior market? What is your strategic advice to a homebuilder right now?

• About one in every eight, or 12.4 percent, of the population is an older American and this number will double by 2030.
• The first wave of the 77 million Boomer generation will be age 65 in the year 2011.
• In an AARP survey, 90% of persons over age 65 stated that they desire to live in their own homes throughout their lives.
• The Silent and Boomer Generations will demand choice, value and connection with family and friends.

Eskaton's advice to home builders is to embrace the opportunity to differentiate yourself and deliver innovative, livable homes and communities for today's and tomorrow's older generations.

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